Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park is a long linear state park in the U.S. state of Michigan.
The trail extends from northern Grand Rapids to Cadillac, and it lies on the path graded for the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad (later absorbed by the Pennsylvania Railroad). The White Pine Trail is a rail trail park. It was named the "Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park"Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park Michigan Department of Natural Resources after a donation by grocery store executive Fred Meijer.
History As the railroad ceased operation in the mid-1980s, the Michigan Department of Transportation came to own the rail bed. By 1994 the property was transferred to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which began replacing the rails with a trail for public recreational use.
Current Condition The trail extends from Ann Street in Grand Rapids north to Cadillac. The trail is completely paved as of the fall of 2023.
Snowmobiles are permitted on most of the trail, between Russell Road (near Cedar Springs) and South Street in Cadillac. Motorized wheel vehicles (other than personal accessibility devices) are not permitted.
In addition to the Michigan DNR doing maintenance on the trail, volunteers, organized by Friends of the White Pine Trail. also provide hundreds of volunteer hours of maintenance and advocacy work.
Communities Along Trail The trail passes through the following communities:
Comstock Park, Michigan Belmont, Michigan Rockford, Michigan Cedar Springs, Michigan Sand Lake, Michigan Pierson, Michigan Howard City, Michigan Morley, Michigan Stanwood, Michigan Big Rapids, Michigan Paris, Michigan Reed City, Michigan Ashton, Michigan Le Roy, Michigan Tustin, Michigan Cadillac, Michigan
Waypoints
Waypoints for the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park.White Pine Trail State Park Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (Free registration required to view map) ↑ in the Distance column points to the other waypoint that the distance is between. Location Services Distance (approx.) Coordinates Cadillac, Michigan Parking, Restroom, Drinking Fountain Waypoint 2 Parking, Restroom ↑ Tustin, Michigan Parking, Restroom ↑ Le Roy, Michigan Parking, Restroom ↑ Reed City, Michigan Drinking Fountain, Restroom, Parking ↑ Paris, Michigan Restroom, Parking ↑ Big Rapids, Michigan Parking, Restroom, Parking, Repair Station, Water Fountain ↑ Morley, Michigan Drinking Fountain, Parking, Restroom ↑ Howard City, Michigan Drinking Fountain, Restroom, Parking ↑ Cedar Springs, Michigan Parking, Drinking Fountain, Restroom ↑ Comstock Park, Michigan Parking ↑
Plans The trail is also connected to other trail systems in the state, including the Kent Trails system in Grand Rapids (currently connected with a designated bike route through the city between Butterworth Ave SW and the Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark,) Musketawa Trail, much as the White Pine Trail already connects with the Pere Marquette State Trail in Reed City.
References
External links The White Pine Trail - TheRockfordNetwork.com Friends of the White Pine Trail Michigan Rail Trail info White Pine Trail State Park page at RailsToTrails.us