PARKS & RECREATION
Hiking
Stop and smell the fresh air! Listen to nature! Can you hear the lone cry of a Bluejay or the rushing of a clear stream? Take in all the beauty our area has to offer. This can be easily be done when hiking any of our area’s numerous trails.
River Walkway
This handicap accessible walkway begins at Lincoln Park, located on the East bank of the Paint River just north of Highway M-69. The path runs along the Paint River upstream toward the Crystal View Golf Course.
Along the walk are benches, barrier free fishing piers, and an interpretive nature trail with signs. The interpretive trail is a project of the Forest Park grade school students.
Improvements to Lincoln Park include the establishment of off-street parking and a barrier free ramp down the to the river walk. The walkway is available to tourists, students, and residents to learn of the local flora, fauna, water quality, history, and geology, developing an environmental awareness vital to citizens. In addition, it is a popular site suited for hiking, and bird watching.
The walkway has become a popular spot for scenic outdoor weddings. If you would like to reserve the area for your wedding contact the City Clerk’s office at 906-875-3212 Ext 5. With a reservation the you will be assured to have the walkway for your exclusive use for a short wedding ceremony.
The grant received from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is for 70% of $238,700.00. The remaining 30% was the City’s share of the project cost.
The project was initially the dream of a group of Forest Park grade school teachers who approached the City Council with the idea in 1999. The teachers were seeking a site to allow students to study the environment in which we live. The City Council loved the idea and agreed to work with the teachers to make this become a reality. In addition to the students and teachers, many local residents volunteered to assist in the development of the walkway. This has truly become a “Community Project”.
What will you see if you take a stroll on the Paint River Walkway in Crystal Falls? One never knows until they get there. Some days it may only be some children fishing from the piers that are set on the bank of the Paint River, or maybe a wedding on the walkway, or maybe a small band filling the evening air with music, or maybe an old friend that you haven’t seen for years.
