William Field Memorial Hart–Montague Trail State Park, previously and more commonly known as Hart–Montague Trail State Park, is a linear state park in Michigan that consists of a bicycle trail running from the city of Montague in Muskegon County to the city of Hart in Oceana County. The trail is very easy to ride, as it was built on former Chicago & West Michigan railroad right of way (later abandoned by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway) with a very low grade. The trail is also very popular for snowmobiles in the winter months.
| William Field Memorial Hart–Montague Trail State Park | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Information board at the trailheads | |||
| Length | 22 mi (35 km) | ||
| Location | Lower Peninsula, Muskegon County, Oceana County, Michigan USA | ||
| Established | 1988[1] | ||
| Trailheads | Hart, Michigan Shelby, Michigan New Era, Michigan Rothbury, Michigan Montague, Michigan | ||
| Use | Cycling, Hiking, Snow-mobiling, XC skiing | ||
| Difficulty | Easy | ||
| Season | All | ||
| Surface | Asphalt | ||
| Maintained by | Michigan Department of Natural Resources | ||
| Website | Official site | ||
Bike trail route highlighted in red | |||
History
editRecognizing its potential, Bill Field of Shelby purchased the former railroad and donated it for trail use to the State of Michigan.[2] Opened in 1991 and officially adopted as a Rails to Trails park in 1996, it was one of the first "Rails to Trails" projects in the State of Michigan. Its success paved the way for more trails throughout the state and Midwest. The trail's total length was previously 22 miles (35 km); however, new trails, notably the "White Lake Pathway", "Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail", "McMillan Trail", and Muskegon's "Lakeshore Trail" have been constructed south of Montague, which makes it possible to bike from Hart to Muskegon, a total of 45 miles (72 km), without ever leaving a bike trail.
Attractions
editA number of local businesses, such as restaurants and ice cream parlors, in the towns along the trail have posted small, discreet signage near the trail to attract cycling visitors who might not otherwise ever notice the little shops in the intervening small municipalities.[3] A whimsically themed ice cream/dairy bar in New Era, roughly halfway along the trail, is often mentioned by trail visitors, although there are also a number of others spread along the trail. There is a bicycle rental shop on Thompson St in Montague in the south, a repair shop right off the trail in Mears as well as another rental shop on Silver Lake Rd in Mears several miles away from the northern section of the trail.
Waypoints
editWaypoints for the Hart–Montague Trail.[4] ↑ in the Distance column points to the other waypoint that the distance is between.
| Location | Services | Distance (approx.) |
Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hart, Michigan | Parking, Restroom, Picnic Tables, Bike Repair Station | 43°41′21″N 86°22′22″W / 43.68919°N 86.37276°W | |
| Mears, Michigan | ↑ 2.5 miles (4.0 km) | 43°40′39″N 86°25′07″W / 43.67742°N 86.4185°W | |
| Shelby, Michigan | Drinking Fountain, Parking, Restroom, Picnic Table Shelter, Bike Repair Station | ↑ 5.3 miles (8.5 km) | 43°36′42″N 86°21′54″W / 43.61178°N 86.36496°W |
| New Era, Michigan | Drinking Fountain, Parking, Restroom, Picnic Table Shelter | ↑ 3.8 miles (6.1 km) | 43°33′35″N 86°20′42″W / 43.55969°N 86.34496°W |
| Rothbury, Michigan | Drinking Fountain, Restroom | ↑ 3.9 miles (6.3 km) | 43°30′12″N 86°20′40″W / 43.50338°N 86.34441°W |
| Montague, Michigan | Drinking Fountain, Parking, Restroom, Picnic Table Shelter | ↑ 6 miles (10 km) | 43°25′01″N 86°21′10″W / 43.41703°N 86.35268°W |
References
edit- ^ State of Michigan (2019). "When were Michigan state parks and recreation areas established?" (PDF). Retrieved March 30, 2022.
- ^ Kloosterman, Stephen (February 26, 2013). "Hart-Montague trail to be renamed for the late William Field, trail advocate". mlive. Archived from the original on March 5, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
- ^ "Hart–Montague Trail State Park, Michigan - A1 Trails". Archived from the original on December 1, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
- ^ Hart–Montague Bicycle Trail State Park Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (Free registration required to view map)