The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail is the newest Kalamazoo County Park! The trail is free to use and has a paved-asphalt surface that is 12-feet wide. It's a multi-purpose trail for non-motorized transportation and recreation.

Kalamazoo River Valley Trail
Connections

The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail will encompass 35 miles of trail throughout Kalamazoo County. Kalamazoo will be a regional hub, connecting Battle Creek to Lake Michigan, D Ave. to Portage, and eventually Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. This existing trail and planned trails in other counties will enable you to connect more than 140 miles of trail - connecting together the Battle Creek Linear Park, Kal-Haven Trail, and Portage Bicentennial Park Trail.

There are currently two of eight segments complete of this non-motorized, paved-asphalt trail. One stretch includes a 4.8-mile section that connects 10th Street to downtown Kalamazoo, while the other travels from Mosel Ave. to Mayors' Riverfront Park, totaling an additional 2.8 miles. As funds and property become available the trail will continue to grow, realizing a vision that has been in the works since 1991.

Operated as a Kalamazoo County Park, the KRV Trail is free to use and offers something for everyone. Whether you're looking for a relaxing family stroll, a journey into nature, an extensive workout or a bike route to work - the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail awaits your visit.

Recent KRVT News

Ribbon Cutting Set for November 20th

Please join us in celebrating the official opening of the newest section of Kalamazoo River Valley Trail with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, November 20th at 12:30 p.m. The ceremony will take place at the Verburg Park Trailhead on Paterson St. (just west of the corner of Riverview Dr. on Paterson St.). For questions or more information, please call 269-373-5071, or click here to view the invitation.

KRVT Named as Michigan Project of the Year

Earlier this week in Kalamazoo at the Mid America Trails and Greenways Conference, the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail was named as the project of the year for the state of Michigan. A total of 16 awards were handed out - two for each of the eight states (Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota) that were participating in the conference. The awards were designed locally by artist Holly Fisher, and were constructed as part of her internship program at the SmartShop in Kalamazoo.

The story was featured in the Kalamazoo Gazette.

Toni Thompson, President of the Friends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trailway, accepted the award on behalf of the project.

MSU to conduct Trail Usage Study on the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail

Have you ever wondered how many people use the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail? Or, why they use it? Soon we'll have the answers to these questions, and many more! As part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Trail Programming grant, we are contracting with Michigan State University to conduct a 3-year trail usage study. Using a combination of on-site surveys, observations and infra-red counters, their research will include establishing baseline data on trail use, as well as information on trail users. The research will be led by the team of Dr. Christine Vogt and Dr. Charles Nelson from the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies at Michigan State University. This research team has conducted similar studies on the Pere Marquette Rail Trail, and in Washtenaw County, just to name a couple. A large portion of the study will include using volunteers for the observations, so stay tuned for opportunities to follow here.

New Trail Brochure and Maps are Now Available

Our new Kalamazoo River Valley Trail brochure is now available, and the updated map includes the soon-to-be completed section from Gull to Mosel. If you'd like a copy of the brochure mailed to you, or a stack for your business, please call 269-373-5073 or email krvt@kalcounty.com. The maps are available online as well by visiting this page.

Thanks!

A BIG thank you to Dr. Jim Lewis and his Leadership/Programming class at Western Michigan University for their time and efforts in helping to plan our October Fall Color Cruise bike event. It was a very successful event that provided fun for the whole family!

Learning Cycles Bike Program Set to Roll

As part of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail Program grant received by the Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 30 bicycles and 30 bicycle helmets have been donated to Woodward Magnet School, a Kalamazoo Public Elementary School located on Stuart Avenue. The goal of the program, which is administered by Kalamazoo County Parks, is to provide enough bikes for an entire class to have access to, giving them an opportunity to use the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail for field trips, class projects or a convenient route to the library.

This program, named "Learning Cycles," will provide healthy, educational opportunities with a positive role model. The bikes were delivered to Woodward on Friday, June 5th.

