Best American Walks: The Bay City Riverwalk

The Bay City Riverwalk is part of the Bay County Loop and Railtrail system in Bay County, one of my favorite places in the world. The Railtrail paths cover over 17 miles of foot and bicycle routes for exercise and sustainability. The southern anchor of the Riverwalk is actually at Bigelow Park down south of the Veterans Memorial Park. It is on Middelground Island in the river. The veterans park runs along the west side of the Saginaw River in the Downtown area. The northern anchor of the Riverwalk is Liberty Harbor Marina at the foot of the Liberty Bridge, but the entire bike and walking route goes farther and circles around.

My first walk on the Bay City Riverwalk was in a wheelchair, alternately wheeled by friends and propelling myself along the expansive wooden walkways. The compound ankle fracture I'd had was healed, but some swelling interfered with long walks, so we used wheels. This downtown Riverwalk offers views of parks one either side of the river, a boardwalk with benches along the way, and a wildlife sanctuary. It was incredible the first time I saw it and is incredible every time I see it. The experience is free and is comparable to a trip to the zoo. The entire complex is one of the largest such recreation areas in the state.

Running parallel, Veterans Memorial Park, the Saginaw River, and Wenonah Park cut through the center of two of Bay City's shopping districts. My favorite section of the veteran's park is the 12-acre Kantzler Arboretum at the 500-foot inlet that is a former shipbuilding drydock in the middle of the veterans park. This is a favorite place to enjoy a variety of trees and flowers while sitting at picnic tables and on benches around the water. Feeding the water fowl is fun, because large flocks of geese, gulls, ducks, and even a group of swans come over to eat. High-price bread stores on Euclid Avenue and Wilder Road are busy with visitors making purchases for the birds. My friends and I also buy cracked corn and bird feed at local stores for them.

Along the Riverwalk we see herons and in one section are some every tall weeping willow-type trees in which the herons stand. It is odd to see tall birds standing in tall trees, as if it were prehistoric times. We've also seen cormorants in the water and ospreys overhead.

Veterans Memorial Park, the Saginaw River, and Wenonah Park cut through the center of two of the largest business and shopping districts in Historic Downtown Bay City. The area was settled by lumber and sawmill barons and in 2010, local builders still find piles of sawdust inside the foundations of buildings they are renovating. Many historic buildings are found along the Center Avenue Historic District downtown and on out State Route 25 toward the east, which was repaired and widened in 2009 - 2010.

My favorite section of Veterans Memorial Park is the Kantzler Arboretum at the former shipbuilding drydock that is an inlet near the Senior Center on John F. Kennedy Drive. Further along the route you can see the remains of sunken ships that burn down to the water in the wars our country fought in the 18th and 19th Centuries on the Great Lakes. Some were also burned rather than dismantling them. Relevant museums are located near the Riverwalk. See the video below for a complete tour of the Downtown Saginaw River area that spans the area stretching under the Lafayette, Veterans, and Liberty Bridges.

The video about animal adoption in the link here features footage of the Bay City Riverwalk, with close ups of historic buildings. It was filmed on location at the Historic Meyer Log Cabin, Historic State Theatre in Downtown Bay City, Bay County Animal Shelter, and the Riverwalk. The original song and video were created and produced by Cary Ewing as a final project for the Delta College Electronic Media and Broadcasting program in Bay City.