GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (ABC 4) – It’s June 21st, which means Summer is officially here! We encourage you to celebrate by getting outside and enjoying the fresh air! A great activity to do with your family is to enjoy one of the many walking paths and hiking trails in West Michigan. Grand Rapids Kids have put together a great list of places for families to see some beautiful scenery, get exercise, and enjoy the great outdoors. Check it out.
KENT COUNTY:
This is a great 2 mile hiking loop that’s perfect for kids!
This hidden gem is right by the Beltline and offers trails for biking, walking, and even a sandy creek. The trails are relatively flat and when it gets warm, kids can even splash around in the creek.
This is an awesome area for kids to explore nature! There’s tons of natural wooded trails, dunes and hills to climb, and even a teepee made of natural materials for kids to check out!
This is the perfect place to bring your kids for an organized and fun hike! They have SO many trails to choose from that vary on distance to best fit your family. You can even hike a wildlife trail which takes you to a farm to see animals.
Aman Park is a beautiful wooded area with tons of different trails to hike located right off Lake Michigan Dr. in Standale. Since it is wooded, you might way to pack bug spray!
This is a great park that offers tons of different outdoor activities that families can enjoy! There are walking trails, biking trails, beaches (once it’s warm!), boat docks, and so much more. This is a great place to spend a warm, sunny Saturday!
OTTAWA COUNTY:
Located in Grand Haven, this is a favorite for hiking. There’s fun trails and beautiful lake views! Rosy Mounds has a lot of stairs so this is a perfect place to wear the little ones out!
This state park is a 1,000 acres of land that runs into Holland, so if you’re in Ottawa County, check this place out! They offer a variety of trails along Lake Michigan which makes for a beautiful hike.
This park has tons of hiking opportunities and even is right by a public beach! You and your family can spend some time hiking then hit the beach to cool down. The trails loop around a lake so you’ll have beautiful views the entire way.
The Nature Center offers woodlands, prairies and wetlands that offers hiking trails, lookouts, wild flowers and picnic areas which makes it a great location to spend your afternoon!
MUSKEGON COUNTY:
The views at P.J Hoffmaster are hard to beat with miles of trails for families to enjoy. The trails can be steep and sandy, so it makes for an extra fun day of exploring for kids!
This hidden gem has tons of different trails to choose from along with public beaches, sand dunes to climb, and 2 campgrounds to enjoy!
Located North of Muskegon, this is a great day trip to check out all Duck Lake has to offer. Duck Lake flows into Lake Michigan and includes tons of space for fishing, hiking, swimming, and picnicking.
Check out more information on local trails and state parks on GR Kids’ website! Happy walking and exploring!
