Progress Update - March 7, 2026

Members of the WMMBA Johnson Park Leadership Team recently had the opportunity to spend some time in the woods at Johnson Park with our partners from Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and the Grand River Network.

This project goes far beyond building an awesome 8-mile mountain bike trail. It’s part of a much larger vision that connects directly with the Grand River Greenway Project and other major park improvements, including a new playground and a four-season restroom facility. Together, these investments will help make Johnson Park a central hub for community connectivity and accessible recreation.

Speaking of accessibility — a majority of the Johnson Park MTB trail will meet adaptive mountain bike trail standards, further supporting the Kent County Parks mission to enhance quality of life by providing outstanding parks and trails that meet the highest standards of recreation.

Trail construction resumed this week, with full crews anticipated to return in April. Thanks to the success of our fundraising campaign with the Kent County Parks Foundation — which secured funding for the additional two miles of trail — the target completion date for the MTB trail is September 2026.

The broader park improvements are expected to be completed later in 2027.

Check out the recent video to learn more about the partnerships making this project possible.

JP Partner Highlight Video