The Smallest Park in Michigan: Spring Lake, Ottawa County
Michigan has a bevy of the biggest, a smattering of the smallest, a list of the longest, a share of the shortest…..and the oldest, youngest, fattest, thinnest, scariest, and any other adjective you can come up with.
Now we’re ready to do it again – by having the ultimate smallest park in the state. This inches-big park is located in Spring Lake in Ottawa County. The village began talking to the media about this in late March of 2023, planning to have this park ready by the end of summer. Is it? If so, what will its name be?
This tiny soon-to-be park is located in a parking lot on South Jackson Street between Well Adjusted Chiropractic and the old Seven Steps Up. According to an article at Visit Spring Lake Michigan, Stefanie Herder of the Downtown Development Authority stated “During the pandemic, the Village was awarded a grant to purchase a concrete cornhole set for our social district. We placed the cornhole game in this location along South Jackson Street for folks to enjoy. I kept looking at this area and thinking about how else we can enhance that space to encourage more people to use it.”
After doing some online research and hunting, she stumbled upon a small park in Oregon, the Mill Ends Park. It just happens to be the smallest park in the whole world with an area of only 452 square inches. Plans for Spring Lake's ‘smallest park’ include seating, plants & planters, shade for reading and resting, plus other park perks.
It’s little ideas like this that may seem simple or no-brainers – some even think a waste of energy – but you know…these little bursts of ideas and so-called “wastes of energy” many times turn into something so simply unique, that people will come from all over just to visit, get a photo, have a bite to eat, and add it to their roadtrip memories.
Herder’s plan for the “smallest park in Michigan” could become the smallest in the world as well. I wish Spring Lake the best of luck with this!
The Smallest Official Park in Michigan: Spring Lake
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