The paved trail beside Michigan's Adventure

The Fred Meijer Berry Junction Trail is the paved path to choose if you want to ride or walk north from North Muskegon toward Whitehall. Michigan law names the corridor from Lake Avenue in North Muskegon to White Lake Drive south of Whitehall. Michigan DOT’s regional map labels it as an 11-mile paved trail.

The route follows a former railroad corridor through North Muskegon, Laketon, Dalton, and Fruitland. Michigan DNR lists biking, hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing. The old rail grade makes the route easier to follow than a road ride, but use the current map and posted signs rather than assuming every crossing, surface, or winter condition will be the same.

Near the middle, the trail passes beside Michigan’s Adventure. That is the memorable part, but the trail does not run underneath Shivering Timbers. The public trail and the ticketed amusement park are separate places. You may see or hear a coaster when the park is operating, but trees, weather, and ride operations make that a bonus rather than a promised view.

For the simplest start, the Friends trail group points to the Muskegon Lake Nature Preserve at 2500 Lake Avenue in North Muskegon. Its gravel lot is at the south end, where Berry Junction connects with the Muskegon Lakeshore Trail. The group also lists paved parking at the McMillan Road trailhead. At the north end, Berry Junction meets the White Lake Pathway; that paved city route continues through Whitehall and Montague toward the Hart-Montague trail.

You may see slightly different mileage on different maps. Michigan DOT says 11 miles, while the Friends group uses 11.5 miles. Treat it as roughly 11 miles end to end, then measure the outing you actually plan. Before leaving, open the DNR map, choose your turnaround, and check local notices or trailhead signs for closures and changing conditions.