Lake Ovid, hiking trails and seasonal nature watching offer different ways to shape a stay in Clinton County. Sleepy Hollow State Park is located on 410-acre Lake Ovid. If you’d rather plan your trip around activities than a long list of attractions, you can start by deciding what you’re most interested in: water, trails, wildlife watching or culture?
Lakes, shorelines and trails
Clinton Lakes County Park combines 272 acres with more than 5 miles of hiking trails. At 15-acre Searles Lake in Motz County Park, you can go boating, fishing, picnicking and swimming. These offer different ways to enjoy an outing by the water: hiking is the main focus at Clinton Lakes County Park, while Searles Lake brings several activities together right on the water. Motz Park is fully accessible.
Looking Glass Riverfront Park has a character of its own, with 5.2 acres, 930 feet of riverfront and a riverside observation platform. There is also a direct connection between two parks: a lit, paved trail links Granger Meadows Park with Valley Farms Park. When choosing where to go, you can distinguish between designated hiking trails and a route connecting one park to another.
Maple River State Game Area spans Clinton, Gratiot and Ionia counties. Its landscapes include farmland, forests, grasslands and cattail marshes. The seasons bring different opportunities: in spring and summer, the area is a destination for bird and wildlife watching; in fall and winter, for hunting and trapping. If bird and wildlife watching is your main interest, consider making spring or summer the focus of your visit.
Rose Lake Shooting Range offers another way to explore the outdoors. It is located in Rose Lake State Wildlife Area in Clinton County and is intended for youth groups and hunter education programs. For a road-related landmark, Grand Ledge Rest Area is on I-96 in Clinton County.
Culture, art and seasonal experiences
St. Johns is home to the Paine-Gillam-Scott 1860 House, the oldest brick residence in the city. The house is listed on the Michigan State Register of Historic Sites. It is owned by the people of Clinton County and entrusted to the Clinton County Historical Society for use as a museum. Its historic significance, listing and present-day use as a museum give the house a special place among the region’s cultural attractions.
Art & Soul Gallery in St. Johns features paintings, jewelry, printmaking, pottery, glassware, metalwork, illustrations and literature. Some of the participating artists also share their knowledge in classes. Clinton Northern Railway Museum focuses on early 20th-century railroad cars, with an emphasis on Barney and Smith cars; tours of historic cars are also available. An operating model railroad layout in the eastern room of the depot depicts all four seasons.
Events and seasonal offerings can also shape your plans. The Clinton County Arts Council hosts family-friendly summer concerts in the park featuring special musical performances. Each year in St. Johns, the St. Johns Mint Festival celebrates the agricultural heritage of mint farming. Uncle John's Cider Mill offers fresh cider and donuts, along with festive seasonal activities and family-friendly experiences. If you’d like to plan your trip around a festival or concert, check the specific event dates before booking.
Discover more destinations: Dewitt, Menominee County, Ogemaw County, Jackson, Livingston, St. Clair County, Manistee County, Luce County.
For the broader travel overview: Michigan.
