MLive says: “Grand Ledge has a perfect name because the Ledges found here are fantastic. Oak Park and Fitzgerald Park, located on either side of the Grand River are both home to lovely rock formations that have been around for hundreds of millions of years. The ledges at Oak Park provide the only place in Michigan's lower peninsula where adventurers can go rock climbing (though some say it should be outlawed to preserve the Ledges). In Fitzgerald Park, you can only look. The parks are worth a visit just to take a scenic stroll and take a look at this intriguing terrain.”
August 29, 2020
The last weekend of August brought perfect weather to explore a local spot. Bill, Bela, and I loaded ourselves into the car for the 50-minute drive to Grand Ledge on Saturday morning. August had proven to be a difficult month: I had a back injury that kept me in bed for days and at home for weeks, and I was looking forward to testing out my body after taking it easy for the entirety of August. With Bill and Bela along for the trek, I felt confident and safe to test the waters after healing.
We started at Fitzgerald Park and hiked the ledges trail into downtown Grand Ledge. The trails are narrow and uneven, making it tricky to pass other hikers (especially with a big dog) at a safe distance. The trail itself was really beautiful, though, and flanked by amazing rock formations and the Grand River. The crevices within the ledges contained their own miraculous little ecosystems, and the trees’ roots weaved in and out of rocky surfaces and loose sediment.
When we arrived in Grand Ledge, we first found Island Park, which is a literal island in the Grand River that’s been made into a beautiful park. There were all varieties of water fowl there, including some really unique geese, as well as a shockingly biodiverse tree canopy. We walked the entire length of the island in just a few minutes and let Bela off her leash to swim in the shallow area around the Island’s shore.
There wasn’t much else to see in Grand Ledge, especially since we left our wallets in the car at Fitzgerald Park. We hiked back on the ledges trail and got a whole new perspective on the rock formations from our opposite angle! We also heard and saw a number of rock-climbers across the river in Oak Park.
We finished our three mile hike back at Fitzgerald Park, where Bela collapsed onto the ground and into her water bowl. I joined her on the ground and we laid in the grass together until Bill made us move. After a month of hardly any activity, I was pooped, but it felt so good to be outside and moving. We drove back into downtown and stopped for ice cream on the river to round out our little morning adventure.
