In June 1905, an interurban rail line reached Pine Lake, the lake Haslett now calls Lake Lansing. Passenger service ended in 1929, and part of that old right-of-way, from just east of Burcham Drive and Park Lake Road to Marsh Road, is now the Interurban Pathway. More than a century later, Meridian Township and Ingham County are spending grant money to push that trail network north toward Lake Lansing Park North. This fall, though, the main trail system at Lake Lansing Park North is the piece that's closed, while the newest piece of trail opened in late August at the other end.
So for October and November, the better walk to Lake Lansing comes in from the south, mostly along the old rail corridor.
What's actually closed at Lake Lansing North
Ingham County Parks puts it plainly on its Lake Lansing Park North page:
"The main trail system will be closed at both Trailheads at the North Park - limited access will be available from the eastern trailheads but will only be ingress and egress via the same pathway (dead-end). Trey Pond trail will still be accessible from the North Park."
That's a big chunk of park to lose. Lake Lansing Park North at 6260 E. Lake Drive covers more than 530 acres and has 10 miles of trails, including a 2.4-mile loop with interpretive signs. Work started July 6, 2026, and the county says it will run "into the Fall of 2026." No reopening date has been posted. A Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund status report dated September 30, 2026 still listed the North Park boardwalk and trail project as "Contractor approved. Project under construction."
The county's park projects page says what's coming once the fences are down: a widened, ADA-accessible stone-chip trail, replacement boardwalks and benches, and new interpretive signage. The county's grant records list a $500,000 Land and Water Conservation Fund award for the boardwalk replacement, matched by $507,500 from the county parks millage. Both grants were awarded in 2022, which tells you how long it takes a trail project to go from paperwork to equipment on site.
If you still want to go this fall, Trey Pond Trail is open. Pedestrians can enter a half hour before sunrise, vehicles from 8:00 a.m., and the park closes at sunset. The vehicle entrance fee applies year-round, and dogs have to stay on a leash no longer than six feet. Before you load up the car, call the parks office at 517-676-2233 to check how much of the trail is open that week.
The newest piece opened at the other end
On August 26, 2026, Meridian Township announced that a new off-road path connecting the Inter-Urban Pathway to Haslett Road is open. The Lansing State Journal covered the opening a few days later.
The township's project update lists 775 square yards of steel retaining wall, 520 feet of drain pipe, 100 tons of aggregate, 790 square yards of concrete, and a 37-foot boardwalk. The new path meets the Haslett Road pathway at Benson Drive. That's the corner the township has picked for the next push north, because once a crosswalk can go in at Haslett Road and Benson Drive, it plans a trail straight through Hillbrook Park to Lake Lansing Road. No date has been set for that work.
For now, the connector works best as an entry point. Before it opened, the Interurban and the Haslett Road sidewalk ran close together without meeting. Now you can step off Haslett Road onto the old rail line without cutting through anybody's yard.
Following the old line to the lake
Once you're on the Interurban, you're on part of a longer trail. The MSU to Lake Lansing Trail links the Lansing River Trail and the MSU campus to the Ingham County parks around the lake. Phase I opened in December 2023 and Phase II in September 2024. TrailLink lists it at 4.7 miles of asphalt and boardwalk, from S. Hagadorn Road in East Lansing to 1621 Pike Street in Haslett. Its route description heads east through marshland and along Marsh Road to Lake Lansing Park South. TrailLink's own description puts the length at 4.6 miles, so plan on about four and a half miles end to end.
The southern end is in better shape than it was a year ago. Ingham County's Lake Lansing Park South project swapped a section of the old dock for an accessible kayak and canoe launch. It also rebuilt the parking lot with ADA spaces, better drainage, and a bioswale planted with native plants. The state's September 30 report marks that project complete.
Here's how the walkable options around the lake stack up this fall:
| Spot | What's open this fall | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Lansing Park North, 6260 E. Lake Drive | Trey Pond Trail; out-and-back from eastern trailheads | Main trail system closed; vehicle fee; no reopening date posted |
| New Haslett Road connector at Benson Drive | Open since Aug. 26, 2026 | Short link with a 37-foot boardwalk onto the Interurban |
| Interurban Pathway | Open | Follows the 1905 rail right-of-way toward Marsh Road |
| MSU to Lake Lansing Trail | Open | About 4.6 to 4.7 miles, S. Hagadorn Road to Pike Street |
| Lake Lansing Park South | Open | New accessible kayak launch and rebuilt lot |
A fall loop that skips the closure
This route sticks to trail that's open now and ends where food is close by.
- Start where the new connector meets the Haslett Road pathway at Benson Drive, and take it onto the Interurban Pathway.
- Follow the Interurban along the old rail corridor toward Marsh Road.
- Pick up the MSU to Lake Lansing Trail where it runs east through the marsh and along Marsh Road toward Lake Lansing Park South.
- Finish at the lake. Blue Gill Grill describes itself as across from Lake Lansing, and The Watershed Tavern & Grill says it's across the street from Lake Lansing Park. Check hours before you go, since fall schedules shift.
If you'd rather walk the whole trail, start at Nancy Moore Park. Meridian Township's trail plans call for adding a parcel there to improve the park entrance and turn it into a hub for trail users.
What fills in the north end next
Each project on the books points north. The Hillbrook Park link to Lake Lansing Road is waiting on the Benson Drive crosswalk. In 2027, the township plans a pathway along the south side of Haslett Road from Okemos Road to Park Lake Road, partly paid for by a Transportation Alternatives Program grant it received in October 2025. Once that's built, a continuous pathway will run along both sides of Haslett Road from the East Lansing city limit to Copper Creek Drive and Bird Farm Lane.
The biggest missing piece is Phase III of the MSU to Lake Lansing Trail, the off-road link to Lake Lansing Park North itself. After efforts to get a route along the railroad fell through, township staff named Pike Crossing Preserve as the only workable route north of Haslett Road. The township's schedule map shows Phase III as 1.8 miles. It would start north of Haslett Road just east of the CN railroad crossing and end near Green Road. The plan calls for a 10-foot concrete and asphalt path kept as close to the CN tracks as possible, and the Lake Drive wetlands will need permits. That map, last updated in September 2025, expected construction to begin in 2026 and wrap up in 2028 or 2029. Then in April 2026, a staff memo said the township was preparing a third grant extension request because time to use the money was running short, and that the delay was pushing costs up. Ingham County has its own $300,000 Trust Fund grant, plus a $315,000 millage match, for the North Park end of that connection. The September 30 state report lists that piece as under construction.
If you walk the new connector, odds are you'll pass a few houses along the way and wonder what they'd sell for. When you're curious about your own place, Advantage In Team can tell you what a home near the trail is worth right now. Get Your Instant Home Valuation, and we'll keep watching for the day Lake Lansing North's boardwalks reopen.