A Bit about Johnson Park

johnson park

2600 Wilson Ave, Walker, MI 49534

^{natural hiking paths through hardwoods}
^{Trail Length:} ^{1.5 miles}
^{Trail Difficulty:} ^Moderate
^{Dogs Allowed? Yes, but they must be on a 6-foot leash.
Facilities: Modern bathrooms
Stroller Friendly? Not really – very grassy and hilly
Time of Year Accessible: May 1-October 31 from 7 AM-dusk.}
WEBSITE

Johnson Park is a beautiful, sprawling park along the Grand River in Walker. It connects to Millennium Park through the Kent Trails system.

Covering nearly 260 acres, Johnson Park has a lot of room to spread out, relax, and enjoy the great outdoors.

Johnson Park is one of over 50 walking trails in West Michigan.

Johnson Park Details

Their address will take you to the main entrance near the historic closed shelter. However, sometimes this entrance is closed.

(The lodge is a popular place for weddings and other events, so the lot is often busy on weekends.)

There is an entrance off of Butterworth to get to the yellow playground in this part of the park.

Further down Butterworth you’ll find another entrance to the red playground area, where there is a bathroom and covered shelter.

Because Johnson Park is so large, I’d recommend reviewing their park map before heading out — it’ll give you a better understanding of the park and where to find entrances.

Johnson Park map — Photo from Kent County Parks

Locals love the disc golf course and the baseball fields, as well as the paved path for biking and the nature walk. They also love that it’s a clean park!

Johnson Park at a Glance

Two playgrounds
Popular disc golf area
Fishing along the Grand River
Picnicking
Nature trails
Paved pathway
Ball diamonds
Sledding hill
Covered shelters
Picnic tables
Clean bathrooms
Paved trail connects to the Fred Meijer Millennium Park Trail Network for a nice long bike ride or walk.

With all its wide open spaces, Johnson Park is perfect for flying a kite. Plus toddlers will enjoy the open space to “run” around, as well as the play structures.

There is an incredible amount of picnic tables at Johnson Park, and grills can be found throughout. The historic enclosed shelter is often rented out, but there’s an open shelter at the red playground, as well as lovely shade trees galore.

Tips for Your Trip From Other Parents

This is a fun place for a picnic, with all the beautiful shade trees. Pick a picnic table or lay a blanket in the grass.
There’s a fun sledding hill in winter.
There’s a nice walk through the woods, but it is hilly and sometimes buggy.
Watch kids if you play at the yellow playground area. It’s not far from the yard of the lodge, where lots of events take place. My son almost ran across the lawn to the corn hole sets that were set up for a wedding reception!
The main entrance (where the address will take you) can be closed, so you’ll have to access the park via Butterworth.
Lots of fishing opportunities along the Grand River.