The proposed 25 mile non-motorized trailway would parallel M-22 and M-109 and connect park visitor sites and facilities, including campgrounds, historic sites, beaches, trailheads, and other points of interest within the National Lakeshore.  It would also provide a non-motorized trail connection between popular park sites and the villages of Empire and Glen Arbor.  The trailway would be on public land (either MDOT Right Of Way or National Lakeshore property), separated from the roadway where possible and would provide a safe, alternative transportation opportunity for park visitors and residents.   

Grant Funds will be used to contract with an architectural, design, and engineering firm to conduct a pre-engineering study and environmental assessment to determine the trail route and alignment, design concept, probable cost and range of uses for a multi-purpose trailway facility beginning at Manning Road (Leelanau County line) and extending approximately twenty-five (25) miles to County Road 651 along M-22 and M-109 through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.  We anticipate that the information provided by this study will be the basis for a Federal/MDOT Transportation Enhancement grant to construct the trailway. Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes will be the fiduciary party requesting and administering grants for the project.    

The project falls under the umbrella of the Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route (LSHR), designated in 2001 under the Michigan Department of Transportation State Heritage Route Program and coordinated by the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments (NWMCOG).  The LSHR Committee who oversees the Heritage Route Management Plan (see appendix A) represents twelve (12) municipalities, SLBE, MDOT, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, The Leelanau Conservancy, the Leelanau County Road Commission, and citizens.

The LSHR Committee appointed a Trailway Work Group, which includes the NWMCOG, the National Park Service – SLBE & RTCA, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, MDOT, TART Trails, local governments, and citizens.  The Work Group has been working together for nearly a year to complete the initial planning and scoping for the 25 mile trailway.  (Please see the Work Group membership and qualifications below).

The Trailway Work Group does not have the “in house” capacity to professionally conduct in a timely manner the next steps, so we sought funds to contract with an engineering and architect firm to do so.   

The Environmental Assessment has completed public comment in the Spring of 2009.

A grant has been obtained for design and engineering of Stage V of the trail from the Dune Climb to Glen Haven, through D.H. Day campground, and on to Glen Arbor. Surveying of this section of the trail will begin in April, 2009 led by MDOT. A contract survey team will be used to do detailed survey work in the summer of 2009.

Residents and park visitors are excited about the proposed trailway.  We have kept the local municipalities, county, and other stakeholders informed through municipal board meetings, information flyers, representation at public events, and through local press.  We solicit and consider public input and invite interested individuals to participate on the Work Group.

We will continue to look for grants to fund construction of Stage V in the 2011 timeframe and also for design and engineering for other stages of the trail.

Trailway Work Group members include:

Patty O’Donnell, Regional Planner, NWMCOG

Barbara Nelson-Jameson, Program Coordinator and Outdoor Recreation Planner, NPS-RTCA, MI

Gary Neimi, Transportation Service Center in Traverse City, MDOT

Kerry Kelly, Chairperson, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes

Tom Ulrich, Assistant Superintendent, SLBE

Steve Yancho, Chief of Resource Management, SLBE

Kim Mann, Historical Architect, SLBE

John Peck, Civil Engineer

Missy Luyk, TART, Inc.

Tom Nelson, Leelanau Conservancy

Frank Wilcox, Glen Arbor Township Planning Commission

Cheryl Fettes, Village of Empire Board

Lois Bahle, TART and Suttons Bay Chamber of Commerce

Eric Winkelman, Citizen
John Peck, Citizen