Site preparations are slated to begin this week for the new Lakeshore Trail, a multi-use trail along M-63 connecting the community to several parks and beaches along Lake Michigan and to downtown Benton Harbor and St. Joseph.
To prepare the site for construction and grading of the new non-motorized trail north of Higman Park Road, approximately 2.5 acres will be cleared. The trail will be ADA-compliant with grades below 5% to allow many abilities and skill levels to utilize the trail. This necessitates grading the hillside and clearing some trees. Tree clearing must be completed by March 31 to avoid disturbance of active Indiana and Northern long-eared bat activity. Upon completion of the trail installation, a nature restoration plan will be implemented, including landscaping to restore the natural look and feel of the area and planting 90-100 new trees within the trail limits, most of them directly north of Higman Park Road.
The Lakeshore Trail is the first phase of a larger effort to ultimately connect the trail system in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor to the Van Buren State Park Trail in Covert Township, Van Buren County. This 2.5-mile section of the Lakeshore Trail will be a paved, multi-use walking and biking trail from the Harbor Shores Trails on Higman Park Road in Benton Harbor, along M-63, to the Monte Road trailhead of the Lakeview Mountain Bike Trail. Construction is expected to begin in early summer.
To ensure safety for users of the trail system and in preparation for the connection to the Lakeshore Trail, new signage will be introduced on the trails in and around Harbor Shores and Jean Klock Park this spring. The signs will provide clear designations for the various trail routes, indicating which trails are available to walkers, runners and bikers to avoid traffic and congestion on the cart paths designated for golf traffic only.
Funding efforts for the Lakeshore Trail are continuing, including a crowdfunding campaign with a potential $75,000 match from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) as part of the Public Spaces Community Places program. Public Spaces Community Places is a collaborative effort of the MEDC, the Michigan Municipal League, and Patronicity using crowdfunding for the development of strategic projects backed with a matching grant from MEDC. The funds from this campaign will support nature restoration, benches and directional signage for the new trail. Please visit patronicity.com/laketrail for more information and to make a donation. This campaign will close on April 30, 2025.
Local Give Back Nights are also planned in March to help support fundraising efforts:
- Wednesday, March 26th - Silver Beach Pizza will donate 20% of your check, dine in and carry out, to the Lakeshore Trail fund when the flyer is presented. Get the flyer here: https://www.berrientrails.org/
calendar.asp?ait=ec - Sunday, March 30th - Plank's Tavern will donate 50% of sales from 4-8 PM, dine in and carry out, to the Lakeshore Trail fund. Please make reservations if dining in. Event details: https://www.berrientrails.org/
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The Friends of Berrien County Trails is leading the fundraising effort for the Lakeshore Trail. The Friends is a Michigan registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. The Friends mission is to support the construction and maintenance of trails (pedestrian, bicycle and waterway) within Berrien County and to encourage trail use. Find more information at www.BerrienTrails.org.
