Heritage Trail is officially open!

From staff reports

Yesterday afternoon at 2 p.m., Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Superintendent Dusty Shultz and the National Park’s Midwest Regional Director Mike Reynolds cut the ribbon to officially open the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, which currently stretches 5 miles between the Dune Climb and Glen Arbor. Organizers and supporters hope that the Trail will one day stretch 27 miles, from the Leelanau-Benzie County Line to Good Harbor Bay.

“We had a good turnout,” said Lakeshore Deputy Superintendent Tom Ulrich, who counted nearly 200 people in attendance. “It was much larger than during last summer’s groundbreaking, and perhaps more exciting because the trail is here, and many had already been on it.”

On account of early spring weather, the Michigan Department of Transportation actually completed paving the trail in mid-May, giving locals and tourists alike ample opportunity to enjoy Glen Arbor’s newest feature.

“There was a buzz in the air and lots of grins,” Ulrich continued. “I think that people in the community are really excited about having the trail. While there may have been some apprehension at first, once people have gotten on it, they’ve all told their friends about it.”

No U.S. Senators attended yesterday’s grand opening (Carl Levin was at last summer’s groundbreaking, but the Senate is currently in session in Washington, D.C.) but poet, musician and Glen Arbor Sun co-editor Norm Wheeler showed up to play his conch shell at the ceremony.