A group enjoys a guided snowshoe hike at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park where wooden snowshoes can be rented. Photo credit: Dave Kenyon, Michigan DNR

When the snow piles up and the winter woods grow quiet, there is no better time to get out on snowshoes. Designed to keep hikers from sinking deep, and let them walk at an easy pace, snowshoes can open up a winter landscape filled with natural wonder.

If you are interested in taking a naturalist-led winter hike, or just want to rent snowshoes and go out on the trails, you might enjoy my recent piece on the City of Grand Rapids Blog, called Experience GR. It lays out where you can rent and when guided hikes are offered,

“We’ve seen where animals bed down and a few weeks ago we saw a snowy owl,” says Elizabeth Brockwell-Tillman, interpreter at the Gillette Nature Center located at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon. The park is one of a few places near Grand Rapids where guided snowshoe hikes and/or snowshoe rentals are offered. Read More: Take A Wintry Walk.