Another beautiful fall day in Northern Indiana and we hit the trails. Today we drove to the Falling Waters Trail in Concord, Michigan. What we found is a nice, quiet rail trail that feels like walking in the woods.
History of the Falling Waters Trail
The area where the trail is located was once inhabited by the Potawatomi Nation. They called it the land of falling waters because of all the springs, lakes, and rivers. Then during the railroad era the trail was part of the Michigan Air Line Railroad and later the Michigan Central Railroad and New York Central. Operations started in the late 1800’s and ended in the 1980’s. In the late 1980’s, a rail-trail route was proposed with land acquired in the 1990’s. The paved trail officially opened in 2007, connecting the Village of Concord with the City of Jackson, Michigan.
Our Adventure
We started our hike on the Falling Waters Trail at the parking lot on River Street in Concord, Michigan. Shortly after parking we walked across the Concord Railroad Bridge over the North Branch Kalamazoo River. After crossing the bridge we found a nice asphalt trail with trees on both sides. This trail is similar to some of our other favorite rail trail-type trails – Nickel Plate, Independence Dam State Park towpath, and Fishing Line Trail. The trail is literally cut through a heavily-wooded area. Although it made for a cool walk this morning, it was beautiful and made us feel like we were truly walking through the woods.
Although we crossed the Kalamazoo River at the start of our walk, we didn’t see views of it for the rest of our walk. We did see some farms on either side of the trail in a couple areas. In these sections, there were tractor signs indicating that farmers may cross the trail to access their fields. We’ve seen this on several of the trails that we’ve recently explored. Definitely not something we ever saw in San Diego! After crossing Parsons Road, we continued until we had walked two miles. At this point we decided to turn around and walk back to the car.
Sunny’s Perspective
The best part of this adventure was the squirrels! There were so many of them running across the trail and in the woods. I really wanted to run after them, but as usual, I couldn’t do that. No matter, I enjoyed sniffing where they had been and watching them in the trees.
Our Rating
Sunny and I give Falling Waters Trail 3.5 out of 4 paws up. It’s a great rail trail that feels like walking in the woods. Although we saw a few bikers and walkers, it was fairly quiet. During the summer, it would be a great spot since it is pretty shady. The trail is flat, wide, and well-maintained making it appropriate for most everyone. Parking is ample with a port-o-potty. All in all a nice place to walk. The main downside for us is the 1.25 hour drive.
How Do I Get There?
The best way to find the parking area and the trail is to use 479 River Street, Concord, Michigan as the address in GPS. From I-69 take exit 25 for M-60 toward Jackson, Michigan. Continue for 19 miles and then turn right onto Main Street and then left on River Street. After less than half a mile, you will enter the gravel parking lot. Park and continue walking toward the Welcome To Concord sign and bridge.
For more information about the Falling Waters Trail, check out these websites: