West Michigan Winter Sports

Cannonsburg Ski Area, just 20 minutes from downtown Grand Rapids, offers 21 downhill runs, including a 1,500-feet doozy with a 250-foot vertical drop. (And that’s not all ­– check out all the winter sports action Cannonsburg has to offer.) Bittersweet Ski Resort, about 40 minutes to the south, boasts 20 runs and a 350-foot drop. Mulligan’s Hollow, 40 minutes northwest, has six slopes ranging from 250 ft. to 700 ft.

Cross-country skiers typically head to area parks and nature centers to get in a workout. Millennium Park, 10 minutes from downtown, offers 18 miles of trails over mostly flat terrain, through extensive natural areas. In addition to Millennium Park, Wyoming’s Palmer Park is the only other place in Kent County where you’ll find groomed cross-country trails. Check out more trails and some great tips.

There are five groomed fatbike trails within 45 minutes of downtown GR. The closest is Indian Trails, which is actually a city-owned golf course that offers a 3.7-mile single-track fastback loop in winter months. Cannonsburg Ski Area grooms five miles of rolling to hilly terrain for a fatbike trail loop. There’s also a number of ungroomed local trails to choose from. Get a closer look at our fatbike community.  

Fishing enthusiasts aren’t always keen on sharing their favorite spots – but you can tell by the ice tents and shanties lining Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids every winter that the catch is good. Camp Lake, Cranberry Lake, Lime Lake and Long Lake are also great ice fishing options within 20 miles of downtown. Explore more ice fishing locations and some helpful advice.

Snowshoers share trails with cross-country skiers at local parks and nature centers – remember, skiers have the right of way – so Blandford Nature Center, Cannonsburg Ski Area and Millennium Park are popular places for snowshoers. Don’t have your own pair? You can rent them at several different locations, including some trail sites. Click here for rental (and purchase) information, and additional trails to explore.

Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing require a certain level of snow on the ground. But you can enjoy a hike through nature on 60+ local trails whether there’s snow or no. Get your steps in downtown with a walk on the Grand River Edges Trail, which hugs the Grand River and passes by such popular attractions as the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids Public Museum and Sixth Street Bridge.

Our favorite fun (and free) sledding locations include Richmond Park, Belknap Park, Johnson Park and Cascade Township Park. Don’t have a sled? Visit the GR Outside Gear Library at Roosevelt Park on Fridays from noon-5pm for sled rentals on a "pay what you can" basis. The Gear Library is also open on other days Tuesday-Saturday, but by appointment only. Free sled libraries are also located at Plaster Creek Family Park, Mulick Park and Richmond Park. 

Tubing is like sledding, only it’s typically faster, more orderly and done with a tube rather than a sled (duh). Even better, you don’t have to walk back up the hill – at least, not at Cannonsburg Ski Area. Its eight tubing lanes are serviced by a state-of-the-art “magic carpet” that transports you back up to the top of the hill, ensuring that you get maximum laps.

The terrain park at Cannonsburg Ski Area is one of the top 3 in the Midwest according to Transworld Snowboarding. Cannonsburg actually incorporates multiple parks that range in skill from beginner to advanced and are designed to encourage natural progression. You can also snowboard at Bittersweet Ski Resort and Mulligan’s Hollow.

You may have seen the sport of luge in the Winter Olympics: one- or two-man teams lay feet first, face up on a flat sled and let gravity propel them along a specially designed ice track. If you’ve ever thought, “Hey, I’d like to try that,” here’s your chance. The Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park, just 50 minutes from Grand Rapids, is home to one of only four luge tracks in the U.S. The park also offers outdoor skating (on two acres of natural ice), cross-country skiing (lighted after dark) and snowshoeing (with views of Lake Michigan).

Grand Rapids’ annual winter festival invites visitors to walk around downtown for over 100 free events, activities and outdoor art installations, and more. Jan. 12-March 10.

Ready to watch somebody else exert themselves? Cheer on the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team at Van Andel Arena at one of their home games throughout the winter.

If hockey isn't your thing, Van Andel Arena is also home to the Grand Rapids Gold basketball team and the newly formed Grand Rapids Rise Pro Volleyball team. 

The Winter Meijer State Games of Michigan is a multi-sports, Olympic-style event that welcomes athletes from across the state regardless of age or ability. Featured sports include bowling, figure skating, luge, and sled hockey among many others. The Games now feature two hubs: Marquette and Grand Rapids. The Lower Peninsula/Grand Rapids games will take place from February 16-18.