Linear Park in Grand Haven: Enjoy the Sculptures and Amazing Views
Most of our time in Grand Haven has been spent at the beach at the state park, walking out to the lighthouse, dining downtown, or watching the musical fountain. We recently had a chance to check out a beautiful waterfront park full of sculptures, located by the former J.B. Sims power plant. Linear Park is a small park on Harbor Island that has a walking path along the South Channel, fishing piers, picnic areas, and a collection of sculptures that were added last year. The walking path covers less than a mile from the parking area and offers views of downtown Grand Haven, the famous musical fountain, passing boats and freighters, and birdwatching opportunities. Here’s a look at the sculptures you can see when you visit Linear Park in Grand Haven:
The first sculpture greets visitors as they start their walk on the paved path, and from that point on we counted nine more sculptures. We were surprised that there weren’t any kind of plaques or signs identifying the artists or the name of each piece, but hopefully that will be added at some point. A news article from last year names Steve Cannaert, Brian Ferriby, John Sauve, Michael Fets, Maureen Bergquist, Manuel Rodrigiuez, Kansas Williams, Steve Ryan, Kevin Bowen, and Sophie Marie as the artists.
High water and erosion has taken out part of the walking path but there is still room to get through. The fishing pier appears to need some upgrading as well but still looked usable. There are a couple of picnic areas near the end of the path that have great views of the Grand Haven waterfront and the musical fountain.
Linear Park’s location on the Grand River means it is also a great location for watching the freighters that come into town to load or unload. While the Sims plant has been demolished, we did still see the Olive L. Moore/Menominee dropping a load off at its former location, and many vessels make their way up the river to the Verplank dock with various aggregates.
A plaque at the end of the trail appeared to be a remnant of the past, as it shared facts and figures about the J.B. Sims Generating Station that was demolished in 2021. It is great to see that a bunch of the land this former plant occupied is being cleaned up and turned into park space, wetlands, and animal habitat. We saw many ducks, geese, and other birds during a visit and even saw a group of deer making their way through the power plant parking lot.
The sculpture trail at Linear Park is less than a mile in length, paved, and open to the public. This is a great short hike with scenic views, and a great spot for a summer picnic or an afternoon of fishing. To get to the park, follow signs for Harbor Island (just after the bridge as you head south on U.S. 31, or at the intersection of Jackson and 3rd). Look for the sign shown above that points the way to Linear Park.
Another sculpture is located here at the park entrance, and is a lighthouse with a poem sculpted into it. This piece was done by artist Daniel Muellerlelle and a sign in front of it includes the poem that is spelled out in this 20 foot tall sculpture: “Sail off in search of your dream. Restlessly borne upon the waves, in gliding serenity, adrift between the earth and sky. Let me guide you home, if only to plan your next adventure.”
