Forest Home Township, GTRLC making progress on Glacial Hills trail system
By Linda Gallagher The Antrim Review
BELLAIRE – Wanted – a handful of able-bodied, outdoorsy volunteers interested in putting their personal stamp on what Forest Home Township and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy believes could become a world-class trail system and a premier destination for hikers, mountain bikers and outdoor enthusiasts in the township’s new Glacial Hills Natural Area.
At least, there is a potential for that in Forest Home Township’s newest acquisition of public land west of Bellaire, said the Conservancy’s Brad Gerlach last week.
A resident of the Bellaire area, as Stewardship Volunteer Coordinator for the Conservancy, Gerlach has for the past couple of months been working closely with Forest Home Township in creating the first of what is hoped will be the first of four hiking/biking trails on the several hundred acres of upland hardwoods natural area.
The first half mile trail loop, which is immediately adjacent to the parking area off Eckhardt Road, was started in August with what is known as a McLeod trail tool, Gerlach said last week.
“That trail, which leads through a field up onto a hardwood ridge with mature, stately beech, maple, and basswood trees, leads to the second trail, which is now under construction and will be seven tenths of a mile in length,” Gerlach said. “There will be a spur trail leading to an impressive overlook of the land south of the natural area and the north arm of Lake Bellaire.”
The goal of the trail design group Gerlach is supervising is to complete the second loop this fall, he said.
In order to do so, the group is hoping to put together a trail work group of area users and residents willing to contribute a few hours of physical labor.
“Not only is this an inexpensive way of getting the work needed out there done, but it’s a grass-roots method of getting the people who own and use this area – the people of Forest Home Township and the public in general – involved on a personal basis with Glacial Hills,” said Forest Home Township Supervisor Terry Smith. “It will give everybody a sense of ownership and pride in our newest and largest natural area.”
Forest Home Township has taken the lead in creating which is hoped will be a cooperative trail network in the natural area, a large part of which is owned by Antrim County, Gerlach noted. “Both of the first two trails are within the land entirely owned by Forest Home Township, but if they come to be, the much larger third and fourth trails, which we hope to begin work on by next spring, will loop through much of the county’s land.”
The completed trail system, which will also benefit hunters in the area, could become premier locations for hiking, mountain biking, cross country skiing, and snowshoe races and events, Gerlach noted. “When you look at trail systems used for other events in northern Michigan, you realize how perfect this area is for events like that.”
The sustainable single trail path system created for the paths, which has been constructing by re-locating sensitive plants if necessary, is preferred by outdoor racers of all types, he noted. “Forest Home Township could be creating something that will be of immeasurable value to the entire community.”
The group will hold a volunteer round-up and trail hike on Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m. until noon, Smith said. “We’ll meet in the new parking lot off Eckhardt Road and hike the first trail while Brad will explain the history of the project, along with our goals and needs for our trail system.”
The outing will be followed by a series of work days every Thursday and Saturday through the month of October.
“If necessary, we would pay to have this work done because we made a commitment to the people of Forest Home Township to do so,” noted Smith. “But doing the trails this way will not only be cheaper for the township, but allow us to show our residents what a gem the Glacial Hills Natural Area is.”
For more information on volunteering or on the October 1 trail hike or subsequent work days, call Gerlach at 231.929.7911 or on his cell at: 231.668.2939, email nbgerlach@gtrlc.org, or call Forest Home Township at 533-8003.
