News

Damage to the White Pine Trail has been repaired!!

Great News! As of July 2, the trail is open for use!    
After a stellar performance by the Kent County Road commission the damaged section of the trail is now officially OPEN (Rockford to Belmont section). With tremendous help from the Sheriff's honor camp personnel, Sheriff's department volunteers, the city of Rockford's staff (who did a massive amount of hands on work) the trail is open, safe and ready for use. Without this coordinated effort of so many people the trail would likely have been closed for many months.  See some of the repairs in the picture section.

New Construction Activity On The Trail 

Construction is starting on the trail between LeRoy and Cadillac!!  

As of August 2, 2010, the trail from LeRoy to Cadillac will be closed until construction and paving are finished.  Watch this web site for further updates on this project. 

August 7,    

Construction crews are on site installing silt fence and new culverts.  Drainage issues are being addressed and the trail bed is being made wider in certain areas.  Vegetation control is being applied.  Photos of the construction progress will regularly be posted on the picture page of the web site.

August 19,

Construction workers have completed preparing the trail bed from Cadillac to LeRoy and have put down gravel on 8.6 miles of trail beginning at Cadillac.  Once the gravel is compacted and graded - the next step is laying asphalt.

August 25,

Paving has started.  The construction crew has started laying the first course of asphalt near Cadillac and they are headed south.  Please stay off the new surface until the trail is officially reopened.

Funding for this project came from the Fred Meijer Foundation and a Federal High Priority Transportation Enhancement Grant that has been provided with the help of U.S. Representative Dave Camp.

This is another major milestone in our goal to have the trail paved from Grand Rapids all the way to Cadillac. The work on this section of the trail is the result of many groups and individuals coming together and donating the time and effort.

Spring and Summer 2010 Activities

Volunteers from the Friends of the White Pine trail and the Pere Marquette Snowmobile Club are out on the trail replacing signs, cutting brush, blowing debris and performing other maintenance activities in preparation for spring and summer activities.  Routine mowing of the trail shoulders will begin in early May by volunteers from the Friends of the White Pine Trail and municipalities along the trail

New Web Site

 A new and very interesting web site is being developed by Dr. Ralph Crew of Big Rapids.  He is creating a comprehensive pictorial review of wild flowers along the White Pine Trail.  Pictures of the flowers are categorized by color and month found and were taken along the trail between Stanwood and Reed City.  The web site is www.wildflowersofthewhitepine.com     Dr. Crew would appreciate feedback or comments on the site.  His email address is ralph.crew@gmail.com