R
ail-trails have beauty in
any season, but there’s
something especially
alluring about them
in the fall. It’s that electric feeling
of anticipation that perhaps has
its roots in the excitement a new
school year brings. The trees, deco-
rated with the brightest hues in
Mother Nature’s crayon box, add to
that sense of wonder. The rustling
of their leaves sounds like a secret
language between trees. Here is a
glance at peak fall foliage along four
rail-trails around the country; they
are featured in
Trail Traveler
, our
new digital tablet magazine. For
more great trail photos, download
the inaugural issue in the App Store
or Google Play.
Kal-Haven Trail, Michigan
An easy way to remember the name
Kal-Haven is to think “Fall Heaven,”
because the trail’s autumn views are
simply spectacular. Winding under a
canopy of orange-leafed maples, fiery
red sumacs, and bright yellow sassafras
and oak trees, the 34.5-mile rail-trail
is a visual feast, especially in early to
mid-October.
Two delightful attractions that
bookend this southwestern Michigan
trail add to its charm: a cherry-red
caboose at its eastern trailhead in
Kalamazoo (hence the “Kal”) and a
covered bridge within a half-mile of
South Haven on its western end.
In between, the crushed-stone
pathway is dotted with friendly rural
towns and vistas of golden brown fields
of corn and wheat. Apples, plums and
pumpkins (of course!) are in season
in the fall, and you’ll find many pick-
your-own fruit farms along the way.
Rounding out the vivid palette is the
deep blue of vast Lake Michigan at
South Haven’s doorstep.
By Laura Stark
a view from ...
Trail
Russell COoper
Arleta Thursby
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