Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park

Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park
Map showing the location of Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park
Location within the state of Michigan
Location Lower Peninsula, Kent County, Mecosta County, Montcalm County, Osceola County, Wexford County, Michigan USA
Nearest city Big Rapids, Michigan
Coordinates 43°43′04″N 85°29′09″W / 43.71775°N 85.4859°W / 43.71775; -85.4859Coordinates: 43°43′04″N 85°29′09″W / 43.71775°N 85.4859°W / 43.71775; -85.4859
Governing body
Length 92 mi (148 km)
Trailheads Comstock Park, Michigan
Cadillac, Michigan
Use Cycling, Hiking, Snow-mobiling, XC skiing
Easy
Season All
Website Official site

Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park is a 92-mile (148 km) long linear state park in the U.S. state of Michigan.

The trail extends from northern Grand Rapids to Cadillac, and it lies on the path graded for the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad. The White Pine Trail is a rail trail park. It was named the "Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park"[1] after a donation by grocery store executive Fred Meijer.

History

As the railroad ceased operation in the mid-1980s, the Michigan Department of Transportation came to own the rail bed. By 1994 the property was transferred to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which began replacing the rails with a trail for public recreational use.

Current Condition

The trail extends from Ann Street in Grand Rapids north to Cadillac. The trail has three paved sections: one extending 22 miles (35 km) between Comstock Park and Sand Lake, another 13-mile (21 km) stretch between Big Rapids and Reed City, and a 16-mile stretch between Leroy and Cadillac. The Michigan DNR paved 7.6 miles (12.2 km) of trail from Russel Road near Cedar Springs to Sand Lake during the summer of 2007. Unpaved sections of the trail are surfaced with packed gravel or cinders.

Snowmobiles are permitted on most of the trail, between Russell Road (near Cedar Springs) and South Street in Cadillac. Motorized wheel vehicles (other than personal accessibility devices) are not permitted.

Due to reduced public funding for state parks in Michigan, the trail's upkeep depends largely on volunteers, organized by Friends of the White Pine Trail.

Communities Along Trail

The trail passes through the following communities:

Waypoints

Waypoints for the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park.[2] ↑ in the Distance column points to the other waypoint that the distance is between.

LocationServicesDistance
(approx.)		Coordinates
Cadillac, MichiganParking, Restroom44°14′49″N 85°24′01″W / 44.24685°N 85.40022°W / 44.24685; -85.40022 (Cadillac, Michigan Waypoint)
Waypoint 2Parking, Restroom↑ 2.2 miles (3.5 km)44°13′22″N 85°25′37″W / 44.22267°N 85.42691°W / 44.22267; -85.42691 (Waypoint 2 Fred Meijer White Pine Trail)
Tustin, MichiganDrinking Fountain, Restroom↑ 8.5 miles (13.7 km)44°06′09″N 85°27′29″W / 44.1024°N 85.45803°W / 44.1024; -85.45803 (Tustin, Michigan Waypoint)
Le Roy, MichiganDrinking Fountain, Restroom↑ 4.5 miles (7.2 km)44°02′19″N 85°27′00″W / 44.03851°N 85.45007°W / 44.03851; -85.45007 (Le Roy, Michigan Waypoint)
Reed City, MichiganDrinking Fountain, Restroom↑ 12 miles (19 km)43°52′41″N 85°30′32″W / 43.87797°N 85.509°W / 43.87797; -85.509 (Reed City, Michigan Waypoint)
Paris, MichiganDrinking Fountain, Restroom↑ 6.2 miles (10.0 km)43°47′20″N 85°30′08″W / 43.78886°N 85.50225°W / 43.78886; -85.50225 (Paris, Michigan Waypoint)
Big Rapids, Michigan↑ 5 miles (8.0 km)43°43′04″N 85°29′09″W / 43.71775°N 85.4859°W / 43.71775; -85.4859 (Big Rapids, Michigan Waypoint)
Morley, MichiganDrinking Fountain, Parking, Restroom↑ 16 miles (26 km)43°29′26″N 85°26′42″W / 43.49053°N 85.44503°W / 43.49053; -85.44503 (Morley, Michigan Waypoint)
Howard City, MichiganDrinking Fountain, Restroom↑ 6.5 miles (10.5 km)43°23′49″N 85°28′12″W / 43.39688°N 85.47005°W / 43.39688; -85.47005 (Howard City, Michigan Waypoint)
Cedar Springs, MichiganParking↑ 16 miles (26 km)43°11′01″N 85°34′00″W / 43.18371°N 85.56659°W / 43.18371; -85.56659 (Cedar Springs, Michigan Waypoint)
Comstock Park, Michigan↑ 12.1 miles (19.5 km)43°01′30″N 85°39′56″W / 43.02494°N 85.66562°W / 43.02494; -85.66562 (Comstock Park, Michigan Waypoint)

Plans

According to the Friends of the White Pine Trail, there are plans to extend the paved areas of the trail. The trail may also be connected to other trail systems in the state, including the Kent Trails system in Grand Rapids (currently connected with a designated bike route through the city between Butterworth Ave SW and the Fifth Third Ballpark,) Musketawa Trail, much as the White Pine Trail already connects with the Pere Marquette State Trail in Reed City.

References

  1. ↑ Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources
  2. ↑ White Pine Trail State Park Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (Free registration required to view map)
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