|
View as Webpage
Quarterly Newsletter | September 2026
Letter from the Parks Director
In Kent County, we are blessed to have hundreds of miles of local, regional, and statewide trails and pathways for our residents and visitors to enjoy and use for recreation and travel.
However, the growing use of electronic micro-mobility devices has created some confusion and conflicts about what is allowed on our trails.
Our team is working to update and install signs across our regional trails to remind guests of the rules and etiquette that help ensure everyone’s safety.
By following these simple guidelines, outlined below, we can help keep our trails safe and enjoyable for everyone — including myself!
Here’s hoping we bump into each other on the trails soon...figuratively, of course.
Ben Swayze
Kent County Parks Director
|
Know Before You Go: Non-Motorized Trail Rules and Etiquette
-
Non-Motorized Use Only: Perhaps the biggest point of confusion is e-bikes, which look like traditional bicycles but are equipped with a battery to assist riders. There are three classifications of e-bikes. Class 1 e-bikes have “pedal assist” up to 20 MPH but do not have a throttle. Our department considers these bicycles, and they are allowed anywhere regular bikes are. Class 2 and 3 e-bikes are pedal-assist but also have a throttle (up to 20 and 28 MPH, respectively), and they are not permitted on trails. Other motorized devices, such as e-motos, dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, electric scooters, and golf carts, are strictly prohibited.
-
Observe Speed Limits: The speed limit for all Kent County Parks trails is 15 MPH, regardless of what you may be riding.
-
Yield to Pedestrians: Pedestrians always have the right of way!
-
Keep Right, Except to Pass: Treat the trail like a highway: keep to the right and pass on the left.
-
Announce Yourself: If you are passing someone, make sure to ring a bell or call it out so they know you are coming. “Passing on your left!”
-
Keep Pets on a Leash: Do not let your pets stray across the path and create a tripping hazard. And make sure to pick up after them!
-
Don't Block the Trail: Travel no more than two across, and pull over when stopping.
-
Be Considerate: Be respectful of all trail visitors.
The Wait is Over: Wahlfield Dog Park Open "Fur" Business
Wahlfield Dog Park, the first park in the Kent County Parks system designed with our four-legged friends in mind, opened to people and their pets Friday, July 24, with more than 150 dogs at the grand opening celebration alone.
Located at the north end of the property, this incredible new, fully enclosed, 10-acre dog park features lots of amenities to keep Fido smiling from ear to ear, including:
- A 1-acre area for small dogs
- A 2-acre open activity field
- Crushed stone walking trails through natural areas
- A 1-acre swimming pond with a dog beach and jumping dock
- A family restroom with a dog wash station
The new space expands recreational opportunities at one of Kent County’s longtime destinations for hiking and mountain biking, giving people and their pets a new way to explore, play and enjoy the outdoors together.
|
Pardon Our Progress: Building the Grand River Greenway
Around here, we like to say Michigan has two seasons: winter and construction. As our parks system continues to grow, we're definitely in full "construction" mode. We’ve spent the summer collaborating with contractors, community partners, and state and local leaders to fill in the gaps along the Grand River Greenway — a regional network of public parks, trails, and natural areas linking West Michigan communities to the river, from Lowell to the Lakeshore.
Bringing a vision this big to life does occasionally come with a few small detours...like a week-long closure of Northland Drive. But there’s light at the end of the tunnel (literally, in this case), and we’re confident any temporary disruptions will lead to some pretty unbeatable adventures down the proverbial parks road.
Northland Drive Pedestrian Tunnel
The pedestrian tunnel under Northland Drive is a missing link connecting the recently developed South Rogue River Trail in Plainfield Township to upcoming trail extensions along Cannonsburg Road and Pettis Avenue all the way to Knapp Street in Ada, as part of the Grand River Greenway. Instead of dealing with seven busy lanes of traffic, trail users will soon enjoy a safe, continuous passage under Northland Drive, plus a new ½-mile paved path on the east side linking 7 Mile Road to Cannonsburg Road.
Temporary Road Closure
To place the main tunnel sections under the roadway, crews need to temporarily close Northland Drive to all traffic.
- When: The plan is to close Northland Drive after rush hour on Friday, Sept. 25 and open it back up again before the morning commute on Monday, Oct. 5.
- Where: Northland Drive will be closed between the intersections of 7 Mile Road and Rogue River Road and Cannonsburg Road and West River Drive.
