Van Buren Trail State Park, also known as Trail State Park, is an unimproved rail trail

Rail trail

A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway easement into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. The characteristics of former tracks—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various development. The term sometimes also...

 running along a former railroad right-of-way between Hartford, Michigan

Hartford, Michigan

Hartford is a city in Van Buren County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,476 at the 2000 census. The city is located within Hartford Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...

 to just south of South Haven, Michigan

South Haven, Michigan

South Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Most of the city is in Van Buren County, although a small portion extends into Allegan County. The population was 5,021 at the 2000 census....

 in Van Buren County

Van Buren County, Michigan

-Parks, preserves, natural areas:* Dunes Parkway, an 84 acre preserve of dunes in Covert Township* Jeptha Lake Fen Preserve, a 49 acre preserve in Columbia Township...

. It is 14 miles (22.5 km) long and mostly used by horse trail riders in the summer and snowmobilers in the winter. Terrain is flat with farmland and trees.

In 2004, Van Buren County took over operation of the state-owned trail after state budget problems. There is a trail pass system to pay for maintenance.

Its northern terminus is near Van Buren State Park

Van Buren State Park (Michigan)

Van Buren State Park is a state park on Lake Michigan south of South Haven, Michigan, United States. The park, which is maintained and operated by the Department of Natural Resources, is located in the southwest corner of South Haven Township and the northwest corner of Covert Township, just north...

 on Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...

. The Kal-Haven Trail

Kal-Haven Trail

The Kal-Haven Trail, formally known as the Kal-Haven Trail Sesquicentennial State Park, is a rail trail that originally ran 33.5 miles between South Haven, Michigan, to a point just west of the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan, where there is a trailhead...

 starts in South Haven a few miles north. The trail pass is valid for both trails.

External links

• Van Buren Trail State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...
  
  
• Kal-Haven Trail State Park Michigan DNR
• Van Buren Trail Van Buren County Community Center
• Van Buren Trail State Park Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
  Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
  Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is an American nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that works with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into rail trails within the United States of America...
  
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