New segment of Lansing River Trail officially open in Forest View neighborhood

The Lansing River Trail just got a bit longer.

Bear Lake Pathway, a trail in the Forest View neighborhood, officially opened Monday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony held by Lansing Mayor Andy Schor. The path stretches from Forest Road to East Cavanaugh Road.

The trail is mostly paved with asphalt, besides several spots that are mostly covered in dirt and gravel. It has some hills. At Cavanaugh Road, it connects with a path that runs west to Maguire Park, Delhi Township trails and Hawk Island Park.

The pathway already has a few regular walkers.

Forest View residents Robin Stites and John Shaski have gotten into a routine walking Ruby, an 8-year-old pitbull mix, along the trail. They said walking the trails has become a habit during the pandemic. 

“Where we’re at, you can do a loop of 2 to 4 miles,” Shaski said. “Plus, we’re Yoopers so we like nature.”

Walkers, runners and bikers also can get on the path from Wabash Road, where it passes just in front of the Beekman Therapeutic Riding Center.

The Lansing River Trail is cumulatively more than 20 miles long, according to the city's website. It connects Waverly Road and Old Town, while also stretching through Potter Park Zoo into East Lansing. The city is working on several more extensions, as well as repairs to existing paths.

Contact reporter Jared Weber at 517-582-3937 or jtweber@lsj.com.