This past Labor Day weekend, Kathy and I headed to Grand Rapids for a last taste of summer. Grand Rapids is a good travel destination because it has several interesting attractions. The Public Museum has an interesting collection of historical and natural history artifacts. The Gerald Ford Museum hosts displays related to Michigan’s only president. And I, personally, love the abundance of second hand stores in large old warehouses. This allows for ample treasure-hunting.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but city travel also opens many hiking opportunities. Most cities have at least a couple large hiking parks used mostly by locals. Many have excellent 5+ mile trail systems that can complement a nice weekend away. In Grand Rapids, one of the better hikes in this class is found at Seidman Park.
A traveler to Seidman Park is likely to pass through the interesting community of Ada, MI. Ada is best known as the international headquarters for Amway. Throughout the area, warehouses and corporate buildings peek from behind fences and well-manicured lawns. And the town of Ada carries with it the upscale trappings of a small town that hit the corporate lottery. The downtown has a nice share of businesses and restaurants. And an old covered bridge is a popular destination in town.
Just to the northeast of Ada, a visitor finds two trailheads to Seidman Park along Honey Creek Avenue NE. The trail system at Seidman is composed of three loops – red, yellow and blue - each of in the neighborhood of two miles. Those who want more than an easy walk can string the loops together for a total loop in the neighborhood of five miles.
The terrain in the park is good. Dennis Hansen’s Trail Atlas of Michigan describes the trail system as 40% hilly, 50% moderate and 10% flat. I hiked the large, five-mile loop and feel that Hansen overstates the terrain a bit. Still, it is possible to get a good hiking rhythm going as you shoot up and down the short hills. Forest cover is fairly heavy with occasionaly breaks for meadows. Although the maps seem to suggest that there are some significant streams in the park, I found them to be little more than trickles during my visit.
Trail use does not appear to be heavy. During my weekend evening visit, I only encountered two other hikers, both young men with dogs in tow. The area is well-sheltered from surrounding civilization, although several homes do encroach at the borders from the west side of the park.
As dusk began to settle in the park, I returned to the trailhead and noticed the surveying states and early grading along Honeycreek Avenue that will become a major link in Grand Rapids’ burgeoning recreational trail system. This paved pathway will push north towards the Cannonsburg State Game Area and its extensive network of trails.
Maps:
http://www.accesskent.com/CultureLeisureAndTransit/Parks/seidman.htm
http://www.michiweb.com/trailatlas/maps2.html
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&ll=43.000567,-85.455437&spn=0.037726,0.090723&t=h&z=14&msid=106324833060562393615.000474ac4edcce9ab6497