"This is a program that Woodward Elementary and KDPS Community Police Officer Greg Magnan have envisioned for awhile, but were not able to obtain the bikes," Kalamazoo River Valley Trail Program Coordinator Kyle Lewis said. "Through this generous grant, we're fortunate to be in a situation to help out and provide the bikes."

"It's going to be a great program, and it really fits into our mission of encouraging usage and maximizing the benefits of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail."

"The goal is to find ways to make this program sustainable," Lewis added. "We'd like to replicate this in a different school each year."

Woodward is in close proximity to the trail, yet through a survey issued to all 3rd-5th graders at the school, the Kalamazoo County Parks Department learned that 70 percent of the students have never used the trail - also determined from that same survey, 40 percent of the students do not own a bicycle.

Woodward Principal Beth Yankee is excited to get her students outside and doing something active.

"Research shows that children spend at least 7-10 hours of screen time in front of computers/TV a day," Yankee said. "That is as much time that they spend in school. It is important for children to be active and involved in their community.

"This program brings together Kalamazoo Public Safety in a positive way that promotes healthy living and fun. It is important for kids to be healthy and happy in order to learn...the bike program will promote physical fitness in a safe and fun way. We hope that it will transfer over into our families to promote family fitness together!"

One other component of the program will take place this summer as Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Officer Magnan will volunteer to take kids on bike rides on the trail, twice per week, as part of a mentoring program. Magnan will teach kids about bike safety, and how to safely ride on the trail.

"I'm very happy that the kids will have an opportunity to ride bikes in a safe environment," Officer Magnan said.

Mosel to D Ave. section now fully funded!
Thursday, April 9th Michigan Lieutenant Governor John D. Cherry, Jr. announced that 67 communities in 27 Michigan counties will benefit from a total of $47.3 million in transportation enhancement funding. The Kalamazoo River Valley Trail received $1.76 million in federal money with about half coming from the economic-stimulus package. This funding will be used to build a 5-mile segment of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail along the river between Mosel and D avenues. Construction is expected to begin on this section later this summer.

Point-to-Point Distances

10th Street to Ravine 3 miles
10th Street to Westnedge 4.8 miles
10th Street to Rose Park 5.7 miles
Rose Park to Mosel Ave. 1.9 miles
Mosel Ave. to Mayors' Riverfront Park (end of trail) 2.8 miles
10th Street to Mosel Ave. 7.4 miles

Safety First!

The Trail is open daily from 7:00 a.m. to sunset.
• Follow all County Park Trail Rules posted along the trail.
• Obey all trail and traffic signs.
• Always wear a bicycle helmet.
• Cyclists and skaters must yield to pedestrians.
• Keep right and pass on left. Give audible warning before passing.
• There is safety in numbers. Use the buddy-system and enjoy the trail with a companion.
• Pets must be on a leash no more than six feet long and owners must clean up after their pets.

Click here for a full list of the trail rules.

Special Events

If you or your group is interested in holding an event on the trail, please submit a "Special Event Request Form" to the Kalamazoo County Parks Department. Forms may be faxed to 269-373-5080, or mailed to:

Trail Program Coordinator
3299 Gull Road
Wing 2, Room 201
Kalamazoo MI, 49048

Volunteer Information

Whatever your age or ability, the KRV Trail has many volunteer opportunities available! It's an excellent way to meet people, enjoy the outdoors and keep the trail a great place to visit. For more information on volunteering, contact the Volunteer Coordinator at (269) 373-5181, or via email.

Join us in supporting the trail

A public and private partnership between the volunteer-led Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County and Kalamazoo County Parks is bringing charitable contributions and public dollars together to develop and maintain the trail. To do your part in supporting the trail visit www.kalamazoorivervalleytrail.com or call (269) 383-0515.

Thank you to the following public and private partners who are making the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail possible: Friends of the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, Parks Foundation of Kalamazoo County, City of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan Department of Transportation, Kalamazoo Road Commission, and the many citizens, businesses and foundations supporting our efforts.