Read the Kent County Parks Department's Quarterly Newsletter

As a Michigander, I’ve always had a love–hate relationship with the snow. While I’m already longing for the mid-summer 80° days at Millennium Beach, and the crisp fall nature hikes through Seidman, or even just having sunlight past 5 o’clock, I’m also excited for all of the winter activities we get to enjoy this time of year.

While our park system goes into more of a "hibernation mode" during the winter months, we’ve been working hard over the past several years to provide more four-season opportunities, too. We now have a restroom available year-round at Millennium Park to support our plowed and groomed trails. We also offer groomed cross-country skiing trails at Kaufman Golf Course and Palmer Park, along with ski rentals and heated restrooms that you can read about later in the newsletter. And if you’re looking to hold an event this winter, be sure to check out our heated, enclosed shelter at Douglas Walker Park.

As we enjoy everything winter has to offer in our parks, we’re also keeping an eye on the projects that will be ramping up in the spring. Significant improvements to Johnson Park, Wahlfield Park, and Chief Hazy Cloud are already underway, and we’ll be cutting the ribbons on those projects in the spring and early summer of 2026. Several sections of the Grand River Greenway will also be gearing up, with the goal of completing the White Pine Trail to Downtown Ada stretch by this time next year. You can find more details on these projects further down in the newsletter or on our website.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram, where we're always sharing the latest news and updates about our parks. Most of all, I hope to see you out on the trails this winter!

Bundle up!

Ben Swayze
Director

Lepard Preserve in Caledonia has been recognized as an Old-Growth Forest, an honor that highlights its mature trees, diverse plant life, and thriving ecosystem.

While not original old growth, this 52-acre park offers a glimpse into forest regeneration and the beauty of mature woods—from towering tulip trees and red oaks to rolling hills, a meandering stream, and a scenic footbridge. With this designation and the protections that come with it, our community will be able to watch Lepard Preserve continue to mature into an Old Growth Forest for generations to come.

We invite you to celebrate this distinction with a May dedication ceremony alongside the spring ephemerals:

• Where – 6030 76th Street SE, Caledonia
• When – Friday, May 8, 2026
• What to Bring – Water, sturdy shoes, and layers for the weather

An expert from the Old-Growth Forest Network will team up with an ecologist to lead an easy-paced, family-friendly hike. Participants will learn to identify old-growth traits, explore the soils and native plants that make these woods unique, and discover how mature trees sustain our environment. 

This fall, we worked alongside the Grand River Network and several community partners to explore ways to make the Indian Mounds Drive corridor safer, more welcoming and better connected for people walking, biking, fishing and enjoying nature—all while honoring and protecting its cultural and ecological significance.

This unique four-mile stretch of road and greenspace along the Grand River and directly across from Millennium Park connects the cities of Grand Rapids, Wyoming and Grandville. It also includes the Grand River Burial Mounds, one of the most significant Indigenous burial mound sites in the Midwest.

As part of a three-phase study and public process, we collected input from stakeholders and regular users of the corridor through a community survey that recently closed. This feedback will help shape a shared vision for the area and inform the recommendations and implementation plan expected in Summer 2026.

The insights gathered through this effort will guide local governments and partner agencies as they consider future projects along the corridor. We’re grateful to everyone who took the time to share their experiences and help shape the future of Indian Mounds Drive, and we look forward to continuing the conversation with another round of engagement this spring.

Already one of our most popular destinations for hiking and mountain biking, we’re thrilled to be adding our first enclosed dog park at Wahlfield Park. This 10-acre park will include a one-acre small dog area, two-acre open activity field, crushed stone walking trails through natural areas and a one-acre swimming pond with a dog beach and jumping dock. It will also feature a four-season family style restroom with a dog wash station, as well as an additional restroom that will serve the hiking and mountain bike trail network.

We broke ground on this project in late spring 2025, and the progress since then has been swift. Crews have graded, planted, and fenced in the entire park and have installed most major features. Work is ongoing on the restrooms, which should be completed in in time for the final frost. We’re also constructing a new maintenance facility to support our staff in caring for the park.

The mountain bike trailhead restroom and related amenities are also expected to open in early spring. However, the dog park itself will need to sit through a full growing season before it’s ready to welcome the public and their pets. We'll announce the grand opening date and celebration in May, but in the meantime, enjoy this story from Fox-17 spotlighting the work underway.

While the lot provides access to the paved Ada Township trail that winds through the park and forms part of the Grand River Greenway, it will also serve as the trailhead for more than three miles of natural-surface equestrian trails that our staff cut this fall.

These new equestrian trails—our second set of horseback riding trails in the system after those in Cooper Creek and Spencer Forest—were designed with horses and riders in mind. With added height and width clearance throughout, the trails will offer a safer, more comfortable riding experience. Bicycles aren’t allowed, since bikes and horses don’t always get along very well.

