The first public space at Riverwoods Park is fenced, shaded and paid for. Its ribbon-cutting is at noon on Oct. 15. It's a five-acre dog park, and most of the money came from community fundraising, with a state crowdfunding match added on top. The feature that made this stretch of the Black River popular for years, a boardwalk where people fished and kayakers pulled over to rest, is gone for now. Construction on its replacement is targeted for spring 2027. So the park is filling in from the woods toward the water, in that order.
Fifty acres that can only ever be a park
Riverwoods covers about 50 acres along Blue Star Highway, beside the Kal-Haven Trail. The Michigan DNR bought it in 2012. The South Haven Area Recreation Authority, known as SHARA, started working with the state in 2023 to take it over through the DNR's Land Exchange and Sale program. SHARA is a joint body of the City of South Haven, South Haven Township, South Haven Public Schools and Visit South Haven.
The sale came with one lasting condition. The land carries a perpetual deed restriction that limits it to outdoor recreation. That restriction also set the price: it was pegged at 25% of the appraised fair-market value, because the land can never be used for anything except recreation. Visit South Haven announced the sale was final on Oct. 17, 2025, and a ceremony on the property followed on Nov. 7.
The deed restriction shaped the dog park from the start. According to the project's release, a five-acre dog park in a stand of woods came up early in the DNR negotiations and quickly became a priority. One condition came with it: area dog lovers would have to raise the money.
Donors paid for more than the first phase
The group that took on the job came from South Haven's members-only Eighth Avenue Dog Park. They started meeting in late 2024 to plan a dog park that would be free and open to everyone. The starting estimate was $150,000 to $180,000. The all-volunteer South Haven Bark Park at Riverwoods initiative started fundraising in late 2025, with SHARA as the landowner.
Between November 2025 and July 2026, the campaign brought in more than $200,000 in cash. That total includes a $50,000 crowdfunding match from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Local contractors and businesses added more than $50,000 in donated work and materials. Against the original estimate, that was enough to go past Phase One and pay for the full design the group had in mind. One other local report gave a smaller crowdfunding number, so the figures here come from the project's own release.
"Throughout the dreaming and actualization of this capital campaign and construction project, I have been amazed and delighted by the dedicated volunteer leadership for this initiative, the deep generosity of the people of this community and the heart for this project exhibited by local contractors." Robert Linstrom, project director
The fundraising continues past opening day. A brochure at the entrance lists ways to volunteer and give, including memorial bricks for the entrance gate walkway. There's also an endowment fund at the South Haven Area Community Foundation, started with a $50,000 seed gift.
What's inside the fence
The Bark Park had a soft opening once the fencing was finished. A late-September update said construction was close to done ahead of the dedication. According to the project's description, the five acres include:
- Separate fenced areas for large dogs and small dogs
- Two water stations
- About a dozen benches around the park
- A walking path around the perimeter
- A pavilion
- Dog waste bag stations
The release says the park sits in a well-shaded stand of trees, with open areas where dogs can run. In late September, SHARA Director Chris Van Hekken told the South Haven City Council that Riverwoods is open but still under construction, and that the dog park was about 90% complete.
The river side is the part still missing
Many South Haven residents know Riverwoods for its river access, not its woods. The old boardwalk along the Black River came down in fall 2025. Van Hekken explained why.
"The old boardwalk wasn't functional anymore. It was failing in a lot of areas. It was unsafe. Even the staircase and walkway down to the actual boardwalk had been closed over a year ago, and so it was unable to be used."
He also described who used it, according to Moody on the Market. "It was very popular with our local fishermen," he said, and kayakers "would get off and take a break in that area as well." SHARA always planned to replace it, even while the old one was coming down.
The money is now in place. On Aug. 20, 2026, the state awarded SHARA $400,000 to replace a section of the Old Riverwoods Boardwalk, connect it to the Kal-Haven Trail, and add fishing rails and a kayak launch. Visit South Haven has offered another $100,000. The new kayak launch will be in the park off Blue Star Highway, next to the trail.
Here's the full timeline, including the dates that haven't happened yet.
| Milestone | Date | Status as of early October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| DNR acquires Riverwoods | 2012 | Complete |
| SHARA begins acquisition talks | 2023 | Complete |
| Sale announced as finalized | Oct. 17, 2025 | Complete |
| Old boardwalk removed | Fall 2025 | Complete |
| Bark Park fundraising | Nov. 2025 to July 2026 | Complete |
| State boardwalk grant awarded | Aug. 20, 2026 | Complete |
| Bark Park dedication | Oct. 15, 2026, noon | Upcoming |
| Boardwalk bids sought | January 2027 | Planned |
| Boardwalk construction begins | April 2027 | Targeted |
Plans for the rest of the park are less firm. Later plans list pickleball courts, relocating a pavilion, and a section of the Nichols Covered Bridge as a centerpiece along the trail. The DNR has committed $200,000 toward early site development. None of those features has a construction date yet.
The trail this fall, while the river work waits
Until the boardwalk is rebuilt, the Kal-Haven Trail is the main way into this side of town. The trail runs 33.5 miles between trailheads in South Haven and Kalamazoo. Visit South Haven's free digital Pure Michigan Trail Town Challenge started Oct. 5 and runs through May 16, 2027. It covers 10 outdoor locations around South Haven across three seasons.
The Kal-Haven Outpost at 500 County Road 687 offers cabins, campsites, bike rentals and a camp store. It's in its 10th season. Its Halloween weekends on Oct. 17 and Oct. 24 include trunk-or-treating, scavenger hunts, barrel rides, food trucks and family movies. The Outpost lists fall hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and notes that hours can change.
Riverwoods is one of two parks SHARA opened in the past year. Porter Legacy Dunes opened in June. The Riverwoods dedication is at noon on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Bark Park off Blue Star Highway.
If you own a home near Blue Star Highway or along the Kal-Haven corridor and want to understand how projects like Riverwoods affect your property and your plans, Tammy L Kerr can help with an engineer's eye and a designer's sense of how people use a place. Schedule a personalized consultation.