Connected Communities

Written by 5 Healthy Towns Foundation staff

Five Februarys ago, trail enthusiasts braved a typical cold winter day to gather at the northwest corner of M-52 and Werkner Road and celebrate the groundbreaking for the Border-to-Border Trail in Chelsea. 10 months later that same group would meet for another celebration – this time for the opening of the first trail segment of what was known then as ‘The Loop.’

This segment winds north next to the lake and through the woods; the first few miles of loop trail built that willeventually - connect Chelsea, Dexter, Stockbridge and points beyond to a non-motorized trail system second to none.

Thanks to the collaborative work of Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative (HWPI), the Border to Border Trail (B2B), Michigan Departments of Recreation and Transportation, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation and Road Commission, Ingham County Parks and Recreation Commission and the cities of Chelsea and Dexter, along with numerous private and public funding partners, many miles of The Loop has been constructed or improved.

The progress has happened at breakneck speed with different segments being built every year since those days in 2018.

Improvements have included:

2019: 2.1 miles of trail segment between Freer and North Lima Center Roads was opened to the public. 4.2 miles of trail was improved on the Ingham County portion of Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park.

2020: 2.1 miles of trail was added to the first segment of trail, connecting Green Lake Campground to North Territorial Road. That segment included a tunnel underneath M-52 and ended at the new trailhead at Lyndon Township Hall.

2021: 1.6 miles of trail between Dancer and Wylie Roads was opened to the public.

2022: 1.1 miles of trail connected that first Werkner Road segment to Timbertown Park in Chelsea.

More improvements are expected to take place in 2023 and beyond. A goal for this year is to extend the trail to the Washtenaw/Jackson County line from the trailhead at Lyndon Township. Connections from Wylie Road to Mill Creek Park in Dexter, and from Mike Levine Lakelands Trail State Park in Stockbridge to the Ingham/Jackson County lines are in the works for the near future as well.

Perhaps five years from today that same group of trail enthusiasts who gathered in 2018 – and so many more – will be able to celebrate the completion of The Loop. The Trails to the Future have accomplished an incredible vision, and we’re optimistic to see what the future will bring.