As a gal who loves nature and photographing beautiful places, I was floored I hadn’t heard of “The Ledges” of Grand Ledge until a few weeks ago when my friend Jessica posted about it. We visited this weekend after spending the night at my in-laws and had a great time exploring.
For those geographically challenged, Grand Ledge is a mid-size town northwest of Lansing, and is chock full of cute shops, restaurants and Victorian homes.
In the middle of the city flows the Grand River, complete with trails, beautiful rock formations, a few bridges and a dam. Basically a nature lover and photographer’s dream!
There are quite a few parks in the area, but the in-laws mentioned Fitzgerald Park, so that’s where we headed. It ended up being perfect for us since it offers a good variety of activity. The 78-acre park has three miles of nature and hiking trails, plenty of places to picnic, a playground, disc golf course and more. There’s also two miles of cross-country ski trails and a sledding hill in winter. It was $5/vehicle for out-of-county residents to enter {or $3 for locals}.
The park also offers an up-close look at the ancient sedimentary rock lining the shores of the Grand River. It was really neat! It reminded me of our recent trip to the U.P. when we saw the Pictured Rocks {but on a smaller scale of course!}.
We started off by checking out the dam at the back of the park. We went the quick route on the road, but I would love to go back with my husband to hike through the woods next time. There are a few different trail options, but most were at least 1/2 mile.
She’s so pretty, right? I love that sound of rushing water too!
After, we walked to the staircase that led the way to the trails and ledges. The views were beautiful, and some of the best I’ve seen in the lower peninsula. In fact, I learned it’s the only place in southern Michigan where you can rock climb, too. {See here for more info}
I loved that there were very few people on the trails. Such a hidden gem in the middle of Michigan!
I could’ve walked the trails for hours, but of course, with the kids in tow, we were on borrowed time. They were troopers though and loved exploring. It was a nice and easy trail for them, though I did fear my 2-year-old may fall into the river at times 😉 There were a few muddy spots, so if you head there post-rain, make sure you wear shoes that can get dirty.
While on the trail, we came across an old railroad bridge, which was a beautiful sight. I could see some seriously cool photos happening here!
Once we made our way back to the park, there were a few bathrooms and a neat playground to occupy the kids for a bit before heading out.
I definitely plan to visit again — likely in the fall when the colors are sure to look gorgeous against the spectacular backdrop. It’s the perfect place for me to practice taking photos and capture my kids in their favorite element: Nature.
Food Options
Pack a picnic and sit at one of the many picnic spaces at the park or drive into town and check out a new place or ice cream at Lick-ity Split.
Fitzgerald Park is located at: 133 Fitzgerald Park Drive, Grand Ledge, MI 48837
Where are your favorite places to explore nature?
