Perry Street has two Park Township parks on it, and they handle snow very differently. Winstrom Park at 1700 Perry Street closes its west parking lot for the winter and sends drivers to the east lot. Down the road at 1353 Perry Street, Cooper Van Wieren Trail lists some sections that get groomed for fat bikes, skis and snowshoes when conditions allow.
For anyone living off Ottawa Beach Road or around Lake Macatawa, that's the real question on snowy days. Most nearby trails list cross-country skiing, but only some get groomed, and only certain lots get plowed. The one place in the area with groomed classic and skate lanes plus a rental counter is a short drive north. Here's how the closest options sort out.
| Park | Address | Winter trail status | Rentals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Van Wieren Trail | 1353 Perry St. | Some sections groomed as conditions allow | None listed |
| Riley Trails | 16300 Riley St. | Ungroomed cross-country ski trails | None listed |
| Albert C. Keppel Forest Preserve | 2117 W. Lakewood Blvd. | Cross-country ski trails listed | None listed |
| Ransom Street Park | 16576 Ransom St. | Cross-country ski trails listed | None listed |
| Hemlock Crossing | 8115 West Olive Rd., West Olive | Cross-country ski trails listed | Snowshoes |
| Pigeon Creek Park | 12524 Stanton St., West Olive | Groomed and tracked for classic and skate | Skis and snowshoes |
The Closest Groomed Track Belongs to a Bike Club
Cooper Van Wieren is a 61-acre township park with multi-use trails for mountain biking, walking and hiking. It also allows horses on the main trail, and the parking lot was built big enough for horse trailers. The township has built several trails linking it to Community Park, which sits behind the Park Township office. Community Park has walking trails, prairie areas, pickleball courts and the Historic Hangar venue, which you reach from Ottawa Beach Road.
According to Trailforks, the trail system covers about 5 miles in three loops. Those include a 0.25-mile racetrack and a 1.25-mile skills loop with built features. Michigan's Edge Mountain Biking Association has been the listed maintainer since 2023. The trail page lists winter fat biking, snowshoeing and Nordic skiing as uses. It also says some sections will be groomed "as conditions allow."
The page doesn't give a grooming schedule, so a snowy morning doesn't guarantee a groomed track. The same Trailforks page asks walkers to stay to the side of a groomed track and keep pets off it. Footprints and paw prints in a fresh groomed track ruin it for the skiers and riders it was made for. The live condition reports on Trailforks are the quickest way to check before you load the car.
Park Township has said the upkeep of Cooper Van Wieren's groomed bike and multi-use trails is part of why it asked for a parks millage increase on the Nov. 3 ballot. The trail costs the township money to maintain.
Ski Trails You Break In Yourself
Several more parks within easy reach of Lake Macatawa list cross-country ski trails, with no grooming listed.
Riley Trails is an Ottawa County park at 16300 Riley Street. It's open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Oct. 16 through Feb. 28, and there's no entry fee. Ottawa County lists its ski trails as ungroomed. If you head out right after a snowfall, you may be breaking the trail yourself, or skiing in whatever track the last visitor left. Trailforks places Cooper Van Wieren in its Riley Trails riding area, so on a day with fresh snow you can choose between a groomed track and an ungroomed one.
Closer to the water, two Park Township parks also list ski trails:
- Albert C. Keppel Forest Preserve, 2117 W. Lakewood Blvd.: 40.9 acres with hiking and cross-country ski trails, a prairie preserve, the Lakewood School habitat and a scenic walkway.
- Ransom Street Park, 16576 Ransom St.: 20 acres with hiking trails, cross-country ski trails, a picnic shelter and a natural area.
Stu Visser Trails doesn't list skiing, but it may be the best winter walk on Ottawa Beach Road. The 37-acre park has nature trails, boardwalks, wetland observation, a small pond and streams. The township calls it a popular area for birders. Parking is at 825 Ottawa Beach Road on the south side and 750 West Lakewood Boulevard on the north. Boardwalks stay walkable after a snowfall that would bury a ski trail.
