Bike trail to lead to Lake Michigan access in Pentwater, Montague

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HART — The 22-mile Hart-Montague William Field Memorial Trail will eventually lead to Lake Michigan access in Pentwater and Montague.

Work continues to secure funding to complete the Pentwater Hart Trail that would extend from the Hart-Montague William Field Memorial Trail to Pentwater. Meanwhile, Montague and White River townships continue ongoing efforts to extend the bike trail to Medbery Park along Lake Michigan. 

The Friends of the Pentwater Hart Trail (FPHT) are pursuing funding for completion of the project, which is about $8 million.

As part of Pentwater’s Fall Festival this Saturday and Sunday, Sep. 26 and 27, FPHT will sell raffle tickets for a Trek Verve II bicycle, and funds raised from the raffle go toward the trail project.

“For many, buying a raffle ticket for the bicycle is the first time they learn about a project we have been working on for years,” said FPHT President Claudia Ressel-Hodan.

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The effort to create a trail from Pentwater to Hart, connecting to the William Field Memorial Hart-Montague Trail, began in 2015. In 2020, the committee formally became a 501C3 nonprofit organization called the Friends of the Pentwater Hart Trail. Approximately $8 million of the total cost is still needed for construction of the trail. The FPHT is working to raise most of this goal through state and federal grants, but private donations are also critical to the trail’s completion.

“It is a long process, involving work and partnerships with municipal, township, county, state and federal government units,” said Ressel-Hodan. “I am often asked, ‘What is going on with the trail?’ and we are making progress.”

The FPHT received critical funding in 2018 through a state appropriation of $1.4 million for trail construction spearheaded by former Michigan State Senator Goeff Hansen. Then, in July of this year, an $888,861 Safe Routes to School‎ grant was awarded to the City of Hart. 

The grant will fund the portion of the PHT connecting to the William R. Field Memorial Hart Montague Trail, travel alongside the Hart Public Schools campus, north to Main Street/Tyler Road and then head west to 72nd Avenue. “Construction of this section will provide a safer route for children walking, rolling or cycling to school and is expected to begin next spring,” states an FPHT press release.

“This portion of the FPHT is within what we term Phase Two,” said Ressel-Hodan. “Phase One, the road shoulder along Business Route 31 from Carroll Street to Longbridge Road was completed in 2019.”

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The FPHT is working with Fleis & Vandenbrink on final engineering for Phase Three, a 5.2-mile segment that will complete the connection between Pentwater and Hart.

“Members of the FPHT Legislative Committee are developing a strategy to meet with all federal and state legislators to pursue alternate funding to complete Phase Three of the PHT. Important to securing any federal and or state funding, private donations are critical in this effort,” states the press release. “Legislators will inquire about community support and community buy-in with the project. Having financial commitments in the form of promissory notes, as an example, will be a huge assistance in the pursuit of federal and or state funding.”

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“Volunteer members of the FPHT currently work on the creation of the trail, and in the future, will work to maintain the trail to the safety standards of the appropriate government agencies. Funds raised in excess of the goal will be placed in a reserve fund and used solely for trail maintenance.”

Anyone who is interested in donating to the trail and/or becoming a Friend of the Pentwater Hart Trail can visit pentwaterharttrail.com.

A recent City of Montague newsletter states that the bike trail will be repaved from Dowling Street to Old Channel Trail. “The project will temporarily close the trail and is expected to occur in the first half of 2027. The City also continues to support ongoing efforts of Montague Township and White River Township to extend the trail to Medbery Park and Lake Michigan.”

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