Photo Courtesy of City of Grand Ledge
Just southwest of Lansing, the Ledges Trail evokes a touch of otherworldly wonder.
Visitors hiking a woodsy path on the edge of the Grand River pass stri- ated rocky cliffs where rare lichens, strange mosses, and unusual, scaly green liverwort plants cover rock surfaces. Tangled trees overhang the trail, which links two parks (Fitzgerald and Oak) in Grand Ledge.
The trail is a rare place in the Lower Peninsula where you can see exposed bedrock. “This is a different picture of what life was like millions of years ago,” says Dr. Stephen Mattox, professor of geology at Grand Valley State University in Allendale.
The striped layers of rock tell the story of the Pennsylvanian period of the Paleozoic Era, when Michigan was a sultry soup of beaches, lagoons, seas, towering mosses, and ferns. As time passed, rocks formed in strata, like a multilayer cake.
At 300 million years old, the Ledges are baby bedrock compared to the bedrock found in the Upper Peninsula. But they’re easy to get to and easy to see.
For centuries, humans have been drawn to the Ledges. Native American tribes traveled here yearly. Spiritualists built a summer camp for seances. A century ago, settlers quarried coal, and a clay tile factory was big business. Early 20th century tourists even flocked here by train to stay at a local resort and take steamboat rides.
Today it is quiet, yet still beguiling. Grand Ledge, 11 miles west of Lansing, hides the famous trail well. It’s located just beyond the neat homes and tidy downtown, but out of sight. You’ll need a map or a tip to find the trail, but walkers, hikers, rock-climbers, kayakers, geologists, and locals know the way.
You might wonder why there aren’t more bedrock outcroppings like the Ledges in southern Michigan. According to Mattox, most of the Lower Peninsula is covered by an opaque layer of jumbled glacial drift. Only time, chance, and water have exposed the interesting rocks here.
In contrast, the Upper Peninsula is truly ancient. The cliffs at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising and the tilting boulders of the Keweenaw Peninsula are up to 1 billion years old. A gneiss rock found near the tiny town of Watersmeet in the western U.P. recently was dated at 3.6 billion years. It’s the oldest known rock in the United States.
But none of those amazing places is as convenient for a day trip as Grand Ledge. I walked the trail both ways, and here’s what I discovered:
- The dirt trail is for moderate hikers. Parts are clear and wide, and parts are narrow and covered with roots. The trail rises and falls, so hiking shoes are a must. Bring water. Go on a dry day. Keep a close eye on young children.
- Start at Grand Ledge’s Fitzgerald Park, which has multiple trails, picnic areas, parking, and restrooms.
- The trail isn’t well-marked, so before you arrive and park, download a map from the Eaton County website (2020-Fitzgerald-Park-trails-brochure-PDF). You should know that one aspect of the map is wrong because the steep stairs to get you from the park down to the trail have collapsed. Instead, walk just a minute over to the River Bottom Trail. It’s a wide, well-maintained downhill path leading to a tiny bridge. Cross that and you’re on the trail.
- From the Fitzgerald Park side, you can see the rocks up close and touch them. They’re full of crevices and ledges, hidey holes, and odd shapes. Geologists have found fossils of ferns, and indicators of ancient fish in Grand Ledge. A sign warns visitors against carving their names into the rocks — sadly, to no avail.
- After walking for a few minutes, look across the Grand River and you’ll see Oak Park on the opposite shore. The cliffs on that side of the river rise 70 feet high, making it a popular place for rock-climbers. Casual visitors can also access Oak Park and stand at the foot of the rocks.
- As you walk down the Ledges Trail on the Fitzgerald Park side, notice the moss, lichen, and liverworts, all living off the rock. See sparkles in the layers of sandstone, from the ancient quartz sand. The black stripes may be coal, from the swampy compression of ancient plants.
- The trail gets narrow, so watch your step. After slightly more than a mile you’ll reach Island Park, a slim island in the middle of the placid Grand River. The river winds through Michigan from Jackson to Lansing and Grand Rapids, on the way to Grand Haven and Lake Michigan, but it’s particularly pretty in Grand Ledge.
- You also can walk the Ledges Trail in reverse, entering near Island Park; look for the blue picnic table at the trailhead and park in the lot near the Masonic Temple.
- If you end up near Island Park, you’re in downtown Grand Ledge. Walk up the street for lunch at the Cancun Mexican Grill before heading back up the trail.
When you get home, read up on liverworts and bedrock. Who knew? 
PLAN IT!
Eaton County Parks