The Plow Decides Which Lot You Use
Whether you can park at a township trailhead depends on the plow schedule. Park Township publishes its plowing order on the parks page, and it lays out the morning after a storm:
- The parks crew starts at 5:30 a.m., and plowing generally begins once 2 inches of snow have fallen.
- The fire stations, the township office and Maatman come first.
- Next come the cemeteries, parks and bike paths. Bike paths get plowed after 2 to 3 inches, and the crew may come back afterward to clear intersections and push snowbanks back.
Two exceptions are good to know before you go. Wendt Park's north lot isn't plowed, so use the south lot off James Street. Winstrom Park's west lot closes for the winter, so use the east lot. All other park lots are cleared.
Since parks come after the township's own buildings, the first hour after a big snowfall may not be the time to look for a cleared lot. The township also links the Park Township Fire Department's winter ice safety tips from the same page. That's worth reading for anyone who lives on Lake Macatawa or by the boardwalk ponds.
When You Want Groomed Lanes and a Rental Desk
The closest parks don't offer a guaranteed groomed surface or rental equipment. For both, Lake Macatawa neighbors go to West Olive.
Pigeon Creek Park, 12524 Stanton Street, has groomed and tracked trails for both classic and skate skiing. It also has snowshoe trails and a lighted sledding hill, where snowboards aren't allowed. There's no entry or trail fee. The rules change once winter operations start. Hiking, biking, dog walking and horseback riding aren't allowed on the groomed ski trails, and dogs aren't allowed in the park at all. Anyone who walks a dog at Cooper Van Wieren year-round will need another plan once Pigeon Creek switches to winter mode.
Ottawa County's winter activities page lists ski and snowshoe rentals at Pigeon Creek for $10 for three hours, first-come, first-served, with an ID or credit card held as security. Rentals run only when ski conditions are good. Listed rental hours are:
| Day | Rental hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 2 to 8 p.m. |
| Friday | 2 to 10 p.m. |
| Saturday | 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. |
| Sunday | 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
Rentals stop 90 minutes before closing, so a weekday after-work ski means being at the counter by 6:30 p.m. The county's 2026 fall and winter newsletter also lists ski lessons at Pigeon Creek for $8 per person, with rentals extra. Classes are pop-up only and open for registration when conditions are good.
You don't have to wait for snow to visit this month. Lights at Night runs Nov. 1 through 30 from dusk to 10 p.m. It's free, and one loop of Pigeon Creek's lit trails is lightly decorated with holiday lights.
Hemlock Crossing, 8115 West Olive Road, has hiking and cross-country ski trails. Its Nature Center rents snowshoes for $10 per three hours, and children 6 and under rent free with a paying adult. Like Pigeon Creek, it's worth checking trail conditions before you drive.
The Lakefront Side of Winter
The parks closest to the big lake work differently. Tunnel Park, 66 Lakeshore Drive N., lists hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from April 1 until the first snowfall. Leashed dogs are allowed from Oct. 1 through April 30, and a vehicle permit is required only from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. The dune climb and dune stairway are summer features on the park's listing.
Holland State Park at 2459 Ottawa Beach Road has a Lake Michigan unit and a Lake Macatawa unit north of the channel. The DNR notes that Big Red is just outside the park, across the channel. Vehicles need a Recreation Passport, and it's good year-round. Since Jan. 1, 2026, the DNR has listed the price at $15 for Michigan-registered vehicles when bought at plate renewal, $42 for a nonresident annual pass and $12 for a nonresident day pass. A passport bought with your plate renewal covers the drive to the channel all winter.
The DNR's beach safety guidance warns that dangerous currents form around piers and breakwalls, and that in certain weather, waves can wash people off those structures. On rough days, the channel and the lighthouse are best enjoyed from the beach.
Before the trails get busy, Park Township's Winter Photo Contest begins in early November. The township's fall and winter programs also include Outdoor Discovery Center naturalist sessions such as Tales and Trails and Up Close and Wild. Registration is on the township's class and program page.
Snow days are when I catch up with neighbors on which lot got plowed and whether the Cooper Van Wieren track is set. If you're settling into a home near Lake Macatawa and want a local who can tell you which trailhead is closest to your door, Suzanne Bladek would love to hear from you. Contact Capt'n Sue for a private consultation.