- Detour: Pictured below, a detour will re-route Northland Drive traffic via Belding Road to Myers Lake Avenue to Cannonsburg Road
During this closure, crews will be working around the clock to dig a 60-foot-wide trench across Northland Drive, slide 19 concrete arch sections into place to finish the tunnel structure, install essential storm piping and electrical conduit, and get the road repaved and safely reopened. We appreciate your patience as we build a safer, better-connected trail system! For more construction updates, please visit the Prein & Newhof website.
Cannonsburg Trail
This project is divided into two sections: Northland Drive to Chauncey Avenue and Chauncey Avenue to Pettis Avenue. Together, they will connect the trail being built along Northland Drive with the trail under construction on Pettis Avenue. Construction on the Chauncey-to-Pettis section began in July and has been moving swiftly. The majority of the trail work, including a small bridge crossing over Bear Creek, should wrap up before the first snowflakes. The Northland-to-Chauncey segment is out for bid, with construction expected to begin by summer 2027.
Pettis Trail
This project features 3.5 miles of separated non-motorized trail through the rolling hills of Cannon and Ada Townships. Once completed, the trail will connect the Cannonsburg Trail with the existing Ada Township trail system at Knapp Street and Pettis Avenue near the Forest Hills Eastern campus. Construction began in late July, and due to the complicated nature of the retaining walls and narrow right of way, traffic has been limited to one lane in several areas. Please use caution while driving through this area until work is completed in late November.
Knapp Street Bridge
This project includes new sections of asphalt path, several raised boardwalks, and a steel pedestrian bridge attached to the existing Knapp Street bridge over the Grand River. Once complete, this important crossing will connect miles of trails in Ada Township and Grand Rapids Township directly to the Grand River Greenway. Since some of the necessary materials were delayed, the construction schedule shifted. Teams will focus on the approach work this year before moving to the in-river pier extension work in 2027.
Johnson Park Mountain Biking Trails
Work continues along Kent County's western Grand River Greenway trailhead.
Building on the expanded parking lot completed in 2024, improvements include a four-season family restroom, a replacement playground, several covered gathering spaces, and a comprehensive adaptive mountain bike trail system.
Construction on the restrooms and gathering spaces broke ground in mid-summer. Meanwhile, crews completed the interior 2-mile mountain bike loop and roughed in over 4 miles of additional trail.
We're hopeful that the public will be able to enjoy the adaptive mountain bike trail system and other amenities before winter sets in.
|
Coming Soon: More Parks, More Bow Hunting Opportunities
For more than two decades, our department has offered limited-access archery hunting on over 1,100 acres of pristine parkland, including several properties partially funded through Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grants.
This year, we added two more participating parks, expanding this unique opportunity to a total of 65 hunters across more than 1,500 acres—and giving residents valuable access to hunting and outdoor recreation opportunities they may not otherwise have.
We're accepting applications Tuesday, Sept. 8 through Friday, Sept. 11, with a random drawing for the limited permits taking place the following week. Winners will be notified by phone, and all participants are required to follow applicable local and state hunting regulations.
To enter the lottery or learn more about the process, visit out bow hunting webpage!
|
Rediscovering Nature: Students Find Rare Plants in Our Parks
What can a century-old botanical record tell us about the natural areas we care for today? Quite a bit — and recent surveys in our parks are revealing new insights into the remarkable plant diversity found in these natural areas.
This summer, botanists from Calvin University’s Emma Cole Project surveyed several of our natural areas, documenting an impressive variety of native plants and taking a closer look at the ecological health of each site. Since 2015, the project has continued the legacy of Grand Rapids botanist Emma Jane Cole, who documented the region’s flora more than a century ago. Led by Dr. David Warners, Dr. Peter Quakenbush, and Calvin student botanists, the team documented native, rare, and conservative plant species while calculating each site’s Floristic Quality Index (FQI), a measure of ecological integrity.
The surveys also brought some exciting discoveries...
At Wabasis Lake Park, three native plants were documented that had not been recorded in Kent County since the time of botanist Emma Jane Cole, whose work inspired the project. At Spencer Forest, botanists discovered only the second known Michigan population of a rare aquatic grass. These discoveries help us understand what makes our natural areas special—and what our stewardship efforts are working to protect.
