Waterloo Recreation Area is the largest park in the Lower Peninsula. At more than 20,000 acres, the park boasts two modern campgrounds, a rustic campground, an equestrian campground, a swimming beach, several picnic sites, 11 excellent fishing lakes, eight boat launches, 12 miles of interpretive nature trails, 47 miles of hiking trails, three rustic cabins, numerous equestrian trails and the Gerald E. Eddy Discovery Center.
Available amenities include Picnic Tables, Picnic Shelters, Playground Equiment, Lake Swimming, Fishing, Boat Ramps, Trails for Hiking, Cross Country Skiing, Horseback-Riding and Snowmobiling. Big Portage Lake Disc Golf Course is mostly wooded with tight, challenging holes. First tee is located at (42.333,-84.238)

With more than 20,000 acres, 47 miles of trails and 21 lakes, the Waterloo State Recreation Area has many different outdoor activities including Portage Lake State Park offering swimming, picnic areas, fishing and more.

The Phyllis Haehnle Memorial Sanctuary is well-known as THE staging area for Sandhill Cranes. Every autumn, thousands of these birds gather here in preparation for their southern migration. The 963-acre Michigan Audubon Society sanctuary has a variety of habitats, making it possible to see over 200 species of birds and plants, including the Rough-legged Hawk and the Northern Shrike during the winter months. 

The Sanctuary is always open to visitors, and during the fall on weekends sanctuary greeters will be available to answer questions. You can also see many Cranes feeding in the fields in the area in the spring and summer, but especially the fall (September to mid-November). Late afternoon visitors during that time of year can see well over 2,000 Sandhill Cranes landing in the sanctuary during that time. We have even been fortunate to have an elusive Whooping Crane visit the sanctuary as well.

The Jackson Audubon Society is the steward of this sanctuary. They ask that you please stay on trails or the observation areas and treat the land, plants and wildlife with respect.

The Phyllis Haehnle Sanctuary is located 6 miles northeast of Jackson, Michigan on Seymour Road. For GPS, you can use the coordinates of 42.322, -84.289. 

The Dahlem Environmental Education Center is a place to experience, study and enjoy nature. With five miles of hiking trails containing forests, fields, marshes and ponds, visitors can enjoy a guided hike or experience the natural wonders on their own. A newly resurfaced 3/8 mile trail has been specially redesigned for visitors with limited mobility.  Hands-on interpretive signs will be added in 2013. The Dahlem Center offers year-round educational programs for students and families, including naturalist programs, workshops and special events. The exhibit area and Nutshell Gift Shop are located within the main visitor building. The Nutshell is a great place for outdoor enthusiasts to shop, and is an excellent source for nature-related books, clothing, bird-feeding supplies, jewelry and many other items, including fresh wreaths during the holidays. 

The Dahlem Center may serve as a natural history education center for kids, but it is also known around the state and country for having one of the largest bluebird trails. Birders can capture the songs of Eastern Bluebirds along this well-maintained trail, as well as the harmonies of other migratory songbirds. The annual festival to celebrate these birds is called the Birds, Blooms and Butterflies Festival.

The best known attraction of this 457 acre park is The Cascades, a man-made, illuminated waterfall with musical accompaniment enjoyed by all since 1932. Some prefer to watch the dancing lights and listen to the beautiful music from comfortable seats, while the more energetic climb to the top of the 500 foot hill alongside the six giant fountains while dodging the spraying water. The falls are illuminated every night in season, 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. with an admission charge. Children 10 years and under are free with paid adult. Call for special group rates. 

The park, also known as the Sparks Foundation County Park, features the Cascades 18-hole Championship Golf Course and Cascades Short Course and driving range.  Other features include outdoor basketball court, baseball and softball fields, a very popular walking path, playground area, and a picnic shelter.  The Cascades Park is also the home of many special events such as the Midwest's Largest Cascades Civil War Muster, and spectacular fireworks show every year. Don't forget to stop by the Cascades Ice Cream Co, featuring "Frozen Dome Malts", opened March through September.

