With a week of beautiful fall weather ahead of us, we decided to explore a new-to-us trail in southwest Michigan, Kal-Haven State Park. What we found is a rail trail through the woods from Kalamazoo to South Haven, Michigan. Of course we didn’t walk the whole trail, but we did enjoy a 6 mile hike from the 10th Street parking lot toward Alamo, Michigan.
History of Kal-Haven State Park
In 1869 the Kalamazoo & South Haven Railroad constructed railroad tracks between the two cities to haul lumber and agricultural goods. One of the main crops transported were blueberries. The creation of the railroad allowed items to ship to from landlocked Kalamazoo to the populated Chicago area. It also created thriving small towns along the route and provided passenger service to them. Over time, automobiles replaced travel by train and the passenger service ended in 1937. Freight service, however, continued until 1971. Once the railroad was abandoned, local citizens approached the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to preserve the right-of-way. In 1983, The Friends of the Kal-Haven trail incorporated to advocate for a multi-use trail. In 1987, the DNR purchased the land, but it wasn’t until mid 1989 that the trail opened for use. Today, it is the second oldest rail trail in Michigan.
Our Adventure
Upon arriving at the park, we found plenty of parking, a nice picnic gazebo, and a wood bridge leading to an old railcar. Although you can access the trail to the right behind the railcar or the left behind the restrooms, we opted to go to the right. We walked up the wood bridge, past the railcar, and into the woods. We immediately felt like we were walking through a forest. It was especially beautiful since the trees were in full fall bloom.
The trail is packed dirt and gravel and cuts right through the woods. It is a very wide trail making it easy when people and bikes want to pass. The trail was peaceful except for the chittering of the squirrels and chipmunks. They were laughing at Sunny because she couldn’t catch them. We saw so many squirrels and chipmunks in the woods, on the trees, and running across the trail. Sunny had the best time looking for them and sniffing where they had been.
Our walk took us across G Avenue and back into the woods. Up until this point the trail and vegetation had been fairly flat and on the same level. As we continued into the woods, the trail became elevated with a sharp decline on either side and then with sharp inclines on either side. This was even more beautiful than the prior section.
As we continued, we approached and crossed F Avenue. In this area the trail became a little narrower and less densely forested. A short while later we came upon a vault restroom. And then we crossed 8th Street. In this section of the trail we could hear the cars on the road on the right side of the trail. It was a little less peaceful, but still beautiful. A short distance later, we crossed Owen Drive. This was our least favorite section; it was less wooded as we walked past homes next to a road. We continued just past mile marker 30.5 until we registered 3 miles on my GPS. Then we took a selfie and turned around to retrace our steps back to the car.
Sunny’s Perspective
There were SO MANY squirrels and chipmunks! It was fantastic! I had so much fun looking for them in the woods and along the trail. I wish I could have chased them, but as usual, that didn’t happen. No matter, I had a great time and hope we go back soon.
Our Rating
Sunny and I rate the Kal-Haven State Park trail 4 out of 4 paws up. We loved it! The trail is quite wide, well maintained, and felt like walking through the woods. There was great parking and restrooms at the start. There were benches along the route and even a picnic table. What we liked the most, though, was how peaceful and beautiful it was. The trees were quite dense on most of the trail so even in the summer, I would expect it to be fairly comfortable. The trail is hard packed dirt and gravel, making it appropriate for most people. We observed one person pushing a dog stroller without any difficulty. Although we saw several people on the trail, we mostly felt like we had it to ourselves. We highly recommend the Kal-Haven State Park trail, especially during the fall when the foliage is in bloom.
How Do I Get There?
We started our exploration of the trail a little north of Kalamazoo. If you use 4143 N. 10th Street, Kalamazoo, it will direct you to the parking area. From I-94 take exit 74B to US-131N toward Grand Rapids. After about 5 miles, take exit 43B to M43W toward South Haven. After a short distance, turn right onto N. 10th Street. The parking area is on the left about 2 miles after turning onto N. 10th Street. There is no entrance fee and there are vault restrooms in the parking lot and along the trail.
For more information about the Kal-Haven State Park, check out these websites.