Formally known as the Kal-Haven Trail Sesquicentennial State Park, it runs 33.5 miles (55 km) between South Haven, Michigan, to a point just west of the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan, where there is a trailhead. In 2008 the trail was extended to downtown Kalamazoo.
Most of the trail is in Van Buren County and that county operates it between the trailhead and South Haven, even the parts within Kalamazoo County. The Van Buren-controlled length requires a trail pass.
In 2008 the trail was extended east from the trailhead to downtown Kalamazoo as part of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. No pass is needed for that section.
The Kal-Haven is a rail trail, as it runs along the former route of the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad, as does that section of the River Valley trail. It traverses wooded areas, farmland and through small towns. It's primarily used by hikers and bicyclists in the summer and snowmobilers in the winter. The trail is surfaced, though not blacktopped. There are about seven miles of parallel trail in the western portion used by horse trail riding enthusiasts.
There are two primitive campgrounds that can be used for additional cost. One, near Gobles, has water and a toilet. The other near South Haven has a toilet but no water.
Currently the trail goes through, starting from the east:
- Alamo, Michigan
- Mentha, Michigan
- Kendall, Michigan
- Pine Grove Mills, Michigan
- Gobles, Michigan
- Bloomingdale, Michigan
- Berlamont, Michigan
- Grand Junction, Michigan
- Lacota, Michigan
- Kibbe, Michigan
- South Haven, Michigan
The trail is owned by the state of Michigan but, due to state budget cutbacks, in 2004 operation was taken over by Van Buren County, including the portion in Kalamazoo County. A trail pass system was re-instituted to pay for trail maintenance. They are available from the county, at trailheads, and some stores along the route.
Several miles south of the western terminus is another trail--the Van Buren Trail State Park. This is also an old railroad bed, ending in Hartford, Michigan. The trail is unimproved and the largest group of users are snowmobilers and horse and buggy riders. This is also operated by Van Buren County. The trail pass is valid for both.
For the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, in November 2004 the State of Michigan completed a tunnel underneath the U.S. Highway 131 freeway, which was the major impediment to extending the trail to downtown Kalamazoo. The city of Kalamazoo approved a $1 million project to extend the trail southeast under U.S. 131 along Ravine Road to Westnedge Avenue in downtown Kalamazoo. Most of the extension was built along the former roadbed of the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad.[1]
References
- ^ Jessup, Kathy (April 22, 2008). "Kal-Haven Trail to link this year to downtown". Kalamazoo Gazette. http://www.mlive.com/news/kzgazette/index.ssf?/base/news-28/120887582677510.xml&coll=7. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
External links
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