The Blue Star Trail — a paved, non-motorized path popular among local walkers, runners and cyclists — is gearing up for an extension next year.
Officials recently received an update on the plan to add about three miles to the trail, extending to the southern border of Saugatuck Township.
But what and where, exactly, is the Blue Star Trail? Here are some of the most popular questions answered:
What is the Blue Star Trail?
The Blue Star Trail is a non-motorized path that winds through Saugatuck, Saugatuck Township and Douglas.
The trail enters Saugatuck along Holland Street, coinciding with the end of the Beeline Trail, which connects to the city of Holland. There are existing segments of the Blue Star Trail from 134th Avenue to Old Allegan Road and from the intersection of Lake Street and Blue Star Highway to the intersection of Blue Star Highway and 130th Avenue.
The goal is to someday connect to the existing Kal-Haven Trail and Van Buren Trail, creating a single scenic trail from Holland to South Haven.
What sections remain in Saugatuck and Douglas?
There are two pending sections necessary to complete the segment through Saugatuck and Douglas, according to maps from Friends of the Blue Star Trail. They include a connection from Holland Street to North Street, then to Blue Star Highway, and a stretch along Blue Star Highway from Old Allegan Road to Lake Street in Douglas.
Those routes were slated for construction with funding acquired, but according to an update from Friends of the Blue Star Trail in January 2025, the bid process was paused after the Gun Lake Tribe (Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi) “identified that the project is occurring within the boundaries of the Kalamazoo River Mouth Traditional Cultural Property.”
The next step, according to organizers, was a walk-through of the trail route by tribal representatives to determine whether additional surveys are necessary to “evaluate the type and scope of effects to the TCP.”
“MDOT has assured us that its conditional award of grant funds will remain in place throughout this process,” the organization wrote.
Officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on where the project stands.
What expansion is coming in 2027?
According to a joint meeting Jan. 12 between Saugatuck Township and Douglas, a three-mile addition to the trail is expected in 2027.
The extension will start at the existing trail end at Blue Star Highway and Wiley Road, also known as 130th Avenue, in Douglas. The new segment will travel south to M-89, also known as 124th Avenue. This will take the trail to the border of Saugatuck Township and Ganges Township.
Scott Post of Prein & Newhof told officials the total construction cost is roughly $3.84 million, although much of that is covered by grants. After accounting for those, the project cost falls to $21,680 for Douglas and $638,420 for Saugatuck Township.
What comes next?
In addition to the smaller segments mentioned above, there’s a lengthy stretch of trail needed to connect to South Haven as envisioned.
The next planned segment, according to Friends of the Blue Star Trail, is a connection along Blue Star Highway from the Kal-Haven Trail in South Haven to the Baseline Road Trail in Casco Township. The organization has already set funds aside to meet the expected local match required to build that segment.
From there, a four-mile extension starting at Baseline Road and heading north to the Casco Township Nature Preserve would be planned.
At that point, about nine miles of trail along Blue Star Highway would be needed to connect the Casco Township Nature Preserve to Saugatuck Township at 124th Avenue, mostly through Ganges Township.
Where can I learn more about the Blue Star Trail?
Friends of the Blue Star Trail, a nonprofit organization, maintains a website with updates on the trail’s progress. The group promotes and raises funds for extensions, including engineering costs and local match portions of federal and state grants.
For more information, visit fobst.org.
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: What is the Blue Star Trail and how much is actually done?
Reporting by Mitchell Boatman, Holland Sentinel / The Holland Sentinel
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