Parks & outdoors / East Riverfront
Gabriel Richard Park
Quiet riverfront park at the east end of the Riverwalk, with a fountain, butterfly gardens, a walking labyrinth and birding scopes by the Belle Isle bridge.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Gabriel Richard Park marks the eastern start of the Detroit Riverwalk, right beside the MacArthur Bridge to Belle Isle. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy reopened it in 2007 with a playful fountain, butterfly gardens, fishing outlooks and a brick walking labyrinth made for a slow, reflective loop. A birding station has four spotting scopes, two of them accessible. The park honors Father Gabriel Richard, the French Catholic priest who shaped early Detroit.
- Eastern starting point of the Riverwalk
- Walking labyrinth and butterfly gardens
- Birding station with four scopes
- Right next to the Belle Isle bridge
A closer look
Photos were taken at different times; images are resized and cropped on cards.
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¼ · Stay
Sleep right around the corner
Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-10-01
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
Events at this place
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We have no published upcoming events linked to this place yet. That does not mean the venue has no events; check its official calendar too.
Official website & visitor information ↗Keep exploring
Back to Detroit A–Z ↗Parks & outdoors / Belle Isle
Belle Isle Nature Center
The Detroit Zoo's small nature center in Belle Isle's forested wetlands, with animals, a bee exhibit, a bird window and a lagoon trail.
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Parks & outdoors
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Metro Detroit's regional park system: 13 Metroparks on 24,000-plus acres with beaches, golf, and 84 miles of paved trails.