Explore These 6 Totally Pawesome Dog-Friendly Trails in Kent County

One of the most distinctive reasons for living in and visiting Kent County is the diverse mix of urban, rural, and natural areas that intertwine to create a wide variety of unique worlds to explore. Many of these adventures can be undertaken with your canine companion(s) at your heel!

Kent County offers a plethora of parks and hiking trails for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels and dogs of all breeds. To be exact, the Kent County Parks system currently includes 46 parks and over 7,400 acres of parks and more than 100 miles of trails.

Dogs are allowed to join you on most trails, but there are a few guidelines from the Kent County Parks Department to keep in mind. These include always keeping your dog on a leash that doesn’t exceed six feet, and cleaning up after your pup.

Before you hit the trails, don’t forget that dogs need a few supplies to keep them happy and safe outdoors:

• Fresh water and a collapsible bowl
• Current ID tags and a well-fitting collar
• A sturdy leash for walking or securing your pet to a specific area
• Doggie bags for waste
• Padded protective booties for rocky/rough terrain, if applicable to your pup
• First aid kit
• Lots of towels
• Food and/or post walk/hike treats for being a good boy

Check out some of our favorite local trails below and be sure to visit the Experience Grand Rapids trails page to find even more options for you and your fluffy friends.

Fred Meijer White Pine Trail

Perfect for dog walking, biking, running, and skating, the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail spans 92 miles, with endpoints in Cadillac and Riverside Park located on the northern end of Grand Rapids. The paved trail connects to many local communities, so you and your dog can enjoy areas like downtown Rockford. There, the trail passes by the Rockford Dog Park, The Toasted Pickle sandwich shop and ice cream parlor Custard by the Dam, which includes tasty pup cups on the menu when the shop is open (generally) from March-October.

Rockford Brewing Company is also a popular destination for trail users. Dogs can enjoy sipping from the brewery’s community water bowl while owners enjoy sipping a refreshing craft beer. Dogs are not allowed on the brewery’s patio, but they can still relax by your side while secured to the trail-side of the patio’s fence. Dogs are allowed in the outdoor biergarten at Third Nature Brewing Company, another Rockford brewery on the White Pine Trail. Bring a dog bowl and they’ll fill it up for you.

Reeds Lake Trail

Reeds Lake, one of Kent County’s largest inland lakes, is a stunning focal point of East Grand Rapids. The lake is surrounded by the 4.2-mile Reeds Lake Trail, which consists of paved paths, elevated boardwalks, and residential sidewalks. This trail is a paradise for dogs who love to sniff the world around them. In this bustling area, you’ll most likely walk the same steps as other dogs, ducks, geese, and squirrels.

As you make your way around the trail, you can detour to explore the sights and sounds of nearby John Collins Park, Waterfront Park, Hodenpyl Woods, Manhattan Park and Remington Park, which includes a 1.5-acre dog park allowing off-leash play. You’ll also discover a few short pocket trails that don’t lead to anywhere other than beautiful and peaceful vantage points of Reeds Lake.

The pet-friendly patio at Big Bob’s Pizza in Gaslight Village, less than a half-mile walk from Reeds Lake Trail, is a great place to stop for refreshment.

Blandford Nature Center

Blandford Nature Center's mission is to engage and empower visitors through enriching experiences in nature to foster community support for a healthier world. The opportunity for enrichment extends to your furry friends, since leashed dogs are allowed to explore the center’s eight miles worth of natural-surface trails alongside their owners. Make sure you have a doggy waste bag to clean up after your pet!

When visiting Blandford, park in the Visitor Center lot and then head off in any direction to start enjoying scenic meadows, forests, and wetlands. Dogs are allowed everywhere on the property, except on the Wildlife Trail and inside buildings (unless they’re service animals). Non-members pay a $3 admission fee to help support Blandford’s various educational experiences and programs.

For an after-trail treat, head to Double Dip Depot for a pup cup of ice cream and dog biscuits. It’s just a four-minute drive from Blandford.

Provin Trails Park

Provin Trails Park is an undeveloped natural wonderland consisting of interconnected loops of serene wooded trails surrounding a large sand dune, which is a convenient resting point when your dog needs a breather and a great place to take in the scenery, especially in the fall when the colors are exceptionally vibrant.

The trail system is also ideal for running during the fall, summer, or spring, or cross-country skiing in the winter. The trail parking lot is practically right next door to Robinette’s Apple Haus & Winery,  a century-old family farm where you can find post-hike sweet treats, wine, and hard ciders year-round, and enjoy fresh fruit harvests from summer through fall. Bonus: leashed dogs are allowed virtually everywhere outdoors on the Robinette’s property (though not in the fall corn maze).

Seidman Park Trail

The Seidman Park Trail system takes you and your pup along natural trails and boardwalks throughout the 400+ acres of woods, fields, and wetlands of Seidman Park. The trail system consists of multiple interconnecting loops totaling five miles of ungroomed trails varying in terrain and difficulty. You’ll find wayfinding maps at major trail intersections to help you and your dog find your way and there are two parking lots with seasonal restrooms located at the north and south ends of the trail.

As a bonus, you’ll find an entrance to the multi-use Ada Trail, which connects Seidman Park to downtown Ada, Roselle Park, Cannonsburg State Game Area, and other fun locations. Nonna’s Trattoria in downtown Ada serves breakfast, lunch and dinner on a dog-friendly patio, and Scooper’s Ice Cream Shoppe, just across the street, is pleased to offer pooch cones. 

Fred Meijer Millennium Park Trails

Millennium Park, one of the largest urban parks in the United States at 1,400 acres, offers about 18 miles of trails and six miles of frontage along the serene Grand River. Most trails are paved and open to foot traffic, bikes, roller blades, and other human-powered devices.

In addition to wetlands, forest, meadows, and trails, Millennium Park offers a six-acre beach and splash pad area, plus two large, free parking lots with seasonal restrooms and an amazing playground for kids consisting of three play areas suitable for different ages. Take note that there is an entry fee for the beach/splash pad area, and pets are not allowed there.

Millennium Park is also an access point for Kent Trails, a 15-mile paved trail that travels through the cities of Grand Rapids, Grandville, Walker, Wyoming and Byron Center.

Check out these Dog-Friendly Spots in Grand Rapids for even more fun to be had with your dog – including beach trips! – and see how you and your pet can explore the Outdoor Refreshment Area in downtown GR.