The trail system will be completed in late winter or early spring, including two bridge crossings, and should open to riders ahead of summer 2026.

Northland Drive Tunnel – One of the premier features of the Grand River Greenway, we successfully bid the tunnel project and have awarded a contract. This tunnel will provide a safe, easy crossing under Northland Drive and will include the trail segment extending from the tunnel’s west-side exit south to Cannonsburg Road. Construction is expected to begin in late winter and wrap up in fall 2026.

Knapp Street Bridge – This project has also been successfully bid. It will feature a separate non-motorized bridge over the Grand River at Knapp Street, connecting the extensive paved trail network on the west-side of the river to the Grand River Greenway on the east. We anticipate the contractor will begin work in spring 2026, with construction ramping up in the summertime. The bridge is expected to be completed and open the following summer 2027.

In addition to these projects, we're finalizing designs for the Cannonsburg Trail (from Northland Drive to Pettis Avenue) and the Pettis Trail (from Cannonsburg Road to Knapp Street). Both projects are anticipated to be completed by this time next year.

The trail builder has already roughed in nearly four miles and intermittent work will continue through the winter as weather allows. We anticipate officially opening the trails to riders next summer.

In the meantime, our fundraising and trail maintenance partner, the West Michigan Mountain Bike Alliance (WMMBA), has launched a new fundraising campaign with the Kent County Parks Foundation to support the next phase of construction, which will incorporate another two miles of trail. Thanks to a generous donation from the Grandville Walker Foundation and many others, WMMBA has already raised $40,000 toward their $100,000 goal.

Thanks to Kent County American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding and a recently approved $400,000 Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant, we’re able to move forward with even more improvements to the park. Plans include a new four-season family-style restroom, a replacement playground, and additional covered gathering spaces to create a more welcoming area for park and trail users. The project will be bid out this winter, with construction beginning in the spring.

When Jenison resident and outdoor enthusiast Nick Meekhof sets a goal, he goes all in. Known as PureMichiganGuy on Instagram, Meekhof has spent years building a life around fresh air and open trails—kayaking a hundred Michigan rivers, visiting a hundred breweries, and even dispersed camping in every county in the state.

“I spend just about every free moment of my life with outdoor recreation,” he told me. “Hiking, kayaking, backpacking, cross-country skiing...anything like that, I’m all about it. I love it.”

This year, with two young kids and a third on the way, Meekhof wanted a challenge that was closer to home and something he could share with his young family. Inspired by a similar initiative in Ottawa County, he launched a new mission on January 1, 2025: visit every Kent County Park within the calendar year. And by mid-November, he accomplished it.

Most of his journeys took place on quiet Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Sometimes he’d go solo in search of the perfect photo. Other times, he had two tiny adventurers in tow, running between trails and playgrounds.

Along the way, he discovered new favorites and deepened his love for old ones.

“I’m kind of a geology nerd,” he laughed. “Exposed bedrock or cliffs or caves are really rare for this area. Wabasis Lake Park has this cool sandstone cave that I like to come back to.”

He also pointed to White Pine Park for its old-growth trees and quiet, easy trails, and Long Lake Park for its rugged feel. “You’re only a half hour from Grand Rapids, but you feel like you’re up in the U.P.,” he said.

And then there’s Fisk Knob, the highest point in the county, where Meekhof has watched the Northern Lights and traced the horizon across several counties. On clear evenings, he says you can even spot Grand Rapids’ skyline.

Through all of it, Nick kept circling back to the way these places make him feel.

“I think it’s really great for mental health,” he said. “Especially with how much we look at our smartphones these days. Even if you only have a few minutes, it feels great to get out and check your local park. Just spend a few minutes outside getting some fresh air.”

After nearly a year of exploring, photographing, paddling, climbing, and wandering through all 43 of our parks, Meekhof still won’t pick a favorite. “I love them all,” he said. But when pressed, he admits his kids do have a preference: “Their favorite parks are the ones with playgrounds.”

For Meekhof, this challenge wasn’t really about checking boxes as much as it was about creating memories with his family, finding wonder close to home, and reminding all of us that adventure doesn’t have to be far away. Sometimes it’s just a county park and a free afternoon.

To date, crews have inventoried 8,700 of 11,000 trees, documenting more than 53 species across our parks. Highlights include mature bur oaks at the North Kent Trailhead, diverse species concentrations at Palmer Park, and several pockets of invasive tree-of-heaven that will guide future management. We also planted 110 new trees this season—a mix of 59 larger-caliper trees and 70 donated oak seedlings—with Steepletown Neighborhood Services providing watering support. Additional plantings planned for the spring at Dwight Lydell Park in partnership with Comstock Park High School.

