Ottaway Crossing Footbridge Seeks Expanded Access

Ottaway Crossing Footbridge (photo from Grand Traverse Conservation District)

from Grand Traverse Conservation District

The Ottaway Crossing Footbridge created a new connection across the Boardman-Ottaway River. Now, a $50,000 matching challenge from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation gives the Grand Traverse Conservation District the opportunity to make that connection accessible to even more people. The fund matching lasts only through today, July 31, 2026.

The plan is to create a universal-access trail loop and a first-of-its-kind river viewing space on the east side of the river at the Natural Education Reserve. It will also support the restoration of sensitive areas surrounding the bridge, protecting the landscape, while expanding opportunities for education, recreation, and connection with the outdoors.

The Grand Traverse Conservation District recently installed this 160-foot pedestrian bridge that spans the Boardman-Ottaway River at the location of the former Sabin Dam on Grand Traverse County’s Natural Education Reserve. With over 20,000 visitors at the Natural Education Reserve a year, this bridge, named the Ottaway Crossing, provides the critical connection between miles of popular recreational trails on both sides of the Boardman-Ottaway River, including the Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails, Inc.’s (TART) Boardman-Ottaway River Trail that extends 24 miles into the river valley. This trail is part of a larger 41+ mile loop that connects the recently completed Boardman Lake Loop Trail, East Creek Reserve Trails, Brown Bridge Quiet Area, Muncie Lakes Pathway, North Country Trail, Vasa Pathway, and the TART.

Your support can make all the difference! Contribute today to see the Universal Access Trail Loop on the east side of the Boardman-Ottaway River come to life!

Donate Here

See more about the Ottaway Crossing Footbridge


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Ottaway Crossing Footbridge is Open

ribbon cutting on Ottaway bridge (photo from Grand Traverse Conservation District)

from the Grand Traverse Conservation District

The Ottaway Crossing Footbridge in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, is now open.

Spanning 160 feet across the Boardman-Ottaway River at the former Sabin Dam site, the bridge provides a vital connection between miles of popular recreational trails within the Natural Education Reserve and the broader regional trail network.

The footbridge connects the Boardman River Nature Center with the 24-mile Boardman/Ottaway River Trail, to a larger loop featuring the: Boardman Lake Loop Trail, the North Country Trail, the Vasa Pathway, and Brown Bridge Quiet Area Trails

Named Ottaway Crossing in recognition of the river’s original name and the region’s Indigenous heritage, the bridge represents an important milestone in the ongoing restoration of the Natural Education Reserve. It complements years of restoration work, including riverbank stabilization, habitat improvements, and the planting of thousands of native trees and shrubs, helping transform the property into one of Northern Michigan’s premier outdoor destinations. This project would not have been possible without the generosity, partnership, and dedication of countless supporters, funders, volunteers, and community partners. We are deeply grateful to everyone who helped bring this vision to life and joined us in celebrating the bridge’s opening.

You are invited to visit the Natural Education Reserve, explore the trails on both sides of the Boardman-Ottaway River, and experience the new Ottaway Crossing for yourself.

See Grand Traverse Conservation District


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Tribal Purchase of Land Will Not Impact Boardman Lake Loop Trail

Events Calendar

Boardman River Bridge, Loop Trail (photo from TART)

compiled from several sources

What has been the Boardman Lake Campus of Northwestern Michigan College will be sold to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa. The purchase price is $27 million.

The college is moving all its facilities to the main campus in downtown Traverse City. Money from this sale will be used for capital improvements at the downtown location.

Of concern to many local recreational users is the fact that the Boardman Lake Loop Trail passes through that property. The tribe has stated that the trail will not be impacted in any way. They have also signed an agreement that no gaming activities will be conducted on the property. There are already a number of office buildings on the land, and the intent is to use them for centralized government administration.

The Boardman Lake Loop Trail was completed in 2022, and is four miles long, encircling Boardman Lake. It includes urban and wooded sections and a spectacular, sinuous bridge over the Boardman River. Approximately one quarter mile of trail will now be on tribal land. The trail itself is owned by the City of Traverse City, in partnership with Grand Traverse County and Garfield Township. TART Trails collaborates with these entities to support the development and maintenance of the trail.

See map of the Boardman Lake Loop Trail


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