One of the delightful improvements to Albion in recent years is the creation of a paved walkway which follows the Kalamazoo River for miles across the city from Ménwabek County Park just south of Albion to Harris Field on the city’s west side. The trail is open to walking, running, biking, rollerblading, and skateboarding.
The Albion River Trail is part of several much larger trail systems that local and regional volunteers have worked to develop and connect: The 275 mile-long Great Lake to Lake Trail from South Haven to Port Huron, the 1,200-mile-long Iron Belle Trail from Detroit to Ironwood in the Upper Peninsula, and the 4,900 mile-long North Country National Scenic Trail that wind from eight states from Vermont to North Dakota. These trails are used by visitors from across Michigan, the United States, Canada, and Europe, as well as by Calhoun County residents who want to enjoy the outdoors.
Spanning almost 1,200 miles across both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Michigan holds the longest stretch of the North Country Trail. Earlier this year, the trail received an elevated designation from the National Park Service, giving it a status that boosts its visibility and access to funding.
Albion residents are part of several regional groups that are developing the greater trail system but connecting different small city, county and state trails into a continuous off-road network. The Calhoun County Trailway Alliance is an all-volunteer that works closely with the Calhoun County Parks Department on trail planning and maintenance.
The Calhoun County Trailway is already over twenty miles long and includes the Dickman Road Trail and Linear Park in Battle Creek, a 5.6-mile section built by the Calhoun County Trailway Alliance from Battle Creek to Historic Bridge Park, the Marshall Riverwalk, the Albion River Trail, and the Homer Bike Path.
Another active group is the Chief Noonday Chapter of the North Country Trail Association. They work to maintain the 60 mile stretch of the North Country Trail that courses through farmland, rural roads, forests and towns in Calhoun County, as well as portions of the trail that pass through Kalamazoo and Barry Counties. Some parts of the trail, which includes the Calhoun County trail system, are fully paved; others are gravel or crushed stone; with some boardwalks to ease wet sections.
The primary objective for future development is to fill in gaps so the trailway can cross the county, making it possible to travel from town to town without using roads, and to connect with trails in neighboring counties. The County Trailway Alliance would also like to connect with two of south central Michigan’s premier trails, the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail and Jackson County’s Falling Waters Trail. Other objectives include more signage, clearer mapping, better surfaces, better access and trailside amenities like camping.
Albion’s trail and its location as a nexus of several trail systems not only offers outdoor recreation and health benefits for residents. It supports environmental education, habitat restoration and boosts local tourism. Albion gets a lot of cross-country cyclists passing through who stay at the Palmer House or Marriott or eat at one of the local restaurants in town. Overall, outdoor recreation in the United States is a growing 14 billion dollar a year business.
Albion Life Today 