Loon Lake Park Trail

Loon Lake Park, located along M-65 north of Hale, is rich in natural resources. It has access to both Mud Lake and Loon Lake, rolling hills, woodlands, and wetlands, which all supply wildlife with a secluded and desired habitat. Spicer Group has been working with Plainfield Township on projects with the park for over a decade. In 2016, the Township worked with Spicer Group to apply for a Trust Fund development grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The $140,000 grant was awarded to the Township, who then hired Spicer to design and construct the one-mile-long trail route through the park property. By then, the trail had been adopted as Phase 2 of the IET, and into the Iron Belle Trail route. To save on overall costs of the pathway, Spicer Group engineers designed a six-foot-wide path made of crushed stone that when compacted, is as hard as concrete. The trail winds through the forest between Mud Lake and Loon Lake, traveling near Wild Cherry Lane, before turning north, crossing wetlands with the help of wooden boardwalks, and connecting to a new trailhead along Kokosing Road with a trailhead parking lot. The project also features benches, rest areas, and interpretive signs, along with trash and recycling receptacles near the parking lot. Construction began in late 2018 and was significantly finished by October of 2019. Spicer’s team was responsible for all grant administration, surveying, design, bidding assistance, construction administration, and construction inspection on the project.