Aman park is West Michigan’s best kept secret. Always a fun adventure, hiking its six miles of trails is especially spectacular when its many fields of wildflowers bloom.
Shh! I’m going to let you in on a little secret. The city of Grand Rapids owns a small nature park just outside of town, and it is THE BEST local place to hike in spring.
Every spring, we hustle ourselves out of the city and over to Aman Park. We hike the 1.5-mile interpretive loop trail and admire the blooming wildflowers. (Fields and fields and fields of wildflowers!)
This year, I made several trips to Aman Park and explored every single trail there. The less popular trails were not crowded, they were every bit as lovely, and they were a little more adventurous.
Aman Park
Featuring six guided nature trails, Aman Park is a 331-acre nature area owned by the City of Grand Rapids.
Aman Park is located at 0-1859 Lake Michigan Drive NW in Grand Rapids, Michigan. You will find it a few miles west of the city limits (in what I would consider to be the Walker/Standale area). The park shares an access drive with Indian Trails Camp.
PRO TIP: When using GPS to get there, I always plug in the address for Indian Trails Camp. If I type “Aman Park” into my GPS, it has led me into a nearby neighborhood (instead of the park) before.
You will easily find trailheads along the left side of the access drive. There are several small parking areas along this access drive as well.
Its six miles of trails can be used for hiking or cross-country skiing and are open year round. Aman Park’s most popular trail is a 1.5-mile loop called the Interpretive Trail.
Although child-friendly and dog-friendly, the trails are not wheelchair accessible.
The park is named after Jacob Aman who donated the land to the City of Grand Rapids in 1926. Aman had taken great pleasure in the area himself and hoped that future generations would come to enjoy its natural beauty as he had. Aman is buried in the park, and his grave is marked with a giant boulder. The yellow and orange trails, both, pass by the grave marker.
West Michigan Super Bloom
I like to refer to Aman Park’s wildflowers as the West Michigan Super Bloom. Like the occasional super blooms in California, the many fields of wildflowers at Aman Park are a spectacular sight. Unlike California’s famed super blooms, you can rely on the Aman Park wildflowers to bloom en masse every single year.
The best time to see wildflowers in West Michigan (including at Aman Park) is typically late April to early May. (HINT: The wildflowers make Aman Park a great place to go on a Mother’s Day hike.)
A few of the wildflowers you are likely to see at Aman Park include:
- Trillium
- Virginia Bluebells
- Hepatica
- Jack-in-the-pulpit
- Wild Leeks
- Buttercups
- Violets
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Other Aman Park Nature Adventures
Aman Park has a lot to offer besides wildflowers though. Sand Creek meanders throughout the park creating a variety of terrain to explore – hills, ravines, ridges and spots of sandy shorelines.
Additionally, the area is heavily wooded. There are a variety of trees to admire including multiple pine groves and a fun little walk through a thicket of sumacs. Dead trees had fallen over the trail in several areas, and that always adds a touch of adventure to any hike.
In addition to the surrounding nature, be sure to stop a moment by Aman’s grave and pay homage to this generous man who donated his land to the city so that local children can explore and enjoy “the joys of native woods.”
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What to Know Before You Go
Snap a picture of the map at the trailhead before you start hiking. There are no maps along the trails once you enter the park. (Or, download an Aman Park trail map ahead of time from the City of Grand Rapids website.)
Bring bug spray. The bugs aren’t bad in early spring. However, this park is mostly dense woods, and there is some standing water in places. It has the potential to get pretty “buggy” with mosquitoes and such.
Trails are unpaved. They are not wheelchair accessible or stroller friendly.
Visit in spring for wildflowers. If you are there specifically to see the wildflowers (or the West Michigan Super Bloom, as I call it), the best time to visit is probably in early May.
Don’t forget to explore the side trails, too. If you have the time and energy, venture off from the main loop trail to explore even more of the area’s natural beauty including pine groves, a thicket of sumac, ridges and stream crossings.
Bring your camera. It’s a beautiful area, and you will want to snap a few pictures throughout your hike.
Bring the entire family (even the dog). The trails are all child-friendly and dog-friendly.
Experience the trails during different seasons. Aman Park’s trails are open year-round. And, each season will bring a different type of beauty to your hike.
Let’s Hike!
There you have it! You now know about the best kept hiking secret around Grand Rapids, Michigan – home to the West Michigan Super Bloom every spring. What are you going to do with this newfound knowledge?
- Would you enjoy hiking at Aman Park?
- Where do you go to see wildflowers?
Other Midwest Hiking Adventures You May Enjoy:
This is such a gorgeous park for hiking. I love the wildflowers!
I love the wildflowers, too! That’s why it is my favorite place to hike on Mother’s Day weekend. I get to enjoy flowers and enjoy quality time with my family. Win!
I STILL can’t get over that field of Trillium.
I know! And, you wouldn’t believe how many fields just like this one there is along the hiking trails there. It is really quite spectacular.
I have to visit this place! Looks beautiful!
Let’s take our families next spring!
Such a beautiful area. It’s funny, I’m not really that into flowers, but I can’t help but admire all of the beautiful wildflowers. Nature at it’s finest.
When there are SO MANY wildflowers concentrated in one area, how can one not be impressed? Right?