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I think I just found my new favorite town in central Michigan! My family’s latest day trip was to Grand Ledge, where we had an EPIC time! This town, just west of Lansing is appropriately named as there are ‘ledges’ of ancient sedimentary rocks visible along the Grand River.
Up until around a year ago, I didn’t know these ledges existed. Further, I didn’t know there are (at least) two different parks to view these rocks from. And that people can actually rock climb in one of these parks!
If you’re looking for a unique and inspiring day trip to take in the lower peninsula, read on!
~ Brief History of Grand Ledge ~
Before modern settlement, all three of Michigan’s largest Native American tribes lived within this area. And all were aware of the sandstone cliffs. Chief Okemos even called this area “Big Rocks.”
In 1850, American settlers moved into the area and named the town Grand Ledge after the unique cliffs. Just over 20 years later, the town was officially incorporated by the state of Michigan. Around the same time, the railroad came to town and with that, the Seven Islands Resort was built, which caused Grand Ledge to become a resort town. In the 1890s, an amusement park and zoo were added to the riverfront along with Michigan’s first roller-coaster. By the late 1800’s, almost 70,000 people visited Seven Islands Resort each year, which is crazy considering the population of Grand Ledge today is just under 8,000 residents.
~ Day Trip to Grand Ledge Map ~
~ Day Trip to Grand Ledge Summary ~
When: Saturday on the first day of spring
Why: We’ve never been to the “ledges” before. Since it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day out, we wanted to go somewhere to embrace the outdoors.
Time Traveled (one way): Less than 1 hour from Grand Rapids, 2 hours from Detroit, 1 hour from Kalamazoo, 15-20 minutes from Lansing, 3 hours from Traverse City
Time Spent at Destination: 5 hours
Budget: $ – Low budget trip. We spent money on gas, a $5 day pass to enter the Eaton County parks, and lunch and a beer from BrickHaven Brewing.
What we did during our Day Trip to Grand Ledge
We started our day trip at Lincoln Brick Park by checking out the historic sites along the history trail. Then we went to Oak Park to watch the rock climbers and see the unique rock formation. After those two parks, we stopped by BrickHaven Brewing for lunch and a beer.
Then we walked through the downtown to check out the buildings and small shops. Just north of downtown is the entrance to Island Park where we walked to the end and back, taking in the beautiful scenery. Finally, we ended our excursion at Fitzgerald Park, where we finally saw the “ledges” Grand Ledge is known for.
Other Things to Explore in Grand Ledge
Art: If you are interested in art, an art and gift shop in downtown Grand Ledge called Ledge Craft Lane offers various art events as well art classes. Grand Ledge also has a number of public art pieces to check out. Most of the pieces are within walking distance of each out. Check out the locations here.
Outdoor Recreation: Even though most of what we did in Grand Ledge on this day trip involved outdoor recreation, there are more outdoor activities to do! If you’d like to try horseback riding, check out Sundance Riding Stables. My husband and I once went riding here a few years ago and enjoyed our time. Once our son is old enough, we’ll be back! Another fun option for summer is kayaking the Grand River with Grand Kayak. Finally, there’s a Riverwalk along the Grand River the runs from southeast of the downtown all the way to the Ledges in Fitzgerald Park.
Food & Drink: From May through October, the Grand Ledge Farmers Market takes place on Saturday mornings. There is another brewery (and also a distillery) in Grand Ledge called Sanctuary.
Funtyme Adventure Parks: For mini golf, go-karts, a batting cage, driving range, and game room, check out Funtyme Adventure Park.
Turn the Day Trip into a Getaway
While there are no hotels in Grand Ledge, your day trip can be combined into a getaway to the Lansing area. My favorite hotels in the area are:
- Radisson Hotel Lansing at the Capitol – If you’re looking for somewhere to stay in downtown Lansing.
- Crowne Plaza Lansing West – If you’re looking for a nice hotel in western Lansing that close by Grand Ledge.
- SpringHill Suites by Marriott East Lansing University Area – Which is also conveniently located by Michigan State University and Potter Park Zoo.
~ Day Trip to Grand Ledge Details ~
Lincoln Brick Park
Our first stop of the day was to Lincoln Brick Park. It is named after the Lincoln Brick Company, the last brick company in Grand Ledge to close its doors after over 4 decades of production from 1914 to 1947. At one time, five brick manufacturers existed within this present day park. Its interesting history, the presence of old factory ruins, and its location on the Grand River compelled us to visit.
Before going, make sure to carry $5 in cash with you. There is a daily fee to enter per vehicle applicable at all Eaton County Parks. After arriving, put the money in the envelop along with vehicle details and drop in the lock box. Keep the tag to display on your car dashboard. Make sure to keep the tag as it can be used at Fitzgerald Park too!
There are a few different trails to hike here. If you plan on hiking, load the trail map on your phone (here). The maps throughout the park are weatherworn and not easy to read. While we visited, we explored the historical trail which includes nine signs detailing the ruins, scraps, and leftover bricks that remain.
