The Spring and summer StoryWalk schedule is up through June! Pages from a featured book will be posted along a path at one of the parks listed below for your family to read together. Stories are available during park hours. Registration not required; For more...
Public Observatory
Update June 30, 2022 Check out progress on construction of the Public Observatory at Hemlock Crossing County Park in West Olive, MI. The local club who will be operating the telescope, the Shoreline Amateur Astronomical Association is working hard to install and...
Superhero vision thanks to public health
Eli King was nine years old when he went for a routine school vision screening at Grand Haven Public Schools. His mother, Kali, described the then-3rd grader as fun-loving and active. At the time, she said he showed no signs of vision loss, so she was surprised when...
Poison Hemlock
What is poison hemlock? Poison hemlock is an invasive flower that was planted in gardens and is now spreading across Michigan. It lives only two years (biennial), but each plant can produce up to 38,000 seeds. Is it dangerous? Poison hemlock can be lethal if handled...
GVSU / Jenison High School Research
What's the scoop? Ottawa County Parks and Recreation has been working with Karina White, a biology and A.P. environmental science teacher from Jenison High School (JHS), for almost a decade through the Adopt-A-Park program. When White decided to attend Grand Valley...
Red Pine Management
Pigeon River Greenway Red pine (Pinus resinosa) is one of the most common pine trees in Michigan. There are over 1.6 million acres of red pine forests in our state, and despite being at the very southern range of this northern pine, Ottawa County hosts its fair share....
Zee Bus
Updated on: June 13, 2022 Thursdays throughout the summer Upper Macatawa Natural Area 10:30 am-12:30 pm • 11 am Nature Activity June 16 June 23 June 30 July 14 July 21 July 28 August 4 August 11 Full Summer Schedule:
National Trails Day
Celebrate the American Hiking Society’s #NationalTrailsDay with Ottawa County Parks & Recreation Millions of people have found physical, mental, and emotional restoration on trails and in quality green space during the pandemic. Let’s return the favor as a...
2022 Lake Michigan Beach Update
Get Beach Ready Beach season is almost here! Below is the most up-to-date information related to our lakeshore parks. We'll continue to update this page as the season progresses. Please be aware that even with the high water levels in decline, we continue to see dune...