Welcome to our Parents, Parks and Coffee series where we highlight destination parks all over West Michigan, and help you find coffee to fuel your next adventure. Many thanks to BIGGBY for partnering with us on this smile-making project.
A Bit about Johnson Park
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.
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.
Their address will take you to the main entrance near the historic closed shelter, a popular place for rentals. However, sometimes this entrance is closed. 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 picnic shelter.
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!
Tips for Your Trip from other Parents
- This would be 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 enclosed shelter, 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.
FAQ’s
Toddlers will enjoy the open space to “run” around, as well as the play structures.
Johnson park has two playgrounds, a popular disc golf area, lots of fishing along the Grand River, picnicking, a nature trail, paved pathway, ball diamonds, sledding hill and covered shelters. You’ll find many picnic tables and also clean bathrooms. The paved trail connects to the Fred Meijer Millennium Park Trail Network for a nice long bike ride or walk.
Bathrooms are modern and clean and close to the playgrounds, which parents appreciate!
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.
This is the kind of playground to hit up on a hot summer day – there are shade trees everywhere! The kids can play without feeling like they’re stuck in the Mojave desert without water. I imagine Johnson Park is quite beautiful in the fall. Or really, any time of year!
Johnson Park has plenty of open space for kite flying.
No admission fee for Johnson Park, unless you wanted to reserve their enclosed shelter.
As part of the Kent County Parks system, Johnson Park is open May 1-October 31, from 7 AM-dusk.
There is ample parking near the red and yellow playgrounds. Parking near disc golf seems ample, but if there’s a tournament you may have to park down the road at the red playground area.
Grab Your Coffee and Head to the Park
Tap the map icons to reveal the park address and the location of the nearest BIGGBY.
The BIGGBY closest to Johnson Park is located at 3910 Chicago Dr SW, Grandville, MI 49401.
Have Tips or Questions about Johnson Park?
Leave us a comment below and we will get back to you!
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