Making It an Even 20: A Visit to Hawk Island Park

NOT MARKING ONE OFF THE LIST, BUT ADDING ONE

The goal for this time I'm in Michigan is to experience all “19 Things Visitors Can Do in Lansing.” I only have eight things left on that list. But I found a place I’d like to add to the list to make it an even 20 (which will also help with the OCD I experience from odd numbers... LOL): Hawk Island Park.  

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Just a few miles southeast of downtown Lansing, Hawk Island Park covers almost 100 acres, including a 30-acre lake complete with boating docks, a swimming area, a splash pad, and picnic spots. 

READ ALSO: Visiting Hell, Michigan: Ice Cream, Lakes, and Laughs

At first glance, I thought, “Aw, that’s a cute pond.” Then I kept walking around the mile-and-a-half track and realized, “Oh, that’s a lake.” I did a little digging (pun intended) and found out that the lake was once a gravel pit used for extracting sand and stone. The area was transformed into the park Lansing has today in the early 2000s. I also learned that there are hawks in Hawk Island Park—birdwatchers have reported sightings of various raptor species, including Cooper’s Hawk, which thrives in wooded areas. Seems fitting. 

WHAT. IS. THAT?

Another feature of the park that stood out to me was a multi-tiered staircase. While I needed some cardio, my brain said, “Nope. Not climbing that. There’s a ramp over there. Take that instead. It’s still an incline. It’ll count.” Unfortunately for my lazy brain, it was NOT a ramp to the top but a mechanical lift for the tubing hill. That’s what I get for leaving my glasses in the car.  

After that discovery, I decided to follow the trail for a bit, passing through shaded woods and looping around the playgrounds and pavilions. It was yet another picture-perfect early spring day in Michigan. I left Hawk Island refreshed; I’ll be back for those cardio stairs another day. Another Michigan memory made.