Hager Park in Ottawa County is Fun for the Whole Family

November 7, 2021 · by Jonathan Katje · in Family Trips

Ottawa County Parks operates 40 parks and open space land sites (as well as a few trails) in Michigan’s seventh most populate county. As we have continued to explore these sites we have been amazed at how beautiful they are and the various opportunities each one offers for outdoor recreation and family fun. Hager Park in Jenison was one of our most recent visits, and today we take a look at this 104-acre park that offers something for the entire family. Home to trails, multiple playgrounds, reservable rooms and picnic shelters, and even a unique relief map of the United States, Hager Park will quickly become a favorite for your entire family!

The Age of Discovery playground is one of the highlights of the park for any children who visit. Offering slides, swings and a large wooded play structure with many hands-on activities, it is a deserving centerpiece of this park.

Next to the Age of Discovery playground is a large relief map of the United States. You’ll need to get up to the top of the playground or have a drone to really see the big picture, but this is also a great spot to find Michigan and other states in a fun and interesting way.

If you follow the main park road past the Age of Discovery playground you will pass paved trails and a few buildings before reaching another playground. This playground has older equipment and is highlighted by a zip line (shown above).

On the other side of the road from this playground we found the southern trailhead and a helpful park map (which you can also find here). Hager Park has several miles of trails that provide great wildlife watching, colorful spring wildflowers, and stunning fall color.

Hager Park also has several buildings and shelters that can be reserved for large gatherings. There is plenty of open space here for picnics, kite flying, and more.

We found a memorial for Titus W. and Frances M. Hager, who left behind the gift that made the park possible, behind one of the buildings. An accompanying wooden sign featuring a bible verse had stirred up controversy in 2015. It was briefly removed, then returned to the park next to a new memorial explaining the Hager family’s reasons for it being part of their gift to the county.