2013 Admission Rates for The Cascades 
Senior   $3.00 per person
Regular   $4.00 per person
Family Nights $7.00 per family
Fireworks  $6.00 per person
Children 10 and under always free with paying adult.

Group Rates for 12 or more people at $3 per person, with one person paying for entire group.
(Please call ahead – Mon thru Fri @ 517-768-2901)

2013 Season Passes
Includes Family Nights and Fireworks
Single (1)   $40.00
Double (2)   $60.00
Family (Limit 8)  $90.00

Ella Sharp Park is located on 562 acres along the banks of the Southwest Branch of the Grand River in beautiful Jackson, Michigan. The landscape of the park varies from relatively flat to heavily rolling and hilly. This provides a great location for a park full of fun and activities for everyone. The park holds a challenging golf course, beautiful flower gardens, miles of hiking trails, basketball courts, soccer fields, a golf learning center, softball fields, and many other facilities for athletics and casual enjoyment of the outdoors.

The 562 acres were donated to the city of Jackson by Ella W. Sharp, the largest park donation to the city. She bequeathed her farm to the city to be developed as a park and maintained through a trust fund from her estate. Beginning in 1912, this family farm was developed as a public park. park roadways were laid out as well as the picnic and play areas, the golf course, tennis courts, and ball diamonds, and the gardens. The Merriman-Sharp Farmhouse became the beginning of the Ella Sharp Museum.
In 2001, the Golf Course went through a restoration and redesign. The park's landscaping plan for the main park entrance was also professionally redeveloped, including new signage, additional trees and beautiful flowering shrubs.

This park currently features an eighteen hole golf course, eighteen hole miniature golf course, golf practice and learning center, four tennis courts, two picnic shelters, Olympic size swimming pool, rose garden, Carter’s Corner Play Structure, two lighted softball fields, three regular softball fields, ten soccer fields, four baseball fields, one basketball court, playground areas, cross country ski trails, and the Ella Sharp Museum.

Mini-Golf

• Ella Sharp Park's 18 hole miniaturized golf course holds fun for everyone. The mini course is open 7 days a week. Please call for Seasonal Hours @ 517-788-4696

Golf Course

• Ella Sharp Park's 18 hole golf course provides a challenge for golfers of all levels. The course touts two of Jackson County's most challenging golf holes (2nd & 12th holes) along with an array of other well manicured fairways and greens. Call the club house for availability at (517)788-4066.

Golf Learning Center

• Ella Sharp Park's Golf Learning Center is a great place to learn how to play golf, brush up on your skills, or just go to hit a few golf balls. The center includes 25 tee stations over looking a well manicured range with 5 target greens. The center also has a sand bunker and a large putting green for practicing that short game. For those golfers that are looking for more than just hitting a few balls around, the learning center also has a wide range of classes available for youths and adults. Classes and private instruction by PGA Golf Professional (Eric W. Terrian) are available for both beginners and veteran players. Please Call for Seasonal Hours @ 517-780-4799.

Lighted Softball Fields

• The park includes 2 full service fenced and lighted ball fields. Field #1 has a scorer's building while field #2 has a rain shelter.

Open Field Sports Area

• The park includes 3 full size football fields, 3 softball fields, 4 full size soccer fields which can be used as 8 smaller fields.

Fishing Area

• The park has a stretch along the banks of the Grand River which is available for fishing. The area is handicapped accessible and is located in the southeast portion of the park.

Paved and Unpaved Walking, Jogging, and Bike Trails

• The park includes a 1 mile path that connects from Fourth Street with Museum and with the South Jackson Street entrance. In addition, the park also keeps some rough trails that meander through natural preservation areas in both the East and West sides of Fourth Street. These trails are ideal for walking, jogging, and cross country skiing. Cascades Cycling Trail Map

Tennis Courts

• The park upkeeps 4 paved tennis courts on a first come first serve basis.

Basketball Court

• The park upkeeps one basketball court located at the South Jackson Road entrance.

