Finding a great place to hike when you live in Mid-Michigan can be challenging. The terrain is pretty flat and there is city everywhere but places like Lake Lansing Park North provide a break in the mundane.

The park contains over 530 acres of natural recreation area, including over 5 miles of trails. That might not seem like much, but it’s better than most options in the area. The hike takes you through evergreen forests, swamp and marsh, deciduous forest, and fields.

This is a great location for trail running as well, providing some challenges with roots, rocks, and hilly elevation changes.

The park opens half an hour before sunrise for pedestrian access and 8 a.m. for vehicle access, and closes a half hour after sunset. A vehicle fee is required all year. A map is available for pre-planning