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Van Buren State Park

bird's-eye view of water and land

Van Buren State Park

The DNR is in the process of developing a new general management plan for Van Buren State Park in southwest Michigan. The process typically takes one year to complete and is in the beginning stages. Public and stakeholder input will be a critical part of the process.

Public input is crucial to the development of the draft general management plan. The DNR will host a public meeting in spring 2025 to review the plan and gather additional feedback.

A park's general management plan defines a long-range (10- to 20-year) planning and management strategy to protect and preserve the site’s natural and cultural resources and provide access to land- and water-based public recreation and educational opportunities

June 3 public input meeting and online survey

Join us at a public meeting Tuesday, June 3 to learn about and share feedback on a new draft general management plan for the park. The meeting will take place 6 to 7:30 p.m. at South Haven Township Hall, 09761 Blue Star Memorial Hwy in South Haven.

Unable to attend the in-person meeting? An interactive public input survey is available through June 20.

Take public input survey »

The new draft plan was shaped by feedback from a stakeholder workshop, public meeting and online survey this past winter.

Resources

About the park

Located on Lake Michigan near South Haven, Van Buren State Park features one mile of sandy beach, towering dunes, a modern campground, wooded trails and a day-use area. Visitors can also explore the 4-mile Van Buren State Park Spur Trail, which leads to the City of South Haven. Along the way, visitors can connect to the 12-mile Van Buren Trail State Park and the 33.5-mile Kal-Haven Trail State Park.

Contact

For more information, contact Debbie Jensen, park management plan administrator for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, at JensenD1@Michigan.gov.