Upcoming Events
There are no events scheduled here at this time.
Check out other events around town.
Upper Macatawa Natural Area
76th Ave and Byron Road Zeeland, MI 49464 http://www.miottawa.org/ParksVI/Parks/open.htm#uppermacatawa phone: 616.738.4810 42.81222, -85.969829
The Upper Macatawa Conservation Area (UMCA), located in Zeeland Township, has been rapidly growing. The site now includes 576 acres with the potential for up to 700 acres in the future. With input from county residents, guidance from the Macatawa Greenway Partnership and funding from the Holland-Zeeland Community Foundation, a master plan is now in place that will guide the development of this project.
In addition to recreation, the plan recognizes the value of the site for water quality improvement, flood water storage and wildlife habitat enhancement. The majority of master plan improvements for the UMCA have been completed including construction of key parking areas on 84th and 76th Avenues as well as the development of footbridges, picnic areas and overlooks. Trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, including a section of paved trail that will be part of the future greenway trail system are also being completed. Additional wetland restoration and a remeander of a section of the river channel, funded with a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Michigan Initiative, $100,000 in private dollars donated through the Macatawa Greenway Partnership plus park millage funds, has also been completed. Another restoration project, funded through the Michigan Department of Transportation, will create over 18 acres of wooded and shrub-scrub wetlands for mitigation purposes.
The UMCA is currently accessed by the parking area on 76th Avenue (south of Byron Road).