A 50-acre gift grew into Alpine Township's Wahlfield trail park

Wahlfield Park began with 50 acres donated by longtime Kent County Commissioner Fritz Wahlfield and his wife, Marlene, in 1983. More land came later. The county’s current parks plan lists about 280 acres in Alpine Township, turning the original gift into a broad public landscape of woods and fields.

Mill Creek cuts through a mix of wooded valley, open fields, and former farm ground. Trails loop across that changing terrain. Kent County lists routes from about half a mile to 4.3 miles, so the park works for a short walk or a longer outing. Mountain-bike loops run through the woods and fields, and the same rolling ground draws hikers, runners, and ungroomed cross-country skiers.

The biking network has a community-built side. The Western Michigan Mountain Biking Alliance designed the trail system and has done much of its construction and upkeep. That helps explain why a county park can feel like a purpose-built riding area without losing its quieter walking routes.

One geography note is useful: Wahlfield is owned by Kent County, not Alpine Township. But it sits squarely on Alpine Avenue in the township, giving the retail corridor a large green counterpart just up the road.