Nature Tour

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.

Sandhill Crane Vineyards is an award-winning winery and tasting room featuring a wide range of wines made onsite using only local fruit. The new café at Sandhill Crane Vineyards features farm-to-table comfort food – soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Many of the foods are locally sourced from area farms and food producers. Open for lunch Mon-Sat 11-6 and Sun 12-6. The café is open late on Thursday nights for “Thirsty Thursdays” from 6 to 9 pm with live music and an extended menu.

The beautiful new banquet room at Sandhill Crane Vineyards features high ceilings, lots of light, and a beautiful copper-topped bar. We’d love to host your next party or meeting. The room will seat up to 72 with additional seating on the stage. The stage can also be used for a DJ, live music, presentation, or silent auction. The facility features estate-produced wines and on-site catering.

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 museum offers a vivid look into 19th century pioneer life. Costumed tour guides take visitors through a 10-room farmhouse built by a German immigrant and seven additional outbuildings. Displays of tools, clothing, furnishings, and decorations depict the era’s farm life.

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

The Armory Bike Union is a community bicycle resource with a variety of purposes and programs that are helping to create a vibrant bicycling culture in Jackson. We offer workshops, classes, volunteer opportunities, space for the public to work on personal projects, and bicycle rentals!

Young and old, locals and travelers alike find the parlor’s atmosphere refreshing and the ice cream a tasty treat. It was recognized by the readers of Michigan Living Magazine as the best ice cream in Michigan. As Mid Michigan's leader in ice cream, food, and fun, a Parlour dining experience takes you back to the days gone by of a 1950's diner. Perhaps that's because the Parlour has been serving up fun, food and ice cream since 1944. The Parlour boasts the biggest portions of ice cream, sundaes and shakes in Michigan. Great ice cream coupled with a menu of All American favorites makes a unique experience everyone remembers. The Parlour has been noted over the years as a fun, family friendly establishment, and is widely recognized for the generous portions of its celebrated ice cream products. “The Dare To Be Great" sundae is the dish most often talked about at The Parlour,” It’s made with 21 scoops of hand dipped ice cream. We promote the fact that anyone who eats the entire sundae by themselves in one hour will get it free. Many have tried, but only a handful have done it successfully. A Dare To Be Great Wall of Fame will list the names of those who can conquer our challenge. 

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.

Are you having your share of fun? In our increasingly complex world the answer is typically “of course not!” It’s getting more and more difficult to unplug-unwind and fall back into natural rhythms to rejuvenate ourselves. That is why we paddle kayaks. Once we’ve left the launch site, within a few short minutes, we’ve reconnected back through time to a world of utter simplicity. There’s just us, our kayaks and paddles, and the always-changing waters. And before we know it, we’re getting our gentle, relaxing exercise while adding precious FUN back into our lives.

We paddle the Grand River, Vandercook Lake, Browns Lake, Williams Lake & Cove Lake. We offer rentals at Vandercook Lake and lessons and tours at all locations. We offer Sit-In, Tandem and Sit-On-Top Kayaks as well as Stand-up Paddleboards. 

This family owned campground and canoe livery has 89 sites shaded with large oak trees, modern bathrooms, playground and large front yard. The canoe livery offers 1 hour, 3 hour and 5 hour trips on the beautiful Kalamazoo River. Open May thru October.