Parks

Experience adventure by chance or by choice. With more than 1,000 acres of parkland, the Mt. Pleasant area is filled with opportunities to unplug.

Start your journey at the Chippewa River, where you can master miles and miles of winding waters via river tube, kayak, canoe or paddleboard. Known as “Michigan’s laziest river” the Chippewa River is perfect for a leisurely trip downstream with friends and family.

Just a step off of the Chippewa River find yourself in one of the many beautiful County parks. Deerfield County Park boasts over 8 miles of hiking and groomed cross country trails, two disc golf courses, many river crossings and bridges, a sandy beach and rustic camping. Northwest of Deerfield, explore Coldwater Lake Family Park, offering beautiful sandy beach camping and activity spaces on the shoreline of Coldwater Lake. Follow the Chippewa River back into the Mt. Pleasant City limits where the GKB riverwalk trail will guide you through four-interconnected, riverfront parks.

Let the culmination of your river and parks exploration lead you to Island Park in Downtown Mt. Pleasant. A 50-acre Island Park, circled by the calming flow of the Chippewa River. Set Up a hammock along the banks of the river and let the kids explore Timbertown Playscape or have them cool off at the Spray park. Before heading to your next adventure, cook-out and fuel-up at one of the many barbeques stands and covered picnic areas.

For those searching for adrenaline, head north to Snow Snake for a Zip Line course offering more than 4,000 feet of cable and speeds of up to 25 mph. From the heights of the Zip Line, look south and you may be able to see the peak of Bundy Hill, Mt. Pleasant’s elusive mountain and the tallest point in Isabella County.

Bundy Hill is only one of 22 nature preserves owned and maintained by the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy (CWC). Protecting over 600 acres of wild lands, the CWC offers a variety of outdoor experience like no other; all preserves are free and open to the public to enjoy.

Once you’ve made a choice about where to go to find yourself, be sure to stand still and enjoy it. Sometimes taking an indirect path leads you to new discoveries. Meandering paths. Meet here. #MeetMtP

Chippewa River

Start your journey at the Chippewa River, where you can master miles and miles of winding waters via river tube, kayak, canoe or paddleboard. Known as “Michigan’s laziest river” the Chippewa River is perfect for a leisurely trip downstream with friends and family.

The Chippewa River is a stream in Michigan that runs 91.8 miles through the central Lower Peninsula. The Chippewa is a tributary of the Tittabawassee River and is named after the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation.

The Chippewa River flows through Mt. Pleasant and is the focal point of four parks in the city: Mill Pond Park, Nelson Park, Chipp-A-Waters, and Island Park. In Island Park, the river flows completely around the park and creates a natural island in the center of the city. Three additional Isabella County parks utilize the river for recreation: Meridian Park, Deerfield Nature Park, and Majeski Landing.

Recreation

Get up and move! That’s what we’re all about in the center of Michigan. Take a trip down the Chippewa River, a stroll through the park system, or hike the elusive mountain in Mt. Pleasant – Bundy Hill. Anything’s possible! There’s something for every level of thrill seeker here.

Grab a friend and go hit any of our 11 local golf courses, all ranging in pace and expertise level. Or if you want the non-tradition golf choice, check out the disc golf courses at Deerfield Nature Park for a challenge or on the campus of CMU.

The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down either. Get sweaty with indoor racquetball, go bowling with friends, or lace up your roller skates and take a couple spins around the rink! There’s always something fun to do to get you up and moving.