What in South Haven has just been finished the same month the rest of the town shuts down for winter?
The list of things closing this fall is long, and the dates are set. One new amenity comes in the other direction. The South Haven Bark Park at Riverwoods was formally dedicated with a ribbon cutting on October 15. A week later its organizers called the project complete. It's free and open to the public, sits in five acres of woods next to the Kal-Haven Trail, and was built with weather in mind. The marinas and the bridge tenders run on seasons. The newest free outdoor space in town doesn't.
The seasonal clock runs out this weekend
The dates line up like this. Each one closes something that runs on summer:
- September 15. Paid parking ends in the City's beach lots. Fees run from May 15 through September 15 each year.
- October 10. The South Haven Farm Market held its last Saturday of 2026 at the Huron Street Pavilion.
- October 15. The City lists the municipal marina season as April 15 through October 15. In spring and fall, the Northside Marina office keeps weekday hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Southside office stays closed.
- Saturday, October 31. This is the last day of regular staffing for the Dyckman Bridge.
- Sunday, November 1. Bridge openings go to request only. The City also stops new construction in the street right-of-way until March 1 unless the City Engineer approves it.
The bridge change matters to anyone whose boat is still in the water. The City's off-season Dyckman Bridge release says requests need at least 12 hours' notice. On weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., they go to the Department of Public Works at (269) 637-0737 or [email protected]. After hours, on weekends and on holidays, they go to the South Haven Information Center at (269) 637-5151. The 12-hour window comes from federal rules that apply to this bridge from October 15 through April 30. From May through mid-October, the notice period is three hours. Staffed operations return in April 2027.
The street-work cutoff has its own reason. According to the City of South Haven, local asphalt plants close in mid-November, which leaves no way to repave a road after underground work. Anyone hoping to add a water or sewer connection in the road after November 1 will have to wait until spring. Emergencies are still handled.
Five free acres east of Blue Star Highway
The Bark Park sits on the Riverwoods property, south of the Black River and east of Blue Star Highway, next to the Kal-Haven Trail. The South Haven Area Recreation Authority, known as SHARA, bought Riverwoods from the state in 2024, WSJM reported. The project's own campaign page says the DNR required that the land be dedicated only to outdoor recreation.
The park's backstory sets it apart. Before this, South Haven's dog park was the members-only Eighth Avenue Dog Park. A small group of its members started meeting in late 2024 to build something "free to the public and open to all." The money came in fast. The volunteers planned on an initial project of $150,000 to $180,000. Between November 2025 and July 2026 they raised more than $200,000 in cash. That included a $50,000 crowdfunding match from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, plus more than $50,000 in in-kind gifts from local contractors and businesses.
Here's what the extra money paid for:
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Large-dog area | About four fenced acres |
| Small-dog area | About one fenced acre |
| Entry | Airlock gates |
| Water | Two dog water stations on city water |
| Seating | About a dozen benches |
| Walking | Wood-chip perimeter path inside the fence |
| Shelter | A pavilion straddling the fence between the two areas |
| Parking | Crushed concrete, room for about 15 vehicles |
| Upkeep | Waste bag stations and an endowment at the South Haven Area Community Foundation |
In an interview with WSJM, the project director put the change in scale this way:
"We were hoping for a minimum $150,000 project that would have gotten the fence up and the park enclosed and ready to occupy. But we've gone beyond that now to a project worth a quarter million with many of the amenities that we had dreamed of."
The park has been usable longer than the ribbon cutting suggests. The organizers' August 24 update said the fencing was done and a "soft opening" was underway. The same WSJM story said people were already using the park and giving it rave reviews.
Built for the months after the marina closes
The pavilion explains why this park matters in November. On the original campaign page, "a gazebo for protection from rain and snow" was a wish-list item. It would only happen if donations went past the $150,000 first phase, along with benches and extra paths. Fundraising beat the goal, and all of them got built. The pavilion was built the week of September 22, and the last benches near the entrance were scheduled to go in by the end of that month.
The trees help too. "The stand of woods that comprises the dog park is in and of itself our best amenity," the project director told WSJM. Cover overhead makes a difference on a gray day with wind coming off the lake. Beach lots, the marina and the bridge are planned around the boating season. The Bark Park was paid for and finished just as that season ended.
The park also welcomes help. A brochure at the entrance explains how to volunteer or give, including memorial bricks along the entrance walkway and gifts to the endowment. That fund started with a $50,000 seed gift.
The trail next door changes on December 1
Riverwoods gets a lot of its draw from the Kal-Haven Trail. The Michigan DNR's Kal-Haven Trail page lists hiking, biking, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. The ski trails aren't groomed, and snowmobile season runs December 1 through March 31. A dog walk on the trail in early November will feel different from one in mid-December.
One piece of Riverwoods is still missing. SHARA took out the old Black River boardwalk last fall. That boardwalk linked the trail to the fishing areas and a kayak launch. SHARA director Chris VanHekken told WSJM in August that it "was very popular with our local fishermen" and with kayakers who stopped there for a break. The replacement has a $400,000 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant and a $100,000 pledge from Visit South Haven. Bids are expected in January, with construction aimed at spring 2027. The plan also adds a new kayak launch next to the trail, off Blue Star Highway.
That puts the Riverwoods timeline like this. The dog park is open now, the trail switches to winter uses in December, and the river access returns once the boardwalk is rebuilt next year.
Downtown dates between now and February
Riverwoods isn't the only thing on the off-season calendar. Downtown has its own anchors, and most of them have firm dates:
- Michigan Maritime Museum: Open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fall admission rates started October 7, and October through April prices are lower than summer's, per the museum.
- South Haven Center for the Arts, 600 Phoenix Street: Admission is free, and the national juried exhibition runs through November 7. The Center is open until 6 p.m. on Thursdays.
- Leaf pickup: City crews collect leaves daily through December 11, weather permitting.
- Holiday in the Haven, December 5: A downtown parade at 5 p.m., then the tree lighting at Dyckman Park and Santa photos starting at 5:30 p.m. Parade applications are due November 27, per Visit South Haven.
- New Year's Eve, December 31: Downtown closes to traffic for an outdoor ice rink and live entertainment.
- Ice Breaker Festival, February 5–7, 2027: The 33rd edition promises more than 40 ice sculptures, cardboard sled races, a snowsuit fashion competition, outdoor skating and a chili cook-off, according to Visit South Haven.
From now until staffed Dyckman Bridge operations resume in April, the Bark Park needs no tide, permit or tender. You park in the crushed-concrete lot off Blue Star Highway and go through the airlock gate.
At Andrea Crossman Group, we follow the details that shape South Haven life all year, from bridge schedules to the newest trailside park. If you're thinking about a home close to Riverwoods, the Kal-Haven Trail or the Black River, we'd be glad to show you that side of town. Discover Lakeshore Living.
