Lansing Parks and Gardens

(Lansing, Michigan - MI, USA)



As Michigan's capital slowly began to grow and expand its boundaries during the early 20th century, the city started to experience periods of rather haphazard development. In the year 1912, the city of Lansing employed the services of accomplished American urban planner, Harland Bartholomew, who immediately suggested improvements to the public parks, gardens and street planting.

Bartholomew drew up a plan and suggested the planting of more trees along the streets, the expansion of existing parks and the acquisition of more green space, as well as much landscape gardening and lots of planting schemes to soften the city's buildings.

Upon Bartholomew's return to Lansing some two decades later, he was pleased to see that his suggestions had been implemented. More than 10,000 trees had been planted along the streets, Potter Park had been improved and expanded, and over 120 hectares / 300 acres of new recreational space and parks had been opened to the public. This included the addition of both the Groesbeck Golf Course on Ormond Street and the Red Cedar Golf Course on South Clipper Street.


General Information

Today, the city of Lansing continues the legacy of forward-thinking Harland Bartholomew and ensures that its numerous parks are not only well-maintained, but filled with amenities for visitors to make use of, such as walking and jogging trails, restrooms, picnic tables and benches, and children's playgrounds. A good example of this work is the Lansing River Trail, which stretches for roughly 13 miles / 21 km and runs alongside both the Red Cedar River and the Grand River, all the way to the Michigan State University.

At just over ten minutes' drive south of downtown Lansing, the Hawk Island Country Park is certainly well worth checking out. This spacious 40-hectare / 100-acre public parkland is centered around a large lake and boasts beach areas, trails for walking, jogging and also bicycling, sheltered picnic spots and courts suitable for playing volleyball on.

Children will be sure to appreciate the play equipment and Splash Pad, with water fountains offering a fun way to cool down on a hot summer's day. The Hawk Island Country Park has some fairly steep hills and during the colder winter months, these are often covered in snow, lending themselves to tubing and sledding.

Plant buffs in Lansing should certainly visit the campus of Michigan State University, where the W. J. Beal Botanical Garden and the Lewis Landscape Arboretum reside. The university is also home to demonstration gardens, which display different aspects of landscape design and seasonal planting. Those with an interest in indigenous Michigan wildlife should pencil in a trip to the Fenner Nature Center or the Woldumar Nature Center.

Visitors to Lansing's imposing Michigan State Capitol will find several neighboring green spaces to the south, such as Reutter Park on South Capitol Avenue. Further south, the Cooley Gardens front the Grand River and are home to both the Michigan Women's Historical Center and Hall of Fame, as well as some beautiful rose borders.