Dog-friendly section of beach? Check Sand dune trails? Check…read moreWell-maintained bathroom facilities? Check Beautiful views of Lake Michigan both high and low? Check This is *the* beach spot for you and your canine.

We've been on the hunt for some dog-friendly activities in West Michigan, and our time at Kirk Park…read morewas everything we hoped for! The dog beach is about a 5-minute walk from the parking lot, and the trail is very well marked. The weather was great, so there were lots of dogs there enjoying the water. There are changing facilities and restrooms available near the parking lot, but not on the beach, so keep that in mind. We're looking forward to enjoying the water with our golden retriever again soon!

This is a hidden gem for nature lovers. A fairly new park that conserves nature and lets one…read moreenjoy the beauty of the untouched outdoors. There are a variety of hiking trails, some are a bit rugged and some trails aren't marked very well. But that is the beauty of this park. It is a great way to get away from the noise and commercialization of downtown Grand Haven. It is so quiet too. Except for some distant industrial noise, you will only hear the sound of nature. This is not a place you would want to bring a group of screaming kids....there is no playground, no swing set. You don't throw a frisbee or football around and there is no baseball diamond or picnic table. Go directly across the street to Coast Guard Park if you want to grill a hamburger or let the dog run loose or let kids run around. There is no camping or fishing here either. If you want that activity, go over the Grand Haven State Park. Swimming is not allowed either, but go down the road to the beach if that is your thing. But if you want to get away from the noise, the rowdy campers, the money-grab you will find near the Musical Fountain....this is your peaceful and pristine oasis. I just hope that it doesn't become commercialized like so many other parks in this county have.

This is a nice, well-maintained area with paved walking paths, water views, and a picturesque…read morebridge perfect for family photos. There is plenty of shade, grassy areas, and seasonal flowers. Benches are available, and usually ducks and other waterfowl. I have always visited during tulip season and there are many beautiful tulip beds with dozens of varieties of tulips. Even better, there is an ordering booth where you can order bulbs for your own flower beds. You can tour the tulip beds and decide which bulbs are your favorites, and then order at the booth. New this year is a small playground for children.

Window on the Waterfront Park is a beautiful public park just off of downtown Holland, Michigan…read more There are several entry points, but once there, you'll find well-maintained trails, benches, sculptures and water views. There are plenty of flowers and trees providing shade in the summer.

A beautiful spot for the whole family to enjoy. The toys are new, clean and safe. The bathrooms are…read moreclean and available and every sunset is beautiful to catch. Make sure to purchase a parking pass.

I spent a lot of quality time at Windsnest this summer, mainly for the overall convenience. Beach…read moreaccess is the easiest in the area, and note that you'll have to use stairs. There is a fee of $8/day, and there are options for a county park pass for $25/year, totally worth it if you're local or planning to stay for several days. This was my Monday-Thursday beach because the weekends were bananas with crowds/parking woes, even in the evenings. If the lot is full, there are signs that designate where folx can park along the road. However, once that is filled up, I don't recommend parking beyond the bounds. I witnessed the local county sheriff issuing parking tickets more than once. Outside of the glorious beach and Lake Michigan swimming, Windsnest has well-kept bathrooms, rinsing station, and a playground. This is definitely a popular spot for families.

We love coming to this beach when we're in Holland. You can expect a clean beach. Crowds aren't…read morehorrible. It's a short bike ride from the campground and the general store. Atmosphere is beautiful. Would definitely recommend visiting this beach and the Lake Macatawa campground if you plan on staying for a few days. (During the summer)

An amazing quiet little town. The landscape was extremely beautiful. The water looked clean and…read morefree of any outside pollution. I am looking to see if there are any bed and breakfast or other rentals in this area.

Concrete wood and…read morewater Black Lake Boardwalk West and Black Lake Boardwalk East use to be two separate entities but in 2014 the two different sections were connected and now a lovely 2,500 foot boardwalk meanders along the water. The boardwalk is made of concrete and wood and relieves the traffic off the very busy nearby bike path. Nice to separate the slow pedestrians from the frantic bike riders. The path has lovely and scenic views the entire way, complete with observations platforms and interpretive displays. Lots of huge aquatic birds and occasionally turtles and other critters can be observed. Black Lake is now called Lake Macatawa but no matter water there want to call it, the beautiful boardwalk by the water is a lovely way get some exercise and see some nature.

Grand Ravines is an incredible dog park in the Grand Rapids area. This is our go-to dog park for…read morewhen we're out on the west side of the state because of how clean, organized, and functional it all is. Definitely beware of the spring/fall times and/or any times soon after a rainy day or two though, dogs will DEFINITELY get muddy here. But what's awesome is that there is a whole dog washing station right at the front of the park as well where you can go and wash your dogs before having them get in the car, so I really can't complain! This park is free and split into both a small dog and large dog area. Both the small and large dog areas are MASSIVE though. Normally there's like a drastic difference in size between the small and large dog area, but at Grand Ravines, there is literally no difference, and I appreciate that for my medium-sized dog. :) The landscaping is always pristine and there are also additional walking paths that go around the fenced in play areas and go into the woods behind the dog park as well if you want to do that with your dogs too. The options are endless and both my dog & I really love it every time we're here!

This place is THE BEST. This might be my favorite dog park…read moreever. There is a very large, small dog section where there are lots of small dogs for my boy to play with on the weekends. There's also a other side where all dogs are welcome. Both sections are huge, grassy, and have a little bit of shade. My favorite part of this dog park though is that there are enclosed trails where you can hike and have your dog off leash. My dog goes crazy and has the best time ever running around like a silly goose in this area. People are really friendly and do a good job of watching their dogs and cleaning up after them from what I've seen. It's only a 20 minute drive from downtown Grand Rapids and is absolutely beautiful.

I live within a short bike-riding distance of four lakeside county parks, and Olive Shores is my…read morenumber one destination. It's also quite the worthwhile workout to get to the beach, as one has to trek over a dune (aka climb up and down a lot of stairs). Expect plenty of beach to go around, beautiful views of the lake, and burning quad muscles (but like I said, it's totally worth it).

Gorgeous park. Very clean and well maintained. I just saw a man do a late winter clean up along…read morethe shore. He dumped his bucket of trash in the parks trash. Gotta love when the community takes initiative. From a landscape perspective, the pine and beech forest is breathtaking. As you approach Lake Michigan, the forest transitions into a maple, hemlock and beech community, which is beautiful even in the most dormant times of the year.