A state park in Van Buren County is growing. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says 17 acres are being added to Van Buren State Park so it now includes the Northpoint Conservation Area located in South Haven Township. Van Buren County Administrator John Faul tells WSJM News the county owns it and has signed a 25 year lease with the state.
“The county does not have a parks and recreation department, and we’re very much interested in preserving this unique environment,” Faul said. “The critical dunes area and the hiking trails, we just didn’t have the manpower, if you will.”
Van Buren State Park is Growing, Adding 17 Acres
Erosion often shrinks property along Lake Michigan, but Van Buren State Park is expanding, thanks to a partnership with the Michigan DNR.
A few miles south of South Haven, you ll find the Van Buren State Park along a scenic mile of Lake Michigan shoreline. People love the Lake, the camping and the dunes. Now, there will be more to love as the State Park has just annexed the Northpoint Conservation Area. This seventeen acre parcel of land sits just to the north and boasts significant natural, scenic, ecological, biological and recreational assets, says the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Now, the DNR has signed a 25-year lease with Van Buren State Park to manage the entire parcel.
January 13, 2021
A state park in Van Buren County is growing. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says 17 acres are being added to Van Buren State Park so it now includes the Northpoint Conservation Area located in South Haven Township. Van Buren County Administrator John Faul tells WSJM News the county owns it and has signed a 25 year lease with the state.
“The county does not have a parks and recreation department, and we’re very much interested in preserving this unique environment,” Faul said. “The critical dunes area and the hiking trails, we just didn’t have the manpower, if you will.”
Van Buren State Park expands by 17 acres
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Van Buren State Park
and last updated 2021-01-12 15:58:58-05
SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. â Van Buren County officials have approved a 25-year lease with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to expand Van Buren State Park.
It will now include the Northpoint Conservation Area in South Haven, according to a news release Tuesday.
The 17-acre parcel of land borders the northern boundary of the park and boasts âsignificant natural, scenic, ecological, biological and recreational assets.â
Existing hiking trails are popular for bird watching and lead visitors through rare, forested dunes to breathtaking views of Lake Michigan.
Van Buren State Park is expanding by 17 acres as it adds more lakeshore. It's part of an agreement to include the Northpoint Conservation Area located in South Haven Township.