Plan Your Biking Adventure
Road Trails
Planning a road biking trek? Newaygo County is a part of the Grand Region Bike Trail. Download the Michigan Department of Transportation trail map to map your trip.
Stories from the Trail
Flowers are Popping at Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary
This darn crazy spring and summer weather we are having is making it frustrating for photographers. I went to Loda Lake this week on the only day it hadn’t rained and was surprised by how I was joined by other photographers and hikers doing the same thing. School is...
Coolbough Natural Area Offers Birds, Bugs and Boot Prints
The Coolbough Natural Area is one of my favorite places to hike. Why? There are many reasons such as easy parking, looping paths, lots of wildlife and points of interest, a porta-john, and many more, but I will save my favorite for last.Coolbough has many options for...
The Wetland Trail – A Unique Ecosystem
I’ve mentioned before in a previous blog that I work for TrueNorth Community Services, the parent company of Camp Newaygo. Unless people attend one of Camp Newaygo’s public events such as their “Dinners on the Ridge” series this summer (July 20 or August 10) most...
Hunt for Karner Blue Butterflies at Sanctuary
Sometimes you want to do something different than follow a path through the woods. Maybe you want to create an adventure or a bit of a scavenger hunt for an endangered species. One of the good things about the late spring/summer season is the endangered Karner Blue...
A Branstrom Park Day
I had just bought myself a new pair of waterproof low hiking boots and I needed to try them out. If you live or work in Fremont, or if you’re vacationing in the area and stop there for supplies or to grab something to eat, do yourself a favor and do not overlook...
Our First Hike
Kelley and I had always dreamed on having a home near water when we retired. A place where we could sink down solid roots and flourish after many years of working and building a life for our family in the Detroit and the Grand Rapids areas. So, on weekends we’d go...
Camp Newaygo: A Special Day, a Special Place
It was a chilly Saturday morning for late April but I knew the Tai Chi would warm me up. It was the second in a series of free classes offered through the AmeriCorps Safe Routes to Health initiative at Camp Newaygo. The class, like the first one, was to be held in...
Newaygo: A Truly Magical Place
This truly is a magical place.Nestled on the banks of the Muskegon River in Newaygo County rests the nostalgic town ofNewaygo, MI. The historic district of this town still features all of the old world charm and design;restored vintage buildings, bustling...
Early Spring Hike Reveals Surprises
Spring fever had struck. I needed to hike and thought Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary would be a good place to explore and get my walking legs broken in. I didn’t think I would see many wildflowers, because even the daffodils weren’t up yet, but it was sunny and...
Learning to Love Running on a Ga-zillion Newaygo County Trails
The trees are heavy with the afternoon’s rain. Sagging evergreen branches hang over me; drip, drip, dripping onto the leafy floor. The sky is wrapped with clouds; dark blues and greys seeming to hold the sky closer to the Earth. The path is damp, rain...
