Michigan: DNR and Van Buren County expand state park by 17 acres
Michimich.com/10097584

Contact: Matt Metzger (DNR), 269-637-2788 or John Faul (Van Buren County), 269-657-8253 Agency: Natural Resources

Jan. 12, 2021

Van Buren County officials have approved a 25-year lease with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to expand Van Buren State Park's footprint to include the Northpoint Conservation Area located in South Haven Township. The 17-acre parcel of land borders the northern boundary of the park and boasts significant natural, scenic, ecological, biological and recreational assets. Existing hiking trails are popular for bird watching and lead visitors through rare, forested dunes to breathtaking views of Lake Michigan. The trails are open to hiking year-round. The new arrangement will place day-to-day management with the DNR. "We're excited to formally connect both parcels of public land through this unique partnership with the DNR," said Richard Godfrey, chair of the Van Buren County Board of Commissioners. "Because the DNR already manages the adjoining land, we determined that establishing common management would best ensure that the fragile, critical dune land is preserved and remains accessible to the public." More on Michimich.com Boondocking Magazine Releases Fall 2026 Issue in Free Digital and Premium Print Formats Shelter Structures America makes European debut at TEMPOR EXPO 2026 in Fulda, Germany HydroExcavation.com Relaunches With Exclusive Local Service Areas and Dedicated Hydrovac Manufacturer Directory Sky Quarry Enters a Powerful New Chapter: Refinery Restart Emminent, Nevada Oil Initiative and Visibility Put (NAS DAQ: SKYQ) in the Spotlight OneVizion Launches Vera AI, Bringing Connected Operational Context to Infrastructure Teams

Set along a 1-mile-long stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline, the state park is home to high dune formations, a modern campground, woodland trails and a day-use area. The park's most prominent natural features are its sandy beach, forested dunes, interdunal wetlands and diverse vegetation. Approximately 340 feet of additional lakeshore will join seamlessly with the already existing mile of state park beach. "This is a great opportunity to partner with Van Buren County," said Matt Metzger, supervisor for Van Buren State Park. "We look forward to playing an active role in management of such a unique piece of land and helping make it a special place for visitors to enjoy for years to come." While much will remain the same, visitors can expect to see new site signage, revised hours of operation, and more consistency among land use rules and the requirement for the Recreation Passport between both parcels. Parking along Ruggles Road will now require a Recreation Passport. For more information, contact Matt Metzger, park manager, at 269-637-2788 or MetzgerM1@Michigan.gov or John Faul, Van Buren County administrator, at 269-657-8253 or FaulJ@VBCO.org. More on Michimich.com P-Wave Press Announces Pushing the Wave 2025 by L.A. Davenport DONGSHENG Titanium Recycling: Promoting a Closed-Loop Cycle for High-End Titanium Materials French Camp Academy Releases New Video Inviting Individuals to Consider a Life of Service LET US READ Documentary on Dyslexia and Literacy to Screen at TCL Chinese 6 in Hollywood The Great Junk Hunt Announces First-Ever Novi, Michigan Event for February 2027

/Note to editors: Accompanying photos of the new 17-acre parcel at Van Buren State Park are available for download./

• Van Buren shoreline
• Van Buren trail
• Van Buren dunes
• New Van Buren SP signage: Visitors to Van Buren State Park in southwest Michigan have 17 more acres to explore, courtesy of a lease agreement with Van Buren County. New signs mark the trailhead entrance and one of the boundaries of the land parcel.

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