January 11, 2021
Site preparation work has begun on a new, fully accessible site improvement to the Lewis Bridge overlook along the Betsie Valley Trail and Betsie River. Crews have already been out to the site and are beginning to clear the area for the landscaping work which will commence next spring. According… Read More »
December 31, 2020
The Trail has served the community and visitors well during this tumultuous year and even with the cold temps and falling snow, there’s still plenty to do on the Trail! The paved segments of the Trail on the east end of Betsie Bay from 10th Street in Frankfort to the… Read More »
December 21, 2020
If you ever have the pleasure of meeting Tom Jackson walking along the Trail, don’t be surprised when you feel the boundless energy and joy that seems to radiate from him. “Thinking back over a decade to when I first started using the Trail on my bike,” Tom reflected through… Read More »
September 1, 2020
As an active cyclist in the community, Bryce Dreeszen had often ridden the Betsie Valley Trail with the Cherry Capital Cycling Club, so when the call came offering a spot on the Board of the Friends he eagerly accepted. That initial Board position in 2010 led to becoming Treasurer for… Read More »
July 27, 2020
“One day when we were doing some work on the trail,” explained John Rothhaar, Trail Care Coordinator, “I chatted with a couple of women who were rollerblading. They raved about how much they loved the trail, but also mentioned in passing how it was difficult to get from the River… Read More »
July 23, 2020
One of the important services the Friends provide is the distribution of trail maps to users on the trail. Over the past decade, one volunteer has kept those trail map boxes full all season long — and according to Dan Remahl’s copious records, he distributed 18,781 of them! When Dan… Read More »
July 18, 2020
Recently, we received the following comment by a trail user: “Two days ago my wife and I hiked the BVT from the parking area at River Rd and Adams Rd toward 115 along the river. It is our favorite hike. Both sides of the trail are bordered by a luxuriant stand of poison… Read More »
June 5, 2020
Record high water levels in Lake Michigan and the Betsie Bay continue to cause significant flooding to the Betsie Valley Trail in the Frankfort/Elberta area. With large sections of the trail underwater with no way to know when the water will recede to even allow for a damage assessment, the… Read More »
May 18, 2020
Volunteer help is particularly needed this year because our typical annual grant from Michigan DNR for routine maintenance is frozen and unavailable, at least for now, due to state spending cut backs. Here’s the latest information about volunteering to help with the Betsie Valley Trail: The restrictions on group activities… Read More »
May 2, 2020
At the heart of our mission is the successful operation of the Betsie Valley Trail. We could not achieve this mission year-after-year without the tireless dedication of our Trail Care Coordinators. We’ve been very fortunate for the past four years to have John Rothhaar serving in the role of Trail… Read More »
