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Black River Preserve
4.7 ★★★★★ 149 Google reviews · Running trail in South Haven, Michigan · Dawn to dusk
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Dawn to dusk
Confirmed from Black River Preserve's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
Scenic, wooded preserve of easy-to-moderate trails, with a river and ravines at the Black River's South Branch.
What runners say about Black River Preserve
“Overview ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: 5 Stars for a scenic and pretty well maintained trail with solid maps and good distances for an afternoon walk.”
“Overview ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: 5 Stars for a scenic and pretty well maintained trail with solid maps and good distances for an afternoon walk.”
“The paths are well marked and the maps at every intersection gives the chance to make an educated decision on which direction to go in order to shorten our lengthen your trek.”
Great place to go if you love nature and need a place to wait for a friend to come pick you up because the police are chasing you like the fugitive and you still haven't found the one-armed man. Some beautiful trails to walk, or run, while you look for a quiet place to hide and see some wildlife while you wait.
The Black River preserve in Southhaven Michigan is a southwest Michigan land Conservancy property. It is a combination of marsh, river views, forest and Prairie. The trails are mostly packed dirt with some nice boardwalks and bridges places.
A beautiful well marked trail, reasonably well maintained trail. Some lush forest along the muddy river. Some trees in the forest that seem like they left the set of the Lord of the Rings movie and planted themselves in this forest! But just one thing don’t be an idiot like me. Take your mosquito repellent along!
Gorgeous, very well marked trails. Some trails are a bit rugged so plan accordingly. No paved trails. The parking lot is small but we went on a weekday and had no parking issues.
Trail conditions & character
“Overview ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: 5 Stars for a scenic and pretty well maintained trail with solid maps and good distances for an afternoon walk.”
“Leashed dogs are welcome to join owners on a hike but don't count on them being able to pick up your scent!”
“The paths are well marked and the maps at every intersection gives the chance to make an educated decision on which direction to go in order to shorten our lengthen your trek.”
“There is a nice sized parking area here, there are no facilities so plan accordingly.”
“I will come back to this place again and again, Clean bathrooms, location is 10 minutes away from Sout Haven.”
“Some lush forest along the muddy river.”
Plan your run at Black River Preserve
The practical stuff
- AccessDawn to dusk — the gates close, so do not plan a run that finishes after dark
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websiteswmlc.org
- Phone(269) 324-1600
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6:30 AM–6:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 6:30 AM–6:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 6:30 AM–6:30 PM |
| Thursday | 6:30 AM–6:30 PM |
| Friday | 6:30 AM–6:30 PM |
| Saturday | 6:30 AM–6:30 PM |
| Sunday | 6:30 AM–6:30 PM |
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