Playground Equipment

• Includes Carter's Corner located across from the Ella Sharp Museum

Meeting Facilities

• The Jackson Recreation Department will reserve either the Ella Sharp Park Rose Garden (near the entrance of Ella Sharp Park) or the Rotunda (across from the Museum) for your wedding. The Ella Sharp Park Carters Corner Picnic Pavilion or the West PicnicPavilion are also available for rental. See Ella Sharp Museum for their Facility Rentals.

The mission of GREAT or the Grand River Environmental Action Team is to promote the protection and preservation of the Grand River Watershed through activities and educational programs. Founded in 1990, the Grand River Environmental Action Team is a local 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of and restoration of the Upper Grand River Watershed in Jackson County of south central Michigan. GREAT organizes clean-up activities & monthly public canoe outings to create environmental awareness. You can find their event schedule here.

The Upper Grand River Watershed is Special in Several Ways

• At 260 miles, the Grand River is longest river in the State of Michigan and the second largest watershed.Map
• The two branches of the Grand River begin at Grand Lake and Center Lake Chain (natural beginnings) in Jackson County and join east of Jackson dropping 467 feet to Grand Haven on Lake Michigan.
• Headwaters of the Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Raisin Rivers are also close. They all flow west to Lake Michigan, except the Raisin which flows east to Lake Erie.
• Jackson County sits on one of the largest aquifers in North America.
• There are over 200 miles of river waterways to paddle and hundreds of small lakes.
• Some of the largest remaining wetlands in lower Michigan are located in this watershed.
• The potential in this area for river and lake recreation is enormous.

The Falling Waters Trail is a major east-west component of the Jackson County Regional Trail plan, connecting  the town of Concord with the city of Jackson.  This 10.5-mile asphalt rail-trail follows the old rail bed of the former Michigan Central Railroad and at its northeast terminus the trail carries on as the Jackson Inter-City Trail from Weatherwax to Morrell Street. The trail has been dedicated as a Jackson County Park. The trail is mostly rural, with only a few road crossings. It also crosses the Lime Lake County Park where you can drop a line for fish. There are plenty of places to stop along the way and admire the scenery, have a picnic and take a swim.

The MacCready Reserve is a 408-acre property that is designated for education, research and outreach programs in wildlife and forestry management. The lush environment includes rolling terrain, towering hardwoods, natural springs and colorful wildflowers, creating a diverse habitat for numerous species of birds.

A small oasis in an increasingly urban landscape, the 53-acre Kate Palmer Sanctuary is located amid a patchwork of suburbs. The sanctuary is known as one of the richest woodlands in Jackson County for spring wildlowers. The sanctuary also includes two champion sized trees.  Migrating songbirds are also present in the spring. Social trails exist.

Designed by prominent Detroit Architect, Albert Kahn and completed in 1929 after the merger of Union Bank and Peoples National Bank. The 17-story Tower Building, was at that time referred to as the "Golden Towers." In 1933 the National Bank of Jackson was organized as the successor to the Union and Peoples National Bank.  Operations continued in the original building, though the National Bank never took ownership. In 1958, the National Bank vacated and for several years Consumers Power Company leased space.

In 1975 it was sold to the County for a nominal sum by the Raymond Kolowich family and became the County Tower Building.  The County Commissioners' Chamber is located on the 2nd floor up the marble flight of stairs.  Italian leaded stained glass windows surround the chamber which was originally the main banking area. A long awaited restoration of the this lobby was finished in July of 2011.  This former bank lobby has been restired to its former glory with repairs made to the stained glass windows, vaulted plaster ceiling and wood paneling that surrounds the 7,200-square-foot room. Three-tiered chandeliers and a marble balustrade were also installed. It is now an acessible to the public customer service area housing the county treasurer, register of deeds and equalization department.

This ""castle-topped"" structure is on of Jackson's most treasured buildings and continues to reign as downtown's tallest landmark.

Another unique feature of this building is not historical in nature but biological. A pair of peregrine falcons have chosen to nest and breed atop this iconic building, a first in Jackson County.  The happy couple who usually mate for life can be seen in season on their webcam http://www.co.jackson.mi.us/tower_falcons.asp