06/09/2026
from Austin Bonta, Mayor of Portage.
If you enjoy recreating along the in the city of Portage, here's some extremely important safety information for you.
Important Announcement: The Prairie Duneland Trail will be closed between Route Six and McCool Road from now until Wednesday, June 17th, next week.
During this time, the trail is being professionally cleared of all poison hemlock and poison ivy for the safety of all humans and pets. Removal of poison hemlock requires special chemicals, as it is not safe to mow or weed-wack it at any length. It is also a weather dependent process that requires two days in a row without rain in order for it to successfully complete.
Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is considered one of the deadliest plants in North America and it often grows aggressively along trails, roadsides, and open fields. Ingestion is deadly for both humans and animals and cross contamination and inhalation can cause severe poisoning and respiratory health issues.
Our team is making sure it is removed completely and implementing a new precaution afterwards to detect and remove it in the early spring if it returns next year.
I apologize for the inconvenience of this measure for those who love the trail. We love it too and are making it safe. It's possible that sections of the trail will open sooner than next Wednesday after being assessed and found to be clear already. It is also possible that the entire trail will open again sooner if the weather cooperates. This posted closing timeline has been set to ensure that we do take enough time to get it done.
