A B2B Trail marker just west of the Argo Dam.The footbridge across the Huron River just downstream of the Dixboro Dam

Washtenaw County's Border to Border Trail project aims to create a contiguous, 35 mile long non-motorized (biking, walking, etc) path along the Huron River. The trail will connect a number of existing public facilities along the river, including parks in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Hudson Mills Metropark, and the Washtenaw Community College campus. Some segments of the trail are completed - almost the entire length of the river within Ann Arbor can be walked - and several more segments are underway.

  • From the east end of Gallup Park, the trail crosses to the north side of the river on Old Dixboro Road, then it continues south on the west side of the new Dixboro Road across the river and the railroad.
  • It then continues east around the athletic fields (across Huron River Drive from the main WCC campus).
  • Next, it takes you through the St. Joe's hospital campus and it emerges on to the east side of Hewitt Road.
  • After it passes the EMU football stadium, it turns east on to the abandoned railroad right-of-way which has been converted to a paved recreational trail. The end of the trail is at Cornell Street.
  • There are bike lanes on the shoulders of Cornell and the B2B continues north to rejoin Huron River Drive. There is a nice new recreational trail which follows the south side of the road.
  • The trail runs south through Frog Island and Riverside Park, then has another gap starting at Michigan Avenue, which will be completed as part of Ypsi's Water Street Redevelopment Project.
  • The B2B terminates at the Wayne County Line; however, there is a possibility of a future link being created running through Belleville to connect to existing trails in the Lower Huron Metropark.

An Ann Arbor Current article discusses the states of the trail: http://www.ecurrent.com/ag/2005/feat/border05.php

Friends of the trail

A local group supporting the Trail is the Friends of the Border To Border Trail with a web page of www.bordertoborder.org 

The trail is listed on TraiLink, which is a service of the Rails to Trails Conservancy.

In the news

Fifty-seven new "B2B" blaze signs to mark the trail route will be installed in the Ypsilanti area this summer. Then in the fall, seven kiosks with trail maps will be installed.

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