---
title: You Can Now Walk or Bike From Detroit Into Canada on the Gordie Howe Bridge
description: The Gordie Howe International Bridge path is open to walkers and cyclists for free. Here is the ID you need, what you cannot carry, and where to park.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
updated: 2026-08-06T01:19:26.040Z
canonical: https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/gordie-howe-bridge-walk-bike-detroit-windsor
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/gordie-howe-bridge-cyclists-path-107826.webp
categories: Smart Travel
content_type: News
region: Michigan
publication: Rich Travel Magazine
schema_type: Article
---

You can now cross from Detroit into Windsor, Ontario, on foot or by bike, without getting into a car. A dedicated path opened this week alongside the Gordie Howe International Bridge, which started carrying vehicle traffic on July 27, and it lets walkers and cyclists make the same crossing drivers make, under their own power, for free.

It is the first international border crossing anywhere on the Trans Canada Trail, the 30,000-kilometre network that runs coast to coast across Canada. On the Windsor side the path meets the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. On the Detroit side it ties into the Iron Belle Trail and the Great Lakes Way. In practice you can pick up a bike path in Windsor and ride it across an international border into Detroit, or the other way round, on a route that did not exist a week ago.

The path runs 2.5 kilometres, about 1.5 miles, and is 12 feet wide, with two-way room for walkers and cyclists together. Mathieu Roy, chief executive of Trans Canada Trail, said the crossing opens up active transportation and trail tourism across southern Ontario and beyond.

## You Still Clear Customs, Just Not From a Car

Crossing on foot does not mean skipping the border. Both the US and Canadian ports of entry have [dedicated processing lanes for pedestrians and cyclists](https://detroitgreenways.org/crossing-the-gordie-howe-international-bridge/), separate from the vehicle lanes, so you complete your official entry on the bridge itself. You need identification to do it: a valid passport, a NEXUS card, an Enhanced Driver's License, or a Michigan Enhanced ID. There is no fee in either direction. Standard baggage rules apply, so panniers, backpacks and bikepacking gear can be inspected like any other luggage.

A few things are better left at home than declared. Fresh fruit, vegetables and some meat products are commonly turned away, so eat them or bin them before you reach the border. Cannabis and anything containing THC cannot cross in either direction, whatever is legal in Michigan or Ontario. Pepper spray and mace are legal to carry in the US but count as prohibited weapons in Canada. If you are carrying $10,000 or more in cash, in either currency, you have to declare it.

## Parking Is Free and One Trailhead Is Still Being Built

On the Windsor side the trailhead is at Malden Park, 4255 Matchett Road, about 3 kilometres or 1.8 miles from the port of entry, with free parking. In Detroit there is free parking on side streets near the US port of entry, and for a longer stay the MDOT Carpool Parking Lot at 1603 21st Street, near the Michigan Welcome Center and the Ambassador Bridge. The city is building a new trailhead at Clark Park, 1161 Clark Street, which is still under construction.

There are no bike repair stations yet, at either trailhead, at the ports of entry, or on the bridge. One is planned for the Clark Park trailhead once the work there is finished.

## Wine Country on One Side, the RiverWalk on the Other

Once you are through, both sides give you somewhere to point your wheels. In Ontario that means Essex County's wine region and Ojibway National Urban Park. In Michigan it means the Detroit RiverWalk and the Joe Louis Greenway, both reachable now from a border crossing you can ride to.

## FAQ

**Q: Do you need a passport to cross on foot or by bike?**
You need a valid passport, a NEXUS card, an Enhanced Driver's License or a Michigan Enhanced ID. Every user of the path has to clear customs, in dedicated pedestrian and cyclist lanes at each port of entry.

**Q: How long is the multi-use path across the bridge?**
It runs 2.5 kilometres, about 1.5 miles, and is 12 feet wide, with two-way room for both walkers and cyclists.

**Q: Can you take an e-bike across?**
That is not settled yet. The official policies for the path had not been published when it opened, so e-bike use is among the questions still unanswered.