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Van Buren State Park
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
Public input
To help develop a new draft general management plan for the park, the DNR invited visitors, local community members, stakeholders and other interested individuals to share their input at a June 3 public meeting or through an online survey available until June 20. DNR staff are currently reviewing the feedback, and additional opportunities for public input will be announced.The initial draft plan was shaped by feedback from a stakeholder workshop, public meeting and online survey this past winter.
Resources
- Van Buren State Park general management plan draft
- Van Buren State Park stakeholder input workshop summary
- Van Buren State Park public input survey summary
- Van Buren State Park element occurrence natural communities map
- Van Buren State Park element land cover map
- Van Buren State Park topography map
- Van Buren State Park wetlands map
- Van Buren State Park coastal conservation areas map
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.