Adventuring to the lakeshore along the Kal-Haven Trail? Download the brand new app from the DNR and learn the history of this rails-to-trails pathway.

There's plenty of nature to experience along the 33 mile trip from Kalamazoo to South Haven. Now, a new tech application can add some history to your hike and context to your caravan. Last year, thirty-one new interpretive signs were installed along the route, now you can get the app and you can learn even more of the history.

There's an app for everything, right? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has developed the Kal-Haven Heritage Trail mobile app. Download it on Google Play to discover things about the Kal-Haven Trail like:

  • The native Potawatomi people who inhabited the area.
  • History of the Kalamazoo and South Haven Railroad route that existed from 1870 to 1970.
  • How glaciers sculpted the landscape.
  • Other heritage stories on topics like the Mentha mint farm, Joe Louis, the Bloomingdale oil boom and Julia Schelske, one of Ford Motor Company’s earliest female car dealers.

For many, the Kal-Haven Trail odyssey is an annual tradition on bike or on foot for some. You won't need a compass, just begin at the 9th Street trailhead and head West. If you get to Lake Michigan, you went too far.

Apple iPhone users can access the new app through a web browser at IWR.MSU.edu/KWT.

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Kal-Haven Trail Run Photos: 2015

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