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.

Absolutely beautiful! Beautifully maintained. Clean, well landscaped. So much parking. Extensive…read moretrail system. Could not believe how quiet it was and that more people weren't out enjoying it on a warm fall morning!

I like to come here to watch sunsets and spend time with family. There's a nice nature trail…read moreconnected to the park and it's lovely. 4th of July Fireworks are wonderful here. Also if you're hungry there's lots of awesome local eateries up the street.

Visited here while experiencing the COVID stay home, stay safe order in Michigan. It was a lovely…read moresunny day, and after being cooped up all week working, it was so nice to have lunch by the water! It's not far from home, so I'm looking forward to going back even after this craziness has subsided.

Waterfront Park ⁣ ⁣…read moreIf you know, you know. This park is one of our oh-so-favorites in the summertime, and it's a popular place on a Friday night. ⁣ ⁣ I absolutely love walking around downtown EGR, and one of my favorite places to walk is Waterfront Park. If you follow the path to water, there is a beautiful lookout of Reeds Lake. You can admire the sun shining on the water or you can have a seat and read a book! In the summer, I love to grab ice cream at Jersey Junction and walk to this lookout. ⁣ ⁣ It's a great place to take kids, as there is always plenty of fish, tadpoles, frogs, and turtles to see! It's a great area to walk and run! You can often find people fishing at the end of the dock too! ⁣

I found this when looking for something free to do. It's a really beautiful setting wrapped…read morearound Reeds Lake. You can walk all the way around the lake or venture into the adjoining Hodenpyl Woods. There are some nice floating boardwalks, wild flowers and birds.

Super clean park, located off if east beltline and right next to the 63rd district court. They have…read morean infant/toddler section, as well as a section for older kids. Both play areas are well maintained and structures are very clean. There are also picnic pavilions and hiking trails, as well as tennis courts and basketball courts. I don't believe they have runs for dogs, but they are dog friendly!

Both lil ones and big kids have so much fun here. Heck throw in the parents too. Sometimes I see…read moredads playing on the hanging roundabout and moms going down slides! There's enough room to be socially distant from others and enough play spaces to keep kids entertained for a good chunk of time. There are plenty of parking spaces (unless there's an event then it could get limited). There are four basketball courts, one beach volleyball court, and three baseball fields. Plenty of grass for the fur babies to roll and roam, or you can keep it legal and follow the paved trail on a leash. Great park!

What a great local park! Many miles of trails through fields and wooded areas. We love to take…read moreour dog here for walks. There is also a dog park and bigger off-leash areas where you can let your pup run free. They have onsite parking as well.

One of the best trails to walk in West Michigan. The trail is about a 2.5 mile loop. There's always…read moreanimals to observe and that includes our squirrels, and birds, but as well as bald eagles near the river. We didn't see any on this trip but I have seen some before. Also, this trail isn't frequented or busy usually, but it's very safe and there are usually people walking by every couple minutes. The dog park is on the other-side of this park so it's about a 1.5mile. Most of the park is unpaved, but it's relatively flat. In the winter it's kind of icy so there are some trip hazards, but overall it's an easy h

Beautiful setting and plenty of picnic tables. Wonderful shade and a nice path down the road to get…read moresome steps in. Clean bathrooms, what more could you want from a park.

This place is very beautiful and is a nice place to go spend time outside by yourself, with family,…read moreand or with friends.

Recently went to Richmond Park for a birthday party in their picnic pavilion. I don't think I'd…read moreever been to this park before, and it's really nice. It's huge, with a big pond, two playgrounds, tennis courts, pool, basketball court, picnic tables, table tennis table, and more. I think people sled at this park in the winter, too! The pavilion was really nice, with attached bathrooms, a prep area, fridge, tables, and chairs. The space was a good size for the party of 30 people or so. The parking lot is a short walk from the pavilion. I liked the patio area overlooking the pond, and all the kids at the party loved the playgrounds! There was a grassy area outside where we set up cornhole. It's $45 per hour to rent the pavilion, with a minimum of 2 hours. Not bad! I'm so glad we got to experience this park and would definitely come back to relax and go for a walk!

I love this park. A great hill makes it's fun to explore and easy to get away from other people to…read morebe alone.

Great local park for a casual walk. There's tons of trails that lead you to an almost dried up…read morecreek, lots of wildlife, saw plenty of deer, chipmunks, squirrels. There's also a paved roads to drive to different areas of the park as it's huge. So many trees and will definitely look stunning in the fall as well. Lots of great backdrops for a photoshoot as well. Other amenities: golf course, kids playgrounds, large shelters for picnic, picnic tables, baseball stadium.

An underrated place to picnic and walk around. Giant trees, gorgeous leaves in the fall, ample…read morespace, and dog friendly. Really enjoyed coming here for the first time and will keep it in mind for future picnics. There's plenty of parking, too.

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

We've been living here in the area for almost two decades now and we finally decided to stop by…read moreVersluis Park. It's such a nice little lake beach that has a playground, trail, picnic tables and designated fishing areas. Definitely recommend if you live in the area and want a water view for these nice summer afternoons with the family.