OSHTEMO TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — A new 2-mile-long walking and biking trail has opened in Oshtemo Township near Kalamazoo, its route retracing an old railroad line from over 100 years ago.
The path, called the Fruit Belt Rail Trail, has two trailheads — one near Flesher Field and the other off South Sixth Street — and brand-new pedestrian benches and safety fencing have been installed.
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“It’s perfect for taking a stroll or a bike ride,” Vanessa Street, parks director of Oshtemo Township, said.
Along the Fruit Belt Rail Trail, Street and her team have planted seeds for native wildflowers and pollinator species for pedestrians and wildlife to enjoy.
In the future, Street hopes that the Fruit Belt Rail Trail will continue through several more townships until eventually reaching the Van Buren State Trail going toward South Haven, retracing the original railroad’s journey through West Michigan over 100 years ago as the Kalamazoo, Lake Shore and Chicago Railway…