I would say Provin Trails is one of my favorite trails in Grand Rapids. Some people might find it…read morestrange that I say that, but let me explain! Provin Trails isn't the biggest trail/park out here. It's not even the most glamorous. But to me, it's one of the most interesting. There are 3-4 different routes you can take, and some are of course more challenging. There are some trails that can be quite steep, and others that are actually more sandy! There is a section in the middle of the trail where you can see some mini sand dunes. I was really not expected that, so it was really cool to see them. There were a good number of people walking their dogs here, so maybe something to note as a dog owner. I would come back here!

It's a go hiking in the greater Grand Rapids area. One loop around the perimeter is just under 1…read moremile and it's guaranteed to get your heart rate up. After living in Arizona and hiking the mountains of Arizona for a few years this was a good Michigan comparison. For clarity I'm not calling us a mountain

This is a cute little park. I was looking for a place to walk/run yesterday and came across this…read morepark. They have nice boardwalks, so neat! I love the nature, it's like you're far from the city. So many birds! Best to bring your binoculars! I bet it's more beautiful in spring and summer. The only downside is they have small parking and no bathroom. However, the trail connects to a ballpark, so I'm not sure if they share the BR. Also, you can walk outside the park, they have sidewalks. I highly recommend this park.

We just recently discovered this little neighborhood park and were pleasantly surprised by the good…read morequality of the trails. There's little elevation, lots of boardwalk and a lot of birds on the day we visited. The one downside is there is no bathroom on site, but there's one not to far away at a baseball park that I think may share the same name. It was a little busy the late summer we were there but it didn't feel over crowded at all and everyone we met was very friendly. Great place for families.

Decent view at one of the highest point in GR. It would be better if city trim some of the bushes…read moreoff at the edge to provide more opening to look at downtown. Not remove the plants, just trim the tops a little bit. I don't know if it is the same park but if you walk down to the end of the street, pass all the new built houses. You will arrive at another lookout.

Oh my, I love this park! There was free yoga tonight, and it was bustling, a lovely spot to relax…read moreand enjoy a view of downtown Grand Rapids.

I love walking at Millennium Park. I have been exercising here for many years. There are miles and…read moremiles of paths to explore. I enjoy mixing up my different routes to go different distances. There are several small lakes, one of which has a beach and other activities such as paddle boats. There are two different entrances to the park, which helps spread visitors out on really busy days like weekends. On the Secchia Meadows side, there is a nice pavillon where my friends had their wedding. I highly recommend Millennium Park for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors, spotting creatures such as deer, turtles, muskrats, eagles, and more.

I've got lots of thoughts running through my head, simultaneously, all the time. So when I stepped…read moreup to the check-in counter at Millennium Park Boat Rentals, the thoughts in my head were: Wow! It only costs $8 per hour to rent a kayak? Sweet! Wow! These people checking me in and telling me safety information are incredibly young! Will they be able to save me and my family if our kayaks flip over and we fall into the lake? Wow! What a beautiful day! But I wonder how often people fall into the lake. I also wonder how deep the lake is. I also wonder if it's possible to be trapped underwater if your kayak flips over. In the end, I decided to kick it on the sandy beach and wave at my family as they happily paddled on the lake. They had a great time kayaking. I had a great time not kayaking. Like Hot Chocolate says: Everyone's a winner, baby. Kayaks are either single-person or double, and we used one of each. There are very few instructions given, which was a little alarming to me. (You mean you just assume we know what we're doing?!) But fortunately, my family knew what they were doing, so they didn't need much instruction to get themselves out on the water. As you paddle around the lake, you pass the Millennium Park beach and splash pad, plus little islands here and there. There is about four miles of shoreline to explore. I was told that the lake was nice and calm, and that it was a pleasant time on the water. We rented kayaks, but Millennium Park Boat Rentals also offers canoes, paddle boats and stand-up paddle boards to rent. Keep in mind that rentals are seasonal -- this place is only open from Memorial Day-ish to Labor Day-ish.

