“When the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad began constructing the rail line in 1869, little towns popped up all along the way, from Kalamazoo to South Haven,” said Green. But besides offering an immersive natural experience, the Kal-Haven Trail documents southwest Michigan’s history. The quiet beauty of the Kal-Haven Trail and its easy terrain might be reason enough to explore this route, the second oldest of Michigan’s 134 rail-trails (the Haywire Grade Trail in the Upper Peninsula is the oldest). Michigan’s Heritage in View Trailhead in Kalamazoo along Michigan's Kal-Haven Trail | Photo by TrailLink user mj2x2012 We want people to feel like when they leave the busyness of Kalamazoo and South Haven, they are in the midst of nature.” “The beauty of this trail comes from its natural appearance, and it will stay that way. “There are no plans to pave the Kal-Haven Trail,” said Green. The remaining funds will pay for fresh gravel on the trail’s most heavily used portion, between South Haven and Bloomingdale. The lion’s share of the money is targeted at reinforcing bridge abutments, most of them built in 1870 for the railroad. But according to Green, trail users need not worry that the trail’s rural aesthetic will be lost. In 2022, the state of Michigan committed to investing $5 million for the resurfacing of the Kal-Haven Trail, a project expected to be completed in 2023. And the Camelback is really a beautiful bridge, too.” “The covered bridge in South Haven is iconic. “I think besides the trees, most trail users think the Kal-Haven’s bridges are its real highlights,” said Green. Michigan's Kal-Haven Trail | Photo by C.M. Restrooms and water stations serve trail users every few miles. The fine gravel and a nearly flat railbed make this trail suitable even for beginners. Except for brief paved stretches in South Haven, Kalamazoo and Bloomingdale, crushed limestone makes up the trail’s surface. A charming, covered bridge marks the trailhead in South Haven, and a bright-red restored caboose signals the endpoint in Kalamazoo. Residents of South Haven and Kalamazoo saw an opportunity to transform the property into recreational land and approached the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) about converting the corridor into a multiuse trail.Īfter a few fits and starts-financing hurdles, an offer from the state of Michigan to fund land acquisition and eleventh-hour protests that the trail might increase crime-the Kal-Haven Trail officially opened to the public in 1989 as Michigan’s first linear state park.Īlthough there are six official trailheads with parking lots, the Kal-Haven’s rural nature makes it easy to access at numerous points utilizing roadside parking. Two years prior, the Penn Central Railroad had abandoned the Kalamazoo & South Haven rail line. The Kal-Haven Trail traces its modern history to 1973. Retreat Into the Trees Michigan's Kal-Haven Trail | Photo by TrailLink user peteanddonna And informational panels enlighten users about what they are seeing and about what has long since faded away. Small communities and the remains of once-booming railroad towns appear as the trail wends its way over the contours of rural southwest Michigan. And intersections all along the trail typically have one or two cars parked alongside the trail.” “ Alamo had a small trail lot for two to three cars that now holds five or seven cars, because trail users have squeezed in. “On any summer weekend if you go past the Country Fare Restaurant in Grand Junction, you’ll see the bike rack outside the door filled with bicycles,” said Jeff Green, chair of the Friends of the Kal-Haven Trail. Wildflowers add pops of color along the trail, beginning in the spring with snowy-white trilliums and purple violets, and followed by profusions of coneflowers, black-eyed Susans and asters as the seasons progress. Comprised of a nearly unbroken 34-mile tunnel of hardwood trees, the trail is cool and shady in summer and spectacularly colorful in fall, blazing with shades of red and yellow. Leading from South Haven to Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Kal-Haven Trail State Park ranks as one of the state’s most popular rail-trails. McGuire Trail of the Month: December 2022 Michigan's Kal Haven Trail State Park in South Haven | Photo by C.M.
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