The Ledges at Grand Ledge

Grand Ledge is named for something you don’t expect to find in flat mid-Michigan: real cliffs. Along the Grand River, just west of Lansing, bands of sandstone rise as much as fifty or sixty feet for about a mile — the largest rock outcrop in central Michigan, and one of the largest in the state. The rock is around 300 million years old, laid down when this was the shore of an ancient sea, and you can still spot fossils and thin seams of coal in it.

The ledges are the main event in two riverside parks. Fitzgerald Park, on the south side, has trails right along the base of the cliffs, and Oak Park, on the north side, is the spot for rock climbing — there are dozens of routes up the sandstone, and it’s about the only place to climb natural rock in this part of the state. Down in town, Island Park sits on what was once the Seven Islands Resort, a Victorian-era getaway that drew tens of thousands of visitors a year for the river, the scenery, and even an early roller coaster.

Fitzgerald Park is run by Eaton County Parks; you can find hours and trail maps through the county. The parks are free to visit.