Volunteer engagement continued to grow through weekly survey days and fall planting events, while park managers enhanced their expertise in specialized workshops led by Sav-a-Tree. Bartlett Tree Experts also co-hosted a public Canopy Walk, giving residents a firsthand look at the value of healthy urban forests and the objectives of this grant. Collectively, these initiatives are boosting public awareness of climate resilience, spotlighting critical management priorities such as soil compaction and invasive species, and expanding hands-on workforce development opportunities for young adults.

We're also pleased to announce a new $4,000 Urban Forestry Grant for 2026. This funding will support additional tree plantings at Douglas Walker Park, adding much-needed shade near the playground and along the open stretches of Buck Creek. Friends of the Buck Creek Watershed and students from the Northstar Academy Program at Byron Center High School will assist with outreach and planting efforts in April 2026.

Together, these projects are strengthening our urban forests, empowering volunteers and youth, and ensuring lasting canopy benefits for communities across Kent County.

This season, our eco-stewardship program is prioritizing invasive vine control along the Hansen Nature Trail–Johnson Park Connector. Volunteers will help protect the pine canopy and young oak stands by slowing the spread of aggressive porcelain berry vines. This work builds on ongoing efforts with the Kent Conservation District Strike Team and our dedicated Park Stewards, strengthening habitat health across the corridor.

We are also expanding our Eco-Stewardship Service-Learning Days, which introduce students and community groups to hands-on conservation. Participants will learn to identify and manage invasive shrubs while preparing high-priority sites for spring tree planting and habitat restoration. They will also help frost-sow native seeds like asters, milkweed, and prairie grasses collected from Luton Prairie through Millennium Park.

Why invasive bittersweet is on the naughty list:

• It climbs fast and far. Bittersweet races up tree trunks, overtaking the canopy and outcompeting native species.
• It strangles mature trees. The vine wraps tightly, stressing and eventually killing trees that provide shade, habitat, and scenic value.
• Birds spread it everywhere. Decorative berries become easy meals, and seeds are soon deposited across park landscapes.
• It smothers native plants. Wildflowers, shrubs, and young trees lose sunlight and space, leading to less diverse and healthy habitats.
• It increases maintenance costs. Removing extensive vine mats is time-consuming and resource-intensive for staff and volunteer crews.
• It diminishes the visitor experience. Dense tangles of vines can overwhelm natural areas, reducing beauty, biodiversity, and trail quality.

If you’ve got a parks lover in your life—the one who’s always planning their next hike, picnic, or outdoor adventure—give them a gift that fuels their happy place.

Our gift cards are the easiest way to wrap up fresh air, wide-open spaces, and a year’s worth of memories…and without all the worrying about shipping deadlines!

They can be used for reservations, purchases, admission, passes, and rentals at all of our parks locations. (Please note: Kaufman Golf Course has its own gift cards, available for purchase at the Clubhouse Monday–Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) With so many choices, it’s truly a choose-your-own-adventure for anyone who loves spending time in nature.

Whether you’re finishing your list or just getting started (we won’t tell), a gift card from us fits every stocking, every schedule, and every kind of outdoor enthusiast.

As soon as enough snow stacks up, our trails are professionally groomed and ready for classic-style skiing. Inside the clubhouse, you’ll find a cozy winter lodge atmosphere with a warm fire and comfortable seating—ideal for relaxing before or after your outing. That’s six miles of groomed trails, open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

No equipment? No problem! We offer convenient ski rentals for all ages:

• Adults: $15
• Children (17 & under): $10
• Family Package (up to five members): $50
• Trail fees are low and convenient: $2 per day or $25 for a season pass

Bundle up, breathe in the crisp winter air, and create lasting memories with us. Whether you’re gliding through silent woods or embracing the gentle challenge of rolling hills, Palmer Park and Kaufman Golf Course offer a winter escape that’s close to home.

We look forward to seeing you on the trails! For information about trail conditions or hours, please call us at 616-632-7855 and follow our Facebook page! To purchase a gift card, the perfect Holiday present for your loved ones, visit the Kaufman Clubhouse, located at 4807 Clyde Park Ave. SW in Wyoming.

All County offices and health clinics will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 24 and Thursday, Dec. 25, in observance of Christmas. Regular operations will resume on Friday, Dec. 26.

Offices will also be closed on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026, in celebration of New Year’s Day. Regular operations will resume on Friday, Jan. 2. 

Wishing everyone a safe, relaxing, and joyous holiday season!

Are you a reporter or member of the media and see something you'd like to cover? Reach out to Christina Anthony, Marketing and Communications Manager, for quotes, interviews, background information, or anything else you may need to tell a great story about our parks:

• Phone: 724-691-5120
• Email: christina.anthony@kentcountymi.gov

Have a story idea, partnership pitch, or cool parks picture to share? We love hearing from the community! Email us anytime—we’re always on the lookout for good stories and fresh ideas to share!