![]() To reach the South Haven trailhead from I-196, take Exit 20 onto Phoenix St., heading west. Turn left into the trailhead and parking area. for another 2.4 miles, and then take Exit 38B for MI 43 W. To reach the Kalamazoo trailhead from I-94, take Exit 74B for US 131 N./Bus. Here, you can head 14 miles south to Hartford or take a short spur southwest to Van Buren State Park, adjacent to Lake Michigan. To either side of the river, North Beach and South Beach offer fun places to play and take a dip in Lake Michigan.Ī trail connector/streetscaping route heads about 2 miles through downtown South Haven to the northern side of Aylworth Avenue and the northern endpoint of Van Buren Trail State Park. A bike route leads into town where you can see the South Pier Lighthouse, dating back to the early 1870s, standing over the mouth of the Black River. Head uphill to the South Haven staging area alongside the Black River. Just 2 miles past Grand Junction, you’ll cross the Camelback Bridge, named for its unique midspan hump that was a structural support common in the 1920s.Īnother bridge, this one covered, about 9 miles past Grand Junction signals that you are nearing the end of the trail. Look for signs for “pick yourself” blueberry farms around Grand Junction and west to South Haven, which hosts the annual National Blueberry Festival in August. Here, the blueberry industry is going strong. An adjacent bridle trail starts about 5 miles past Bloomingdale, at the trail intersection with 52½ Street, and runs for 7.5 miles to 68th Street, a mile beyond the town of Kibbie. You’ll pass the south edge of Gobles, which has services, before you arrive at the restored Bloomingdale Depot that houses a museum filled with railroad and local history at about mile 18. Almost nothing remains of the old Mentha Plantation, which built this area’s reputation for producing the world’s finest peppermint oil in the early 20th century. The majority of the route is crushed slag and limestone and slopes gently down toward the lake note that while the trail can accommodate road bikes, the crushed stone may prove challenging in a few sections.īeginning on the outskirts of Kalamazoo, where the trail meets the western endpoint for the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, you’ll pass through 7 miles of tree shade before entering the open fields of Mentha. ![]() Old depots serve as trailside visitor centers in Bloomingdale and South Haven, and an old red caboose offers trailhead services on the outskirts of Kalamazoo. Opened in 1991, the trail is one of the oldest conversions in Michigan. The New York Central Railroad took over the line in 1950 and ran trains on it until a 1968 merger to create the Penn Central led to the line becoming disused in 1970. The trail follows the rail bed laid down in 1870 for the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad, which was almost immediately purchased by the Michigan Central Railroad. The 34-mile crushed-limestone rail-trail links these towns as it rolls across the bucolic landscape of southwestern Michigan, from the outskirts of the bustling city to the resort town on Lake Michigan. I road by myself like normal, so maybe if I was riding with someone it would have been better, I just know by the end I couldn't wait for it to be over.More than a half-dozen old railroad towns between Kalamazoo and South Haven offer rest and replenishment to travelers using the Kal-Haven Trail. The app I use shows a gradual ascent of 100' the first 6 miles and then pretty much plateaus the next 4. Not sure if it was the limestone or the wind but the ride felt like I was going uphill against the wind both ways. I felt like a horse with blinders on! This was the first time I road on limestone which made me slightly uneasy. While this made it nice for the sun it made for a pretty boring ride as you can't see much besides the trees (see the review of the person who gave it a 1). I took them off quite soon as the tree-lined trail blocked the sun 95+% of the time. ![]() I started out a little after 7:00 AM and put my sun glasses on as the sun was still low. ![]() I drove 15 minutes to get here and I am glad I didn't drive hours like some reviewers. I biked the first 10 miles of this yesterday (Saturday) morning, starting at the trail head in South Haven. ![]()
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