Riley Trails

Of course, you can come any time of the year, this is always a lovely small park! It is guaranteed to be crowded and cost money (unless you have the Ottawa County park pass) in the summer, though, and I've had better luck with parking and personal space at Holland State Park. I've found that the fall is the perfect time to enjoy the sunset and the waves here without getting lost in the crowds a...

Feel the burn in your calves and thighs! If you don't feel it, pick up the pace or do it all again! The good news is it is actually just a large dune, not an entire mountain. It should not take you very long to run, even though there are over 200 steps here. Every 25th stair is marked and there are benches kindly placed on the way up and at the top. There is free parking at 2280 Ottawa Beach Rd...

Holland State Park has a variety of activities available, the most prominent of course being swimming and relaxing on the beach. You can lay out towels and sunbathe, throw a frisbee or football in the large sand area away from the water, or play sand volleyball on one of the many courts. There is also a basketball court and a few good trees to set up hammocks. When the conditions are right I've...

Windmill Island features an authentic and operational Dutch windmill called "De Zwaan" (The Swan) as well as gardens planted with over 100,000 tulips. The windmill was built in 1761 and moved to Holland in 1964. Notably, this windmill is not only the oldest authentic, working Dutch windmill in the United States, but it is also the last windmill to ever have left the Netherlands.  Begin your tri...

Each year in May this festival is held all across Holland, Michigan, with schedules of attractions, flowerbed locations, and additional information found at the Tulip Time website. It is well known internationally and has been awarded Best Flower Festival, America’s Best Small Town Festival, and the 2017 – 2018 Tulip Festival of the Year.  If you're familiar with tulips you know that some bloom...

The start and end of this adventure is at the dead end of Holly Drive. There is a small boat launch parking lot that sometimes has a porta-john, although I would not count on it. You can kayak upstream (to the right) to enjoy a peaceful paddle around and through the reeds, and I have seek many muskrats up that way. This adventure focuses on paddling the ever increasing difficulty that downstrea...