The Detroit River Walk - A great place to relaxA great addition to the city
If it's been a long day, it's nice to come and sit down on one of the many benches and just enjoy the scenery with Canada just on the other side (maybe with a Faygo Pop?). Fishing is a popular activity by many along the walk and it also provides great pictures for you photography people out there. You can enjoy the boats and huge shipping freighters as they steam by down the river. Look to your left, and you can see Belle Isle. Look to your right and you'll see a wonderful view of the Ambassador Bridge. Watching the many people walk by as they speak and say hi to you makes it even more enjoyable. So Much to do But you don't have to come here to just relax, you can also enjoy activities like rollerblading, biking, jogging, and as stated before, fishing. It's also good for dates ;). It's truly an enjoyable experience.I would recommend that you walk the entire stretch of the walk at least once. (Maybe walk off some calories from the delicious dessert from Astoria Pastry Shop) But make sure you have some walking shoes if you chose to do so. Walking the length from Joe Louis Arena or Cobo Hall to the Rivard Plaza just past the Renaissance Center is no short walk but I wouldn't call it long either. From beginning to end, you will see such sights as Hart Plaza, Tri-Centennial State Park, the Windsor skyline, and the Park and Harbor Lighthouse. During the summer, there is also a carousel for the kids to enjoy. I know many kids enjoy riding the carousel and it is just one of the many enjoyable activities to do here. (The carousel is closed in the wintertime). River Days The River Days festival is a summer event that happens along the river every summer as part of the Freedom Festival that happens every year. It is an awesome event with many activities and things to see. You can find vendors from all over selling artwork and clothing and you also can find rides for the kids or yourself if you're a "big kid".There are also multiple music stages for concerts featuring various artists. The concerts are one of my favorite things about the festival. I look forward to it again every summer as there were so many activities and fun things to do. As I said, there were rides, plenty of food, as well as games and people in booths showcasing art and other items. You could easily spend a whole day down at the river walk during this time. The end of the festival was capped off with one of my favorite parts, the fireworks!! One of the most notable features of the Detroit River Walk is in front of the RenCen where a series of small fountains line the walk. During the summer and during the River Days Festival this past summer, you could see many kids playing in it as well as adults (although they like to try to play it off as if they're not having fun lol). 
There are benches all along the walk so if you get tired from activities like running or walking, just sit down, take a rest, and enjoy the view of the river and other sights and sounds for awhile. Check out my Riverwalk video: Food You can also head inside the Renaissance Center for a quick bite to eat on your walk. Once again it does get cold for the winter months, but that shouldn't stop you from taking a quick walk on the Detroit River Walk. You may even be able to see a frozen Detroit River. Of course I wouldn't recommend you stay out to long, because well, the winters here are nothing to joke about.But walking along the Detroit River Walk is not just limited to the warm months so feel free to take a quick walk if you want. I am excited to tell you that the Detroit River walk now has bike rentals for your enjoyment along with a new cafe for food breaks (just lovely). So don't fret if you don't have a bike. The new place is called Wheel House which offers a variety of bikes including tandem bikes, city mountain bikes, cruisers, as well as bikes for the kids. Bike repairs and service are also available and the new cafe' offers snacks, salads, and sandwiches. I'm glad that bike rentals have now been made available because it's another great way to see the River walk and the city. They also give bike tours so check them out. The Wheelhouse Detroit is located at 1340 Atwater which is right down the street from the Renaissance Center. Get ridin' !! One thing I do have to mention is that parking can be difficult nowadays. Be careful not to park your car on any of the nearby streets because they WILL give you a ticket or tow your car. It would be best to pay the fee and park in one of the garages, or you could simply park at one of the parking meters in downtown and walk. It will save you a lot of headaches later. The Dequindre Cut is also now connected with a portion of the walk, so riding your bike along the Dequindre Cut and then linking up with the river is a great way to bike around the city. *Also keep in mind that the walk is a great place to watch the Detroit Fireworks and not too far from Detroit People Mover, so if you want to park somewhere and try that route, it would be fine as well. The People Mover stops at the Renaissance Center. **Note that the Fireworks and not too far from the Dequindre Cut is now connected to the Riverfront. Hours for the Riverwalk are 7 days a week, open from 6am - 10pm with longer hours for special events. Return from Detroit River Walk to Detroit River Return from Detroit River Walk to Detroit Travel Guide homepage
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