Johnson Park Trails

WMMBA Partnership

The West Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance (WMMBA) is excited to partner with the Kent County Parks Department and the Kent County Parks Foundation to bring our West Michigan community a professionally built mountain bike trail that takes full advantage of the hilly, forested terrain of Johnson Park! This is especially exciting for bikers on the southwest side of Grand Rapids, who have long lacked a local trail and have had their eyes on this park for years. 

Features will include:

• Rock drops
• Rollers
• Dirt jumps
• The largest vertical drop in the entire WMMBA trail system

What makes this trail even better? It’s being built for everyone. Highlights include:

• A mix of terrain for biking, hiking, trail running and adaptive cycling for those with physical limitations
• Area's of the trail will be four feet wide, ideal for beginners, families, and experienced riders alike
• The trail’s location along the Grand River Greenway means it will be accessible via the existing paved trail network

Johnson Park is a 224-acre property located in the City of Walker. It was established in 1928 and it is one of the oldest parks in the Kent County Park System. Johnson Park is known for its 1930s enclosed shelter, the 1 mile plus scenic drive (now pedestrian pathway) that winds through the park, its proximity to the Grand River and Millennium Park, and the open recreation it provides. Positioned in the urban core of the County, Johnson Park serves a diverse range of residents and visitors.

Kent County Parks now seeks to expand more of the park to include additional usership by providing trail access for hikers and mountain bikers of all abilities. The proposed project will create six miles of natural surface trails constructed to the standards of the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA), which appeals to mountain bike enthusiasts o fall ability levels along with walkers, runners, and hikers. Trail options will include beginner and family-friendly loop trails, intermediate trails, and feature-rich progressive XC loops. These segments are planned to be bike-optimized with a 48” trail width to accommodate adaptive bicycles. The system will also include several feature-rich and progressive downhill flow trails.

The trails will offer high-quality experiences for all visitors while also providing engaging features such as slight rollers, smooth turns, and optional technical trail features to provide experiences sought after by mountain bikers. This six-mile trail project is part of a comprehensive County-wide strategy to develop a Kent Trails Single Track Network that will be interconnected with regional paved trails and parks. The trails would be classified as multi-use natural surface in alignment with IMBA standards in terms of width and environmental impact. This investment will spur on similar improvements throughout the Kent County Parks system.