River Trail Improvements along the Big Sable River

in Ludington State Park

Anglers who use wheelchairs will be able to fish from the Big Sable River Dam walkway and from the banks of the river thanks to renovations funded with a $325,000 Great Lakes Fisheries Trust grant.

Work to widen the dam walkway is complete as the photograph on the right illustrates. This wider path accommodates wheelchairs. But this was only the first phase of the project. Future phases will be funded with resources from the Park Improvement Fund and the Waterways Fund.

"This is such a neat project," said Mike Mullen, Ludington State Park manager. "This trail is heavily used and it's going to enhance the fishing access, protect the river from erosion and make it accessible for everyone.  Even folks in wheelchairs are going to be able to get down to the river and get down there where it's wet."

Work continues to install a fully-accessible 1,000-foot trail down to the river's edge. The project will be completed in late summer.

As funds permit, future projects will link the river trail to a foot bridge to the Cedars Campground in the park.

Improving fishing and making it accessible to the physically challenged is one of the primary goals of the project.

The mission of the Great Lakes Fishery Trust is to provide funding to enhance, protect and rehabilitate Great Lakes fishery resources. The GLFT will manage its resources to compensate for lost use and enjoyment of the Lake Michigan fishery resulting from the operation of the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant.