Interlochen Community Art Trail Moving Ahead

A long-discussed trail that would greatly improve the flow of students between Interlochen Center for the Arts and downtown Interlochen is moving closer to reality.

The Interlochen Community Art Trail is a planned 3.5-mile pathway that would stretch from Green Lake Township Memorial Park north to U.S. 31. The non-motorized, 10-foot-wide, multi-use paved path is expected to feature ADA-accessible ramps, enhanced crosswalks, art installations and a scenic bridge over the Betsie River. 

Though this pathway would safely connect several key destinations throughout the community, folks at Interlochen Center for the Arts (ICA) are particularly excited about what this trail will offer for the young people who study there.

“Ever since I’ve been here – about nine and half years – there’s been talk of a need to get students into town a little bit safer,” ICA facilities and maintenance director Eric Gray tells The Ticker. “(This trail) will provide a safe, interactive experience to get into town off the main road.”

The road (J. Maddy Parkway) has grown substantially busier in recent years, Gray says, and ICA leaders have always been uncomfortable with students – many of them completely unfamiliar with the area – walking along a highway.

“It's not just our students either,” Gray said. "It’s our guests, our staff that live on campus, visitors that are coming for camp or academy that are just here to see their kids and want to do something in town for an evening.”

Perhaps most importantly, it’s not just ICA that stands to benefit. Interlochen State Park leadership is excited about giving campers a safer way to get into town, Gray says, and downtown businesses very much welcome the idea of bringing scores of additional people into town.

Several entities, including ICA, Green Lake Township, Interlochen State Park and the Interlochen Downtown Development Authority began planning for such a trail several years back, with the nonprofit Friends of Interlochen Community Art Trail formed to lead the project. Gray also serves as board chair of the friends group.

Now, construction of phase one (from Memorial Park to Vagabond Road) is underway. This phase will be relatively simple, as it follows a preexisting railroad grade that was already cleared by the township. The friends group is seeking bids to put a crushed stone base, Gray says. Depending on funding – which could come for a variety of sources – this phase could be done by spring.

The following phases will be much more involved, expensive and time-consuming. The total project cost is estimated to be around $3.5 million, Gray says, though costs could rise depending on how long the project takes to complete. In a perfect word, he says, the whole trail could be done as soon as 2028.

Green Lake Township Supervisor Marvin Radke says local excitement for the trail is off the charts. Starting work on phase one could unlock vital grand funding for the rest of the project, he hopes.

“Once we actually have a trail established that is not just a pipe dream or a vision – once we have a trail in the dirt going from point A to point B – we can pursue more public funding,” he tells The Ticker. “A lot of the grants will extend a trail, or enhance a trail, but they won’t fund the start of it.”

While funding still needs to be secured – a mix of private and public will likely be required – planners have at least already secured permissions for the trail’s right of way, Gray says.

Once complete, the trail could also serve as a connector to the Betsie Valley Trail, TART trail and more, making in another cog in the region’s expanding trail system, Radke and Gray say.

For more information, visit the project website.