County Park Board continues working on improvements in Memorial Forest & Trails at Mill Pond

Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 3:49 PM

News

Members of the Marshall County Park Board are continuing their efforts to offer new opportunities to the citizens of the county at the Memorial Forest and the Trails at Mill Pond.

During their meeting last week Peter Kenney discussed his plans to create a Disc-Golf-Course in the Memorial Forest. He’s been working with Greg Hildebrand, president of the Marshall County Park Board on the plan for several months and has already laid out the first nine holes.

Hildebrand said Kenny has done a good job of laying out the course, so it doesn’t require cutting down a bunch of trees. The plan is to put in 9-holes this year and then expand the course to 18 holes the following year as it gains in popularity.

Little action happened over the winter season with the Canoe/Kayak Launch. Brandon Cooper will be taking over the project from Terry Borggren who’d been working on the plan for the past couple of years.

Cooper said he’s looking at some inexpensive options that could add one or two accesses to the Yellow River.

Board member Dick Markley said he drove the county looking at accesses currently being used and even went into Starke County and looked at theirs. He said, “I think we were being too extravagant.”

Hildebrand said one of the main concerns with a launch is providing parking that doesn’t interfere with the county road system.

The County Park Board will be adding a step to get into the historic trustee cabin in the Memorial Forest. They will also be planning a dedication ceremony in May and will unveil the new signage on the cabin. The board is also interested in adding a pavilion at the forest using some of the trees from the forest.

Board member Markley is also interested in adding a fishing site on the county’s property at Mill Pond. Members discussed the possibility of putting in a pier. During that discussion the idea of a raised viewing platform was also brought up.

Greg Hildebrand also thought a kayak trail, which would be a flat-water paddle on the lakes from Mill Pond could be a destination for paddlers.

The Marshall County Park and Recreation Board meetings are open to the public and held the first Thursday of each month at 6 p.m. The May meeting is currently scheduled to be held at the cabin in the Memorial Forest.