The biggest trail story in Benzie County this year came from MLive in August, when the Michigan Department of Transportation committed $1 million to pave the Betsie Valley Trail with asphalt. The money is real, but the paving is happening in stages. On December 1, the section running east out of Beulah toward Thompsonville goes back to what it has been for years: a compacted gravel corridor that snowmobiles share with everyone else.
That stretch will probably keep its winter role for at least the next couple of seasons. The paving plan goes in phases, each phase depends on a grant, and the group running it has set 2028 as the earliest finish.
What the paving money covers, and in what order
The Betsie Valley Trail runs 22 miles on the old Ann Arbor Railroad bed, from Frankfort through Elberta and Beulah to Thompsonville. The 12 miles between Beulah and Thompsonville are the part still in progress.
The first mile is done. A $400,000 Michigan Spark Grant paid to pave from the Beulah Trailhead to Case Road, and the Friends of the Betsie Valley Trail celebrated that mile in June 2025.
The Thompsonville end comes next. In their Summer 2026 newsletter, the Friends say they plan to pave about a mile from the new trailhead park in Thompsonville to the Betsie River train trestle next spring. They had hoped to finish it this year, but the state's slow budget process pushed it back. The 6.3 miles after that have conditional approval for a federal Transportation Alternatives Program grant. That grant still needs a second Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund award to cover the required match. The Friends put the earliest completion of the whole project at 2028.
The MDOT money is aimed at the western edge of the trail in Weldon Township. That stretch runs through the Pere Marquette State Forest, over a renovated railroad bridge, and past what's left of a 19th-century hydro turbine on its way into Thompsonville Junction. MLive quoted the department's press release:
"Four miles of pavement connect all Michigander rollers, strollers and walkers to history, cycling, camping and economic prosperity."
For now, the Friends' 2026 trail map says the roughly 10 miles between the two paved ends are compacted aggregate, "best ridden with a larger tired bicycle," and open to snowmobiles December through March.
The trail this winter, segment by segment
Crystal Lake, and Beulah sitting at its east end, marks the dividing line. West of town, the trail is closed to motor vehicles all year. East of town, it changes on December 1.
| Segment | Surface | Winter use | Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfort to Mollineaux Road, about 6 miles | Asphalt | Non-motorized all year | Leashed and under control |
| Mollineaux Road to Beulah along Crystal Lake, about 3 miles | Crushed limestone | Non-motorized all year | Not permitted, except service animals |
| Beulah Trailhead to Case Road, about 1 mile | New asphalt | Open to snowmobiles in season | Leashed and under control |
| Case Road to Thompsonville, about 11 miles, with paving planned for the last mile at the Thompsonville end | Compacted aggregate | Open to snowmobiles in season | Leashed and under control |
The county trail ordinance allows snowmobiles east of Beulah from December 1 to April 1 unless the trail is posted closed. The ordinance also requires owners to keep animals leashed or otherwise under control and to pick up after them. The dog ban along Crystal Lake trips up a lot of people walking out from downtown. The 2026 map says pets other than service animals aren't allowed between Mollineaux Road and Benzie Boulevard in Beulah.
Who keeps the gravel section open in winter
The trail belongs to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and is managed by the Betsie Valley Trailways Management Council of Benzie County. Most of the day-to-day work is done by people who live nearby.
In winter, the Beulah to Thompsonville section is cared for by the Benzie-Manistee Snowbirds. The Friends have described the club brushing and signing that section and grooming it when there's enough snow. The club's trail page lists grooming on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights, plus as needed. The same page put a landowners dinner on the calendar for October 17 and a second trail cleanup for October 24, both ahead of the coming season.
Riders on that section generally need a state trail permit, with a few exemptions listed by the DNR, and the price went up this year. In a May 11, 2026 release, the DNR announced a required five-year inflation adjustment that raised the fee from $52 to $65. The release says permits go on sale September 1 and are valid from October 1 to September 30. The DNR says the program is funded entirely by trail permit and registration dollars and supports 67 volunteer clubs maintaining more than 6,300 miles of trail across the state. The full requirements are on the DNR's permits page. This is general information, not legal advice, so check the DNR and the county directly for your own situation.
Once the snow melts, the volunteers take over again. The Friends' newsletter says the trail is "nearly entirely maintained by volunteers," and that spring and summer are the busy seasons for cleaning up after the winter. Stephanie Kennedy is the new Trail Care Coordinator, taking over from Charlie Gregory. She and her husband Bob bought a cottage on Crystal Lake in 2016. Trail condition reports go to [email protected].
Fundraising for the paving runs through those same volunteers. This year's Brew-to-Brew Trail Day drew a record 190 participants and raised nearly $14,000 for the Friends. Nearly all of them checked in at the Beulah location, including 30 who signed up that day.
The two ends are changing faster than the middle
While the gravel middle waits on grants, both ends of the eastern section have construction going.
At the Beulah end, the Crystal Lake Access Improvement Project, known locally as the Outlet Project, has started work. The Friends' newsletter credits Benzie County Park and Rec members Shaun Johnson, Ed Hoogterp and Charles Kraus with leading it for several years. It notes the project will change the trail somewhat, and that the trail stays open while construction is underway. Benzie County lists a kayak launch, bathrooms and parking among the planned outlet improvements. The DNR's August 19, 2026 Trust Fund status report lists the Crystal Lake Outlet Water Access Site as "Contractor approved."
At the Thompsonville end, the Thompsonville Area Revitalization Project is turning Thompsonville Junction, a 19th-century railroad hub, into a trailhead. The plans call for a visitor pavilion, a picnic area, bike parking and a repair station, and four ADA-compliant bathrooms, two of them with showers. MLive reported that the group beat its $50,000 phase-one fundraising goal, earning a $50,000 match from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to finish the pavilion and bathroom, with campground redevelopment to follow. The pavilion and campground are planned for seasonal use, spring through late fall, so they aren't designed as winter facilities.
Where each end of the trail gets you indoors
The trail starts and ends a short walk from a warm room, and winter hours vary from place to place.
Five Shores Brewing, 163 S. Benzie Blvd. in Beulah, is the closest stop to the Beulah Trailhead. Its website says winter hours are in effect. Its calendar shows Member Mondays every week from November 16 through December 28.
Geno's Sports Bar and Grill sits across from the Thompsonville Junction trailhead. Its contact page lists noon to midnight Sunday through Thursday and noon to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Iron Fish Distillery in Thompsonville posts Fall 2026 hours on its website: closed Monday through Wednesday, open 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. A Thursday happy hour, 4 to 6 p.m., started November 5.
Up the road, Crystal Mountain's lift-hours calendar shows its first November operating day as November 27, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., weather permitting.
The Beulah Trailhead also puts you right in downtown on the second Saturday of December. The Crystal Lake Community Business Association's Christmas Magic runs December 12 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with Moonlight Madness shopping, face painting, Santa, horse-drawn wagon rides, a holiday party and a lighted parade.
The Friends' current schedule has the Thompsonville mile paved next spring, while the 10 gravel miles stay open to snowmobiles for the season starting December 1.
If you own land near the trail corridor between Beulah and Thompsonville, or you're considering a lot near one of the trailheads, how the trail gets used in winter is part of what that land is. Joe Van Antwerp works with land and lot buyers across Benzie County and can walk you through what a parcel near the Betsie Valley Trail offers in every season. Contact Joe for a free consultation.
