When is the last time you lingered on a bridge enjoying an ice cream cone with your family on a warm summer evening overlooking a little league baseball game and views of the Grand River? If you are in Grand Ledge, this scenario is part of what you come to know as just another great summer day, compliments of our spectacular City parks.

PARK INVESTMENT – The resources that Grand Ledge invests into our 13 parks and open spaces provides a resounding return on investment as evidenced by a growing industrial park, strong downtown, terrific schools, healthy neighborhoods, and successful events, festivals, and parades.
According to the City Parks Forum Briefing Papers from the American Planning Association, city parks:

  • Positively affect real property values
  • Increase municipal revenue
  • Attract and retain affluent retirees
  • Attract knowledge workers with places to live and work
  • Attract homebuyers

Rock Climbing – Oak Park, recently expanded and now offers nearly 9 acres of public park space that showcases the iconic sandstone ledges from which the City’s name is derived. Skilled climbers travel from all across the Midwest to scale the 30 vertical feet of rock with over 100 climbing routes. While climbing is a unique draw to Oak Park, the vast majority of visitors enjoy the serene setting, wildlife viewing, and the photogenic backdrop create a draw for visitors to enjoy again and again.

Riverfront Access – The Grand River, Michigan’s longest river of 252 miles, traverses over 13,700 feet through the heart of Grand Ledge. Over 70% of the Grand River is accessible from 6 of our 13 City parks. Whether looking over the Grand River from atop the towering sandstone ledges, down at the river’s edge with a fishing pole, or right in the middle with a boat, canoe, or kayak, Grand Ledge offers spectacular Grand River experiences from a multitude of perspectives. In our responsible approach to preserving public land, we are proud to provide public access to this unique stretch of the Grand River, as well as offer environmental protection to the wide variety of fish and wildlife species that call the Grand River home.

ART – Our parks have art! While there are eight public works of art throughout the City, four pieces are accessible from our parks. The art pieces invoke a sense of creativity and pride adding inspiration that enhances the natural, scenic environment.

PARTNERSHIPS – To help the City maintain quality parks we support partnerships that provide cooperative benefits

  • Grand Ledge Public Schools (GLPS)/Community Recreation
    • in 2015, the City partnered with GLPS to streamline all the community recreation programming. By 2016, this collaborative partnership increased community recreation participation significantly, reaching an all-time high of 2,088 participants, surpassing the highest year on record of 1,908 set in 2009. As of February 2017, participation numbers are forecasted to surpass 2016. The importance of affordable, relevant, and easily accessible recreation opportunities are paramount for the overall health and well-being for all of our City residents.
  • Eaton County Parks/Ground Maintenance Agreement
    • In 2016, the City entered into an intergovernmental cooperation agreement that engages the County’s Parks Department to provide ground maintenance at all City parks

MOVING FORWARD – In 2017, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) approved the City’s 2017-2021 Parks Master Plan. The most comprehensive and well-received plan the City has completed to date, utilized tremendous community input via a survey and public hearings to craft solid direction for the next five years. The City looks forward to a number of new initiatives in the near future, including: continued improvements of Jaycee Park (amphitheater, splash pad, farmers market, mini-rock climbing wall); and potential purchase of Lincoln Brick Park, a 90 acre park that provides 6,000 feet of scenic frontage along the Grand River.

PLAN A VISIT – Planning a visit to Grand Ledge couldn’t be easier. Our recently updated website now includes a wealth of information about our City parks in an easy to navigate format. From the parks page visitors can easily access: interactive maps and directions to all of our 13 parks and open spaces; lists of amenities describing what can be found at each park; and, what parks/facilities are available to rent.

Whether you are looking for a place to picnic, a spot to drop your boat in the Grand River, or a unique place to rent for your next family or work outing, all of this information and much more is easily available on your computer or smartphone. Entrance to all city parks is free and you can enjoy them from dawn to dusk 7/days a week. Visit www.cityofgrandledge.com for additional information and then come join the fun in Grand Ledge – Naturally Grand!

 

View other Community Profiles

In our efforts to educate, engage, and enlighten, we would like to showcase a professionally managed community as part of an ongoing feature. The plan is to offer a new profile each month. However, we can only do this with your help!  What you choose to write about can range from the mundane to the inspirational, but either way, we’d love to hear from you. Please email sminnick@mml.org if you are interested in sharing your community’s story!