The Best Hiking In Grand Rapids

Are you ready to bounce around Kent County and visit some of the top-reviewed hiking trails in West Michigan? We’re going to count down the most highly reviewed (in order) best hiking in Grand Rapids. Let’s go! 

#5: Townsend Park 

Coming in at number five, we have Townsend Park located just outside Cannonsburg Township in Rockford. This park is perfect for your outdoor experience with hiking and it even has cross-country skiing. Since we’re focusing strictly on hiking trails, Townsend Park is the perfect start on our hiking journey today. As soon as you arrive and begin the hike, you’re taken through a beautiful pine forest. But not limited to just pine, we’ve got a lot of natural beauty here in Michigan.

You’re going to be crossing over different parts of Bear Creek, which is also known to be some great trout fishing and is also monitored by the DNR. This park offers plenty of other activities, such as cross-country skiing, bird watching, and a lot of other activities available to families with three separate playgrounds located on the property as well. One exciting thing about Townsend Park and why it made the list is the new expansion that is coming to Townsend Park. In the next year or two, by 2024, 102 acres will be added, so you’ll almost see this whole park and the trail system double in size. If you’re looking to do a little bit of biking, rollerblading or anything that might require a paved trail, this hike is perfect for you because it does connect with the Cannonsburg Trail. So you can hop on a little bit of dirt path, and then hop onto the paved path if that’s what you’re looking for, too.

#4: Wahlfield Park 

Coming in at number four, we have Wahlfield Park. Located on the northwest side of town in Comstock Park Township, this park has a lot to offer. This fantastic mixed-use trail system park has so much to offer that it’s very popular amongst hikers and birdwatchers, and with a lot of mountain biking to be offered, too. This is a little bit different than number five on our list because Wahlfield Park has a mixed-use trail. So if you’re planning on doing a little bit of hiking, keep an eye out, depending on what trail you’re on, there may be a lot of mountain biking going on.

They have different technical trails throughout the system, but two identified hiking trails are located on the property. This is a perfect opportunity to get out and check out the northwest side because this is the only one that made the list located in that area. These hiking trails are meant for any skill level and are a little bit on the shorter distance side compared to other parks on our list, featuring just a little over a mile of hiking trails. Again, this is meant for all skill levels and it’s easily accessible. They keep these tails very well-maintained, and they’re open year-round for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter months. Now would be a perfect time to go take a look at that.

#3: Seidman Park 

Heading back to the northeast part of town, we are going to be taking a look at number three, a personal favorite amongst some of the team, Seidman Park. This beautiful 400-acre trail system is located in the northeast part of Ada and is closed to all motorized vehicles and bikes, making this the absolute best park to experience pure nature. As soon as you enter the park from the Conservation Drive entrance, you’re going to notice that you’re surrounded by nature immediately. It’s a nice, beautiful, rugged type of park, but it does have a paved parking lot. As soon as you step out of the car, you’re on that dirt path, and as soon as you get on that trail, you’re heading over the bridge over the creeks, the rivers, and the North Country Trail that cuts right through.

These trails are built for all different types of skill levels as well. It could be up to four miles down to as simple as a quarter-mile loop. If you want to hit up that four-mile loop, just stay along the perimeter of the park and that’ll take you all the way around this beautiful Park with a lot to see. 

#2: Pickerel Lake

Heading north just a few miles from Seidman Park, we are going to take you on a beautiful journey to number two, Pickerel Lake. Also located just northeast of Cannonsburg Township in Rockford, we have Pickerel Lake. Pulling up to this park is an absolutely stunning view with a beautiful lake view and a nice boardwalk that actually goes right over the water and takes you directly into the woods where you’re going to find rolling hills, lots of nature, and a view of the lake almost the whole time around.

The loop of the trail takes you all the way around Pickerel Lake, beautiful any time of year, and also open for cross-country skiing as well. This is another park that is also rugged and very secluded, so you’re not going to get a whole lot of noise going on around there. If you’re looking for some nice tranquility, peace, and quiet, Pickerel Lake is an absolutely stunning option. 

#1: Provin Trails

Coming in at number one, we’ll take you through to the northeast part of town, just next to the popular Robinette’s Orchard, we have the most reviewed hiking trail in all of Kent County, Provin Trails. This one is a stunning park. It’s not the biggest, but it is absolutely beautiful. Taking you through the park, you have winding hills, and hilly trails, very nicely groomed and well taken care of.

One thing that makes this park so special is that as you’re through the hike, you come out of the woods as you’re in the middle of the park and it just opens up to this beautiful sand dune. It looks like you’re in a bowl and were just magically transported to the lakeshore. This park is very popular for snowshoeing and also cross-country skiing. We highly recommend taking a look at this one, of course, because it’s highly reviewed and also it made number one on the list. 

You know we love the nature opportunities and parks all around Grand Rapids, so if you feel like we left off a park that you had in mind, comment below. What are your favorite hiking trails in West Michigan?