Lakeshore Trail - Grand Haven to Holland (MI)

 Friday morning (July 17) started out as a warm, cloudy, and humid 70-degree day.  With high expectations of the day becoming prettier, less humid, and even a little sunshine we set out around 8:30 am for Grand Haven.  Today's ride will be the Lakeshore Trail from Grand Haven to Holland, MI.  It is a 20 mile paved trail ranging from 6 - 10 ft wide in places.  This trail is not a rail trail which means that there in not the confining limit of a 3-5% grade.  By beginning at the Rosy Mound Natural Area we cut 1.5 miles off the 20, thus giving us a 37 mile ride instead of 40.  This staging area provides ample parking and restrooms.  We have not purchased a Michigan Park Pass this year so our cost to park was $7.  It is 9:30 by the time we are ready to ride.

On the left is the Rosy Mound background of hills and trees.  Because of the humidity and recent rain there is a haze in many of the pictures.  The sun made a couple of appearances during our ride, but never for very long.  On the right is a picture of the lush canopy-covered trail. The Lakeshore Trail runs parallel and east of the scenic Lakeshore Drive in West Michigan.  On our west throughout our ride are homes overlooking Lake Michigan.  It took us approximately 20 minutes of biking to move away from residential trail which crossed private driveways every 20-30 ft.  Early in our ride the trail is "hilly".  Only on one of the hills did we have to get off the bike and walk up the hill.  It was pretty steep and it was then that I made some kind of declaration about getting a big black magic marker and X-ing out every page in our Michigan Trail Magazine that did not make a reference to the trail being a rail trail.  These hills are for much younger people!  However we did have three young riders come up behind us while we were walking our bike up the hill.  Two of them made it and the other had to get off and do just what we were doing.  Okay, I don't feel so old now!  Maybe all the pages can remain in our book...maybe!

 To the left is a picture of the 40-acre Palomita Reserve which was established in 1995.  According to the sign posted on the trail, the marsh is a home to many birds, butterflies, and wildlife.  We did not see the wildlife but the area was beautiful.

Kirk Park is another scenic staging area which offers parking and restrooms.

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 We passed under pipeline running natural gas to the Consumer's Energy Power Plant. The only time we were required to deviate from dedicated trail to a bicycle lane on the highway was to cross over a bridge.  Below the bridge were these coal cars and train tracks.

Coal cars supplying nearby power plant

On the left our trail becomes a very nice wood bridge over Pigeon Creek at Port Sheldon offering a serene view of water, trees, marsh and rolling hills.

Pigeon Creek turns into Pigeon Lake.  From Pigeon Lake there is a channel into Lake Michigan.

South of Sheldon Landing the trail divides.  We continued on the western path which parallels Lakeshore Drive.  Parts of the trail are canopy covered.  There are beautiful tall trees on both sides of the highway and the trail is carved out through the forest.

Throughout our ride were homes on both sides of the trail.  Homes with pristine gardens, colorful flower beds, and lush green trees.  Many of the homes on the west of the trail that had a view of Lake Michigan were amazing.  A lot of time, effort, and expense had been put into making their lake home very special.

The two pictures below show the typical lake home driveway north of Holland.  Immaculate landscaping at the entrance to their private drive and many times a gated entrance to a long driveway lined with trees.  Very NICE!

After and hour and 45 minutes of biking we located a restaurant on the beach of Lake Macatawa.  Ottawa Beach Inn offers outdoor and indoor seating.  We dined indoors and enjoyed the air conditioning.  I had the taco salad and Chris had a fried perch sandwich.  The meal was delicious.

On our way back to Grand Haven we turned into the Tunnel Park entrance where we found a good number of people enjoying their warmest day of the year thus far with temps now around 80 degrees.
The day was still hazy but sand and water from Lake Michigan was warm and inviting.

We arrived back to our car around 2:40 pm.  The round trip was approximately 37 miles and took us an hour and 45 minutes to travel each direction.  This was our most ambitious ride...ever!
All things considered, the beauty in the area was well worth the trip.  A must do, at least once.