You can explore park discoveries, and contribute your own, using iNaturalist — a free community-science platform where anyone can photograph and document plants and wildlife encountered in our parks.
|
Tree Detectives: Working Together to Map Our Urban Forests
How do you manage and protect a forest when you don’t know exactly what’s growing there? Over the past two years, our team, with help from dedicated volunteers, has been taking a closer look...one tree at a time.
At Dwight Lydell, Palmer and Millennium Parks, volunteers and staff mapped more than 11,000 individual trees, recording each tree’s GPS location, species and size. This growing dataset gives us a clearer picture of our urban forests, including natural forest regeneration, and helps guide management decisions that will support healthy, resilient ecosystems for years to come.
This work is part of a larger effort to map tree canopies, plant new trees, and develop forest management plans in three parks in historically underserved areas. Work so important it recently caught the attention of a local news station!
|
Growing Stewardship: Getting Involved and Giving Back
Following a busy spring of tree planting, our dedicated volunteers kept the momentum going all summer, caring for forests, prairies, streams and trails across our park system.
Corporate, school and community groups joined us nearly every week to help control invasive species using the cut-and-daub method, care for newly planted trees, improve habitat, clean natural areas and keep restoration projects moving forward. Every hour spent volunteering helps strengthen the health and resilience of our park.
And there’s still plenty to do! Join us this fall for upcoming stewardship opportunities and check our calendar for a look at what’s ahead this winter.
|
Fall Program Preview
Whether you have joined us before or are brand new to stewardship, come learn, lend a hand, and help care for your local parks!
|
Monarch Day: Connecting Pollinators, People, and Parks
On Saturday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., our team will join John Ball Zoo for Monarch Day, a celebration of monarch butterflies and the many pollinators that help our ecosystems thrive.
The monarch migration is the longest insect migration in North America, making these iconic butterflies an important symbol of pollinator conservation. Visitors can explore the world of butterflies, bugs, and other winged creatures while learning simple ways to support monarchs and native pollinators.
We'll host an interactive table at the event, where guests can stop by to:
-
Play "Invasive or Native?" — Test your knowledge while learning to identify native plants and insects, including milkweed and its invasive look-alike, swallow-wort.
-
Explore the Bug ID Station — Learn about pollinators, pests, and butterfly life cycles.
-
Color Your Own Pollinator — Enjoy coloring sheets featuring Michigan butterflies, pollinators, and invasive species.
-
Make a Butterfly Craft — Create a butterfly-themed wood chip craft using stamps and markers.
-
Take Home Resources — Pick up information about butterflies, pollinators, invasive species, and Kent County Parks.
Throughout the day, guests can also enjoy GR Cuban Salsa Dancers, Story Time with Circle Theatre, a hula hoop performer, and live guitar by Drew Alkema. Come celebrate monarchs, expand your pollinator knowledge, and discover how you can help these important species thrive!
|
Last Call for Beach Days: Fading from Summer to Fall at Millennium
It’s hard to believe, but another beach season is coming to a close! The final day to enjoy Millennium Park’s beach, boat rentals, and splashpad is Labor Day, Monday, September 7.
Here’s when each area wraps up that day:
-
Boat rentals — Last rental leaves the water at 5 p.m.
-
Splashpad — Closes at 6 p.m.
-
Beach — Closes at 7 p.m.
-
Concessions — Closed for the season
-
Park — Closes at sunset (8:06 p.m.)
There won’t be an additional “free” week of beach access this year as we start on some improvements to the beach area, including the demolition and replacement of climbing structures.
While the beach season is ending, remember that the rest of the park is open 365 days a year, from 7 a.m. until sunset. Come enjoy the trails, scenery, and changing colors as we welcome fall!
|
Tee Up for Fall at Kaufman Golf Course: Hiring Seasonal Jobs
Shorter days don’t spell the end of golf season just yet at Kaufman Golf Course! Golfers still have plenty of opportunities to book a tee time and play a round while enjoying the changing scenery.
As fall approaches, we're also looking for friendly and dependable people to join our team. Seasonal opportunities are available with both the grounds crew and clubhouse.
Applicants should select the location that matches their area of interest:
-
Grounds Crew — Select Kaufman Golf Course
-
Clubhouse — Select Kaufman Clubhouse
These seasonal roles are a great way to spend time at one of our parks while helping maintain the course, support daily operations and make sure golfers and visitors have a great experience.
|
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers!
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!
|
|