Another fun thing to note if you have kids here are the playgrounds! There are two. And bathrooms are located in the middle of the park, nearby the two picnic shelters.
Overall, we enjoyed our time exploring the Lincoln Brick Park. Once Winston is older, I can see us returning to explore the trails as there are many hills, scenic overlooks and uneven steps. Though we visited in early spring, I imagine this park is gorgeous in the late spring, summer and fall as there are a ton of trees.
Oak Park
Stop number two was Oak Park. This almost nine acre park contains a beautiful green open space with a couple picnic tables and mature oak trees. The real magic of Oak Park is along the Grand River.
As you walk towards the river, you are bound to notice something you probably haven’t seen a lot of in the lower peninsula of Michigan – cliffs! Ledges! Exposed sandstone! And even, people rock climbing! If you continue on the trail to the left for a little bit, you’ll notice some rustic steps to reach the ledges below. From below you may even notice some of the rock climbers trying to free climb the walls! There is also a trail along the river from below so you can take in more of the cliffs.
If you’d like to visit, there are a couple things to be mindful of. There is a free, small parking lot that fills up quickly so plan to arrive early. Also when we visited, there weren’t any bathrooms.
Compared to Fitzgerald Park, Oak Park was less busy and less well known. If you’re looking for a “hidden gem” to explore, you need to visit Oak Park. Hands down, this is my favorite park in Grand Ledge!
BrickHaven Brewing Company
Next up is lunch! For this we tried out BrickHaven Brewing which is located a block away from downtown Grand Ledge. Before entering, we were immediate impressed with the building, which is brick and appeared to be a former church.
Once we entered, we were warmly greeted by Ben Huston, one of the owners. Though orders are placed at the bar, he visited our table and walked us through the menu. He also happily explained the building’s architecture and history (as I had many questions!). Turns out, it did used to be a church in the 1930s and after that, city hall. Extensive repairs and renovations took place to create the open, airy atmosphere BrickHaven exudes. After over two years of all that work, BrickHaven opened in December 2017.
For food and beer, I tried out a taster of the Aisle 3 and Hefeweisen, two of their lighter beers while Tony ordered their bourbon barrel stout. Both beers are refreshing with the Hefeweisen containing delicious notes of clove. We split a French dip sandwich (they are big!) as we still had two more parks to check out. The food and beers were perfect for the pitstop. If you’re not into beer but prefer wine, hard seltzer or cider, they make their own here too!
Downtown Grand Ledge
Downtown Grand Ledge is not an exciting downtown to explore (sorry!). We walked down Bridge Street and back and noted a couple cool looking buildings as well as some interesting stores including Ledge Craft Lane (mentioned above), Weathered Nest Vintage Market, and Flower Child Bakery.
One interesting way to explore downtown Grand Ledge is through its public art pieces. If you have children (around age 5-12), consider going on a walking tour to find all of the pieces (map here).
Island Park
Once home to the Seven Islands Resort, Island Park is now a beautiful and popular place for residents and visitors to come for a walk. On the island there is a paved trail leading to an overlook with several beaches and trees to admire or rest at along the way. There’s a gazebo at the park that was build in 1976 for the US bicentennial.
We loved this park as well. While it is not as exciting as the parks with the ledges, you can still see them in the distance from the lookout. It’s also a quiet and peaceful place for a walk in nature. This is another park I imagine being beautiful to explore in the warmer months or fall!
If you plan on visiting Island Park, there is a parking lot with about 30 spaces. It’s not a far walk from downtown Grand Ledge so street parking is also available. Once you arrive, cross the pedestrian bridge to reach the island.
Fitzgerald Park & “The Ledges”
The final stop of the day is to Fitzgerald park and specifically, the Ledges trail. This 78 acre park was once home to the Grand Ledge Spiritualist Camp Association, a summer campground (1894-early 1900s). During this time, a big red barn was built, which remains today. However in 1955, it was renovated and transformed into a summer theater house.
In 1919, the property became a public park, then known as Riverside Park. In total there are around 16 different trails with 3 miles of hiking overall. The most popular trail is the Ledges trail to the ancient sedimentary rock formation attracting visitors for years! This area of the park is also beautiful and picturesque with lots of mature trees, the Grand River, and a creek. One thing I noticed was how green the area was being it was only the first day of spring. In this area, some of the trees already had leaves! Overall, it felt like we were whisked away to another place outside of Michigan.
To get to the Ledges, park at the lot nearest to the Parks & Rec office. Then walk the path past the office and historic red theater house, down the wooden steps, turn right, and you’re there!
Besides the Ledges and hiking, Fitzgerald Park has plenty of other facilities making it a popular and busy spot. There is a disc golf course, playgrounds, kayak/canoe launch, sports facilities, picnic tables, and restrooms. In the winter there are cross country ski trails and a sledding hill.
~~~
After this epic day trip to Grand Ledge, I can’t recommend this place enough. If you’re looking for a unique place in Michigan to visit, Grand Ledge needs to be on the top of your list.
from Michigan with Love,
Jackie
