Holland's Trail System Now Starts on North River Avenue

Holland's two biggest trail additions of 2026 didn't go to the lakeshore. On August 15, the City of Holland opened Phase I of the Holland Bike Park at 97 N. River Ave., just north of the Unity Bridge. Three weeks earlier, Ottawa County announced the finished Middle Macatawa Connector. It's a natural-surface trail with boardwalks and a new bridge over the Macatawa River, and it runs between Hawthorn Park and Upper Macatawa Natural Area.

The two projects sit at opposite ends of the same river corridor. The city has said plainly what it wants the North River Avenue site to be. In the words of MLive's June preview, the goal is "a cycling hub at the heart of Holland's trail system" that links neighborhoods, downtown, the waterfront and the new ice park. That makes the corridor something to ride from end to end, not just a scattered set of parks.

A hub built for people who are just learning

Phase I is a single piece: a 600-foot asphalt pump track. A pump track is a loop of paved rollers and berms that you ride without pedaling. MLive's preview described this one as built for beginners and adaptive riders, and a good fit for kids on strider bikes. That matters for the hub idea. The front door of Holland's trail system is designed for the youngest and least experienced riders, while the technical riding waits at the far end.

The site is set up to be reached by bike. There is no dedicated parking lot. The nearest lot is about 1,500 feet south at north Window on the Waterfront, and the park sits directly off the Macatawa River Greenway Path. According to Holland Parks and Recreation, that path connects to the City of Zeeland, Zeeland Township, Park Township, Holland Charter Township and Laketown Township. That stretch of North River Avenue is also part of U.S. Bicycle Route 35.

Velo City Cycles, the shop at 326 S. River Ave., worked with the city on the park's design. Lotus Pier Cafe, at 222 N. River Ave., is on the same avenue as the pump track for anyone who wants lunch after a few laps.

From Window on the Waterfront to Upper Mac, stop by stop

The Greenway is bigger than any single trail. Ottawa County and the Outdoor Discovery Center set up the Macatawa Greenway Trail 1.0 as a designated route of nearly 30 miles. It connects more than a dozen parks and preserves, using existing non-motorized paths, bike lanes and sidewalks. So the eastbound ride mixes separated trail with shared streets. These are the named stops along the way:

At the far end, Upper Mac's paved path is 2.5 miles long and 10 feet wide. It connects north to the Fred Meijer Kenowa Trail along Byron Road and south to the Adams Street bike path, which leads toward the lakeshore. That southern link is how the east end ties back into the rest of the route.

The connector fills the dirt gap at the east end

Before this summer, getting between Hawthorn Park and Upper Mac on natural surface meant going around a gap. Ottawa County's 2025 park map still showed the link as under construction. The July 23 release closed that chapter. The connector now forms a continuous route for hikers, mountain bikers and other trail users traveling between the two parks.

The county release gives the connector's length as 2.1 miles. Upper Macatawa's park page still lists it at 1.7 miles. The July release is the newer of the two, and it puts the trail on land owned by Holland Charter Township, ODC Network and Ottawa County Parks. Zeeland Charter Township, Ottawa County and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund added funding. Ottawa County Parks Director Jason Shamblin put it this way:

"The Macatawa Greenway is an excellent example of what can be accomplished through strong partnerships. Together, we're improving access to the outdoors while helping protect the natural resources that make this corridor so special."

The scale behind the connector is the more useful number. The county says partners along the Lake Macatawa and Macatawa River corridor have protected and connected more than 1,500 acres of public land. Upper Mac alone accounts for 614 of those acres. The new bridge and boardwalks mean the next wooded stretch west is now reachable without leaving the trail.

Upper Mac's single-track is a big part of why the east end draws riders. The county says its volunteer-maintained trails "are some of the best trails in the area." Two local groups ride there on a regular schedule:

• Full Send Friday, hosted by Velo City Cycles, leaves from Upper Mac at 6:15 a.m. every Friday. When Upper Mac is closed, the group meets at Riley Trails instead. The shop's ride table also lists a 7:05 a.m. time, so call ahead to confirm.
• Lakeshore Mountain Biking Sisters ride every Tuesday. The first Tuesday of the month is at Riley Trails, and other Tuesdays rotate through local trails that include Upper Mac.

October tightens the schedule at both ends

Fall is when the corridor's schedule changes, and several dates fall in the next few weeks.

Upper Mac is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. through October 15. Starting October 16, closing time moves up to 8 p.m. and stays there through February 28. The single-track also closes temporarily when conditions are hazardous. The county sends riders to the Upper Macatawa Facebook page to check status before heading out. Velo City Cycles says those closures happen "regularly." For late fall, winter and early spring, the shop asks riders to check its Facebook page or call on Thursday to find out whether Full Send Friday is on.

The downtown end is still under construction this season. Holland Parks and Recreation lists sight lights, erosion control and landscaping around the pump track as confirmed fall 2026 work. Expect some construction activity on the North River Avenue site through the fall.

Road riders have a longer standing option downtown. Velo's Friday Bagel Ride started April 24, 2026. It leaves at 8:30 a.m. from the parking lot behind The Outpost at 14 E. 7th St. and covers about 28 miles at 17 to 19 mph.

What arrives at each end next

Then the hub picks up its winter piece. Holland Ice Park, at 71 E. 6th St., opens for its second season on November 20, 2026, and runs through March 14, 2027, weather permitting. It has an ice skating pond, a 700-foot skating ribbon and a separate curling sheet. It's the same ice park the city named in its plan for the bike park.

Next summer the bike park is set to grow beyond the pump track. Parks and Recreation lists a pavilion for summer 2027, along with projected jump lines, a bike playground, a plaza and park signage. The city describes the three planned skills areas as depending on available funding. The site plan shown to city council also floated some features with a local twist: custom archways, a ride-through windmill and a tulip slalom. The full park is planned at about 3.5 acres.

For a tune-up before the season changes, Holland has several shops near the corridor. Cross Country Cycle is at 345 Douglas Ave., Rock 'n' Road Cycle at 954 Butternut Dr., and West Michigan Bike & Fitness at 380 Chicago Dr. On the Zeeland end of the Greenway, Main Street Bicycle Co. is at 201 E. Main Ave.

At Andrea Crossman Group, we keep track of the trails, launches and paths that shape daily life along Lake Macatawa and the river that feeds it. If you'd like to know which Holland streets sit closest to the Greenway's trailheads, our team is glad to walk you through the map. Discover Lakeshore Living.