Riding on the Kal-Haven Trail

Posted by hankster

One of my favorite spots to get away from things when home is the Kal-Haven Trail. View some of my photos. It is an easy trail to walk or bike, is not real busy and has some great photo ops. The 10th Street trailhead in Kalamazoo is only a few miles from my house so it makes it real convenient to get to. If your ever in Michigan and in the Kalamazoo, Bloomingdale, Grand Junction or South Haven area, you might want to take a couple of hours to walk the trail to unwind. Below is an excerpt from the Kal-Haven Trail web site:

Enjoyed by more than 90,000 outdoor enthusiasts annually, the 34.5 mile linear Kal-Haven Trail State Park extends from South Haven, on the shores of Lake Michigan, to the northwest suburbs of the City of Kalamazoo. The trail is built on the abandoned Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad which existed from 1870 to 1970. The right-of-way was purchased by the DNR in 1987, and the trail opened in 1991. Trail passes are required for use of the trail. For more information, visit the Van Buren County website

The trail passes through the towns of Grand Junction, Bloomingdale, Gobles and Kendall where restaurants and other amenities are available for trail users.

A wide range of activities are available to trail users: biking, hiking, birding and horseback riding (on an adjacent trail between Bloomingdale and Kibbie); winter activities include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. Snowmobiling is permitted when the snow depth is greater than four inches.

Ten feet wide, the trail is surfaced with crushed slag and limestone. Parking is available at the 10th Street trailhead, about two miles north of West Main Street (look for the red caboose); in Bloomingdale at the depot; in Grand Junction at the DNR lot; and at the trailhead in South Haven at Wells Street and Bailey Avenue.