Hudsonville Nature Center ⁣ ⁣…read more76 BEAUTIFUL acres of woodlands, wetlands and prairies is tucked away is this neighborhood. It's absolutely gorgeous in the Fall. ⁣ ⁣ These hiking trails are well kept and well loved by the community. Along the trail are lookouts, bridges, and picnic areas. The nature center offers guided tours as well! ⁣

Luton Park is mainly a mountain bike park with lots of winding trails and paths but my boyfriend…read moreand I managed to get a really nice hike in since he only has a road bike. The trail map is pretty clear with different levels of intensity and the trail we were on was clearly marked. I believe the trails are about 9 miles total. Note that the paths are very uneven in some spots so it's not the best for those with limited mobility. All the bikers we encountered were super friendly and appreciative when we stepped off the trail to let them pass by. Be on the lookout for bikes as they can get going pretty quick here! We saw a couple other people walking their dogs and enjoying some unseasonably warm weather last fall. There is a restroom facility but it looked to be closed while we were there - for construction, COVID times, or maybe both. There is ample parking and the park itself is easy to find using a map and the entrance is clearly marked. The views last November weren't that pretty, but it was nice to get outside and I think it would be really peaceful and beautiful to check out in the late spring, aka now. We made a night of it by ordering some burgers from Bridge Street Burger Shack for pickup after our hike - definitely would do that again!

Beautiful state park with a few different trails to take you to the beach. Parking is $12 for a day…read morefor non-Michigan residents. The kiosk is easy enough to navigate. On to the hike! We did the yellow trail. Difficulty level in my opinion was easy but on our way back, we took the adventurous route which was more of a medium difficulty because you had to be on an uphill climb for quite a bit. Overall, I would classify the hike as easy. It's way too cold so neither of us swam. Because it is a longer hike, we didn't take our dog with us but we saw several while on the trail. If your dog is older than ours (8 months, super slow due to being easily distracted) I highly recommend taking them on the trail. The beach is dog friendly as well. Just make sure to pick up after them. Beautiful view of the lake and overall. I would definitely come back again (and hopefully with Miss Birdie next time)!

This is a beautiful state park with tree covered trails to hike. If hiking sand dunes is not your…read morething there are other trails. If it is, it could be a training pre-curser to bigger dunes. In any regard, it is rustically beautiful. There are porta-potties and picnic tables near the parking lot.

Nature is grand! If you like hiking, this is a great location to visit. There are lots of stairs,…read moresome elevation, and sand! It was peaceful, especially by the water. I'd return if I was in the area. You need a parking permit- so come prepared. It wasn't very busy, which is a plus.

Rosy Mound Natural Area's dunes, forested trails, and shoreline views were stunning!…read more Pulling in there is small parking lot, restrooms, and pay station kiosk for the $8 daily permit. The 2.2 mile trail starts at the parking lot leading you through the woods right to Lake Michigan's shoreline. The trail consist of dirt, dune, and board walk paths with a total of 360 stairs; so get those quads ready! Thankfully there are lots of shaded places to stop and rest with benches along the paths and between flights of stairs. Note to mention: This is a no pet area so keep your furry friends at home! Would definitely recommend Rosy Mound if you're up for a short hike and want to enjoy a breathtaking shoreline view or beach at the end.

My favorite beach in Michigan…read more I've been to: Douglas Beach (wonderful neighborhood beach nearby) West Side County Beach (a bit south of Oval and lots of rocks to collect) as well as North and South Beach in South Haven, and a few other neighborhood ones there. Oval wins for me for a lot of reasons. Great, abundant parking ($15 per car for the day, $75 for the season as of 2026). Good restrooms, snack bar, but most importantly, lots of space on the beach to spread out and enjoy. Vibes are immaculate here. We had several days on our trip where this was it. We set up a beach tent, packed sandwiches, and had a blast. The waves were big a few days which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's kind of a roll of the dice whether the water is fine or a bit too chilly, but it's fun nevertheless. So, to sum it all up. SUN. WAVES. EASY. BEAUTIFUL. I will dream of the time spent here, especially come mid-February when we'd give nearly anything for a nice weather day.

Oval Beach is STUNNING and I'd love to give it 5 stars, but two things keep me from doing that…read more Primarily this is because the beach is not totally accessible to all visitors. We came here with my mother and she has MS, which affects her legs. The only way down to the beach were fairly steep sand dune paths that were incredibly difficult for even able bodied individuals to navigate. We tried finding stairs but came up empty, so that's a big deterrent here. The other is a more petty one, but it's parking. There seems to be a great amount of parking available here, especially on weekdays BUT it comes at a cost of $15, which seems more than we paid at other beaches. The beach itself is crisp and clean, with beautiful sand and shoreline, and some of the cleanest water we saw while on our visit to the lake. As a family with kids, this would be a great beach to visit, but you do need to factor in the difficulties of getting down to it, especially with your groups ability level and your beach gear in tow.