You can get your outdoor exercise and help maintain the Kal-Haven Trail at the same time at the upcoming 5K Polar Bear Run on Jan. 26.
Trail lovers are invited to be part of the winter run that takes place from noon to 4 p.m. at the Driftbusters Snowmobile Club, 710 Hughson Court in Gobles.
Registration for the run begins at 12:30 p.m. The run kicks off at 1:30 p.m. and will be followed by a Michigan Department of Natural Resources program starting at 2 p.m. Awards will be presented at 2:30 p.m. Cost to enter the race is $10. It is open to all ages.
Proceeds from the race will help the
Friends of Kal-Haven Trail, which is participating in the DNR's matching funds program to provide a matching portion to supplement the cost of future improvements to the Kal-Haven Trail.
The Kal-Haven Trail is a 33.5-mile-long, linear multi-use trail that links Kalamazoo to South Haven. The trail reaches from 10th Street in Kalamazoo to North Bailey Avenue in South Haven.
The route of the Kal-Haven originally was a railroad completed in 1870. The railroad bed has been converted to a trail with a limestone slag surface.
Bicycling, hiking, and snowmobiling when there is a 4-inch snow base are allowed uses of the trail. Van Buren County has operated and maintained The Kal-Haven Trail Sesquicentennial State Park since 2004. Van Buren County continues to operate the trail under its permit from the state.
Writer: Kathy Jennings, Second Wave Media
Source: Friends of the Kal-Haven Trail
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