The South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce Welcomes New Member

Friends of the Blue Star Trail

South Haven, MI – June 23, 2025- The South Haven Area Chamber of Commerce was pleased to welcome Friends of the Blue Star Trail (FOTBST) as a new Chamber member with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the trailhead near the future South Haven extension of the Blue Star Trail, located along Blue Star Highway near Black River Road.

Founded in 2010, Friends of the Blue Star Trail is a Michigan-based nonprofit organization dedicated to helping fund and construct the Blue Star Trail—a planned 20-mile paved, shared-use path connecting Saugatuck to South Haven. The Trail has been recognized by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) as a priority regional project for its role in linking existing trails like the Kal-Haven and Van Buren Trails.

Progress on the Trail is ongoing. A segment in Saugatuck Township has been completed, and the next phase in Saugatuck City and Township has received conditional approval for over $3 million in MDOT and DNR grants. Construction for that portion is expected to begin in spring 2026.

At the southern end, Friends of the Blue Star Trail is partnering with engineering firm Abonmarche to design a 10-foot-wide multi-use path along the west side of Blue Star Highway—from Black River Road to Baseline Road in South Haven. This segment will include physical separation between the trail and motor vehicle traffic for improved safety. The Van Buren County Road Commission, with support from FOTBST, will seek MDOT grant funding to bring this segment to life.

Friends of the Blue Star Trail is led by an all-volunteer Board of Directors, with one part-time paid staff member. Since its founding, the organization has raised over $1.7 million, with 87% of those funds going directly to trail development. The group is also supported by a number of long-standing South Haven businesses, including Rock ‘n Road Bicycles, North Shore Gardens, Cogdal Vineyards, Greenridge Realty, The Depot and Meijer to name a few.

The organization also hosts two major fundraising events: “Toast to the Blue Star Trail” on August 11, and the “Lakeshore Harvest Ride” on September 13, which brings together over 100 volunteers and 600 participants in support of the trail project.

For more information about Friends of the Blue Star Trail, upcoming events, or how to support the Trail, visit www.fotbst.org.