Black Lake Park is a 58 acre parcel, located near the southern boundary of Norton Shores, between Wood Road and the eastern shoreline of Little Black Lake. The park provides passive recreation opportunities for nature lovers with a number of bird, animal and plant species to observe.
Features
The City has added parcels to the original park property periodically over the last 30 years to preserve open space and protect wetlands. In 2006, the City was able to add a 7.58 parcel through the State of Michigan’s Coastal Zone Management Funding program. In 2015, the City was awarded a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) grand to acquire 13 additional acres representing 1,100 feet of Little Black Lake shoreline. In addition, Spring Lake Township has been awarded an MNRTF grant to acquire 30 adjacent acres and has pledged to dedicate the land to Black Lake Park in a collaborative effort.
The park has a gravel parking area off the entrance on Wood Road. In 2015, the City began to implement elements of the Park Master Plan, including developing extensive nature trails leading to two observation decks overlooking Little Black Lake, one located toward the northern end of the park and one located toward the south. Several sections of the northern loop have raised boardwalks in addition to the observation deck, and the south loop will be ADA compliant including the observation deck. Most of these improvements were completed in 2015 with the balance being finished in 2016. Map of the nature trails.
In 2019, the City of Norton Shores and Spring Lake Township completed a collaborative effort (along with a State of Michigan Coastal Zone Management grant,) to install a fully accessible kayak launch on the south coast of Black Lake (204 Wilson Road.) There is a map below with a red “balloon” indicating the location of the kayak launch. Parking for the kayak launch can be reached by going south on Wood Rd past the main entrance to Black Lake Park, following the curve to the right onto 180th Ave, past the Eagles Campground to the end of the gravel road. Map of how to get to the Kayak Launch from the entrance of Black Lake Park.
Rules
- Hours: 5 am – 10 pm
- Only emergency and service vehicles are allowed in the park.
- Dogs are permitted, on a leash, in all other areas of the park.
- No fires are allowed outside the picnic grills.
- Trash containers are for picnic trash only.
- Camping is not permitted in the park.
- Horses are permitted on trails, please clean up after them.
- Snow Mobiles are not permitted in park.
- Fishing is not permitted off Kayak Launch.
- Hunting and the discharge of firearms prohibited.
- No littering, $500 fine enforced.
Location
Black Lake Park
Norton Shores, MI 49456