One of our goals for this year with Travel the Mitten was to explore at least two new sculpture parks. We’ve loved previous visits to Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park, Dow Gardens, and Michigan Legacy Art Park, and in April we made a trip up to Elk Rapids to check out the Walk of Art Sculpture Park. We had heard a little bit about this park before visiting, but were blown away by the number of sculptures, the beautiful trails, and the serenity of this well-preserved property that borders Lake Michigan. The Walk of Art Sculpture Park is home to more than 30 sculptures, a network of trails, a playground and beach on Lake Michigan, and a picnic area. Today we will share some photos from our visit and let you know how to visit this great park in northern Michigan.

According to the Art Rapids website, the sculpture park opened in 2013 with just six sculptures and it has now grown to include more than 30. Sculptures are placed for one to three years so that there’s always something fresh and new, and most are available for purchase. Trail maps that include a list of sculptures are available at the trailhead. There is a sign in front of each sculpture with the name of the piece, the artist and where they are from, the medium, and the year it was created. The Art Rapids website also has a list and photos of all current sculptures as well as an archive of past ones.

The trail is easy to follow and is mostly flat. We found the map helpful as some of the art can blend in a little too well with the surrounding woods. The gallery below highlights a few of our favorites:

This is a great stop for anyone that loves art or wants to enjoy a relaxing walk through the woods with a little added scenery. Our visit took place earlier in the day and for most of our time there we had the park to ourselves.

Since we visited in the offseason, we parked near the fence shown above and walked through the entrance. During summer months when the day park is open there is a large parking lot available. There are restrooms in the park and the pavilion offers a great spot for a picnic. The street address is 920 S. Bay Shore Dr. in Elk Rapids.