Trails That Change Us

Guest Opinion

Trails and the contemplation of them consume a significant portion of my days. As they should. I am the community engagement coordinator at TART Trails. Some days are filled with meetings with communities dreaming up new trails. Other days involve talking with volunteers and supporters who care deeply about the trails we already have. And often, I work with my colleagues, imagining better, safer, more joyful ways to move around our region.

I’ve been with TART Trails for exactly two years now (plus two internships), and believe my job brings purpose and enrichment to my life. Trails sit at this incredible intersection of recreation, conservation, transportation, accessibility, public health, economic development, and community connection.

A great trail transforms a community. Fortunately, the Grand Traverse region is home to a few excellent trails that can serve as case studies. The Boardman Lake Loop Trail is one that comes to mind. It’s a beloved 4-mile, universally accessible trail circling Boardman Lake, welcoming every kind of recreation and every kind of person. What used to be an industrial dumping ground is now full of birdwatchers, anglers, runners, families, and people simply out for a quiet walk after work.

The loop sees around 600 visits a day now, and along the way, it has helped spark housing, local businesses, and public art across three connected jurisdictions. The trail reconnects people to water, wildlife, and each other.

Completing the loop took more than 20 years of persistence, collaboration, and belief from local governments, community members, and TART Trails supporters. Projects like that only happen when people trust that future generations deserve something beautiful too. Our region is now greater for it.

The TART Bayfront Trail feels similar to me. Running along the west side of Grand Traverse Bay, it’s more than just a paved path. Long before my time, community members had the foresight to protect some of the most valuable waterfront land in our region for people, not just cars. Because of that, we all get to bike, walk, roll, gather, swim, commute, and breathe along the bay.

I celebrate the decision to choose shared access over convenience as I bike past Clinch Park and the Open Space. I hope you’ll appreciate that smart prior planning with me.

Then there’s the Vasa Pathway, tucked into the Pere Marquette State Forest. The Vasa taught me something different. In 2015, after the infamous windstorm tore through the region, the trail looked completely unfamiliar to me. Entire sections were transformed overnight. Trees were strewn every which way.

The Vasa Pathway forced me to reckon with ecological succession, the predictable, gradual process where an ecosystem’s plant and animal communities change over time. And then I watched state foresters, volunteers, and trail crews restore this altered landscape. Fallen trees were cleared. Erosion was monitored. The trail reopened. And over time, new and different growth appeared. The forest appeared more diverse than before.

The Vasa taught me that loving a landscape means accepting change. Trails are not stagnant places. They evolve, just like we do. That’s part of why this work matters so much to me.

Trails create memories, but they also create resilience. They help communities adapt, connect, and imagine something better. You can visit any of these three trails today and see for yourself.

And thankfully, we’re not done yet. The Grand Traverse region is ready for more safe, scenic, community-wide trail connections. I believe the best, most creative trails are still to come. The Three Mile Trail will soon link students to school, families to critical community amenities, and people to the places they want to go. Extending from where the current Three Mile Trail ends at South Airport Road to the Mitchell Creek Meadows, to Hammond Road, to the seven schools (yes, seven), to the library, and to the locally owned Oleson’s Food Store. Three Mile Trail will exude the diverse benefits that dedicated public spaces have on a community.

And great trail projects, including Three Mile, are possible because of great partners. East Bay Township invested early in this long-term community development effort, supporting the trail and knowing the value it will bring. The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy grounds the project in stewardship, conservation, and environmental education. And Norte Youth Cycling is poised with programming that will activate the trail with laughter, joy, and confidence-filled kids.

Trails, like the Three Mile Trail, flood my mind. Trails transform our lives, when we let them.

Dana Pflughoeft lives and plays in Traverse City, Michigan. She cares deeply for the natural spaces and recreational places in our region. You’ll find her cross-country skiing on the Vasa, scrambling in the Hickory Forest, and cooking up new dishes in the kitchen.

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