Area Parks

Burton Park

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Burton Park is approximately 80 acres and is located at 6805 Burton St.  The property is wooded with considerable topography as well as meadow areas.  It is intended that any changes to the property will only allow for passive recreational uses.

There are two entrances to the park: Burton Street and Windcrest Street.
The west access point is located at the east end of Burton Street. There is a six-car parking lot off the access road entrance once you enter the property.  Please do not drive past the parking lot.

The parking at Windcrest Street is at the end of the road.  There are three regular parking spaces and one handicapped space.  There are also two handicapped only parking spaces inside the park as you enter off from Burton Street at the Township garage.
 
There are two bathrooms located on the north end of the large metal storage building.  These bathrooms are open year-round.  We are also working on the marking and clearing the interior trails in the park.
 
Park Ordinance

Printer Friendly Map of Park 


Cascade Peace Park

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Cascade Peace Park is approximately 198 acres in size.  This property consists of floodplain and meadow areas with extensive old growth forest.  No improvements are on the property and it is intended that any changes to the property will only allow for passive recreational uses.
 
Cascade Peace Park is located at 8900 Grand River Ave. and can be accessed from two locations.  The access off from Bolt Drive is located at the west end of Bolt Drive on an unpaved section of road. 

This access point has a small parking area and is better suited for handicapped access. 

The Grand River drive access is at the far NE corner of the property. Grand River Dr provides better access
for those on bikes since it is located along a dedicated bike lane on the park side of the Grand River Dr.  This location also provides public parking.

This property was identified originally by the Cascade Township open space study as having desirable features for preservation.  In order to acquire the property the Township worked with the assistance of the open space committee, The Land Conservancy of West Michigan, The Nature Conservancy, The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Disability advocates of West Michigan as well as local landscapers.  The property was acquired with assistance by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund and The Nature Conservancy.  Both of these organizations provided assistance in purchasing the property.

Peace Park also has a bow hunting which was expanded beginning the 2022 season.  The permit program for hunting in Peace Park offers a total of 45 permits over three periods Oct. 30-Dec. 31.  As of 2022, permits will be available for doe-only hunting drawn lottery-style.  Applications are accepted September 1-11 each year.  Hunting period will be assigned using preference rankings in conjunction with the lottery-system.  

To qualify for a hunting permit, you must bring in to the Township Office  or email your completed application with a copy of the front and back of your photo ID and proof of a valid Michigan hunting license for the upcoming season.


Park Ordinance

Printer Friendly Park Master Plan

Printer Friendly Hunting Application

Printer Friendly Map of Park

Cascade Township Recreation Park

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Cascade Township currently has one recreation park, located approximately one mile south of 28th Street at 3810 Thornapple River Drive SE. The 55-acre park offers a variety of recreational opportunities including two baseball/softball diamonds, a multi-purpose field for soccer/football, a one-mile pedestrian path, four horseshoe pits, a sand volleyball court, an 18-hole Frisbee golf course and four tennis courts. 

The park also has two large play systems and a swing set for children in the 5-12 year old age group.

There is a shelter adjacent to the play area. A pavilion (available for rent) and a gazebo offer additional shelter and are located at either end of the park. Picnic tables can be found all over the park including the three shelters. Restroom facilities are also available.

PlayscapeIn winter, a large hill at the East End of the park is used for sliding and tobogganing. The pedestrian path is kept clear for walking and there is plenty of wide-open space for cross-country skiing.

Read about park rules and regulations in the 1-2025 Amended Park Ordinance.

Printer Friendly View a PDF map of the park

View a Google Map of the park or get directions.

Disc Golf

Printer Friendly Disc Golf Map

Tree Update

(from September 2023 Township E-Newsletter)

Thirty-six native tree and shrubs were planted in August 2023 along the path next to I-96. All these trees were purchased thanks to a DTE Energy Foundation Tree Planting Grant secured by the township. The grant program guidelines recommended a diversity of trees to be planted to prevent a pest, like emerald ash borer, from wiping out the entire planting. If faced with a new forest pest, species diversity is a landowner’s best defense.

Thanks to Calvin University’s Plaster Creek Steward Program, several tree species were added that were not available from commercial nurseries. Cascade Township is grateful they were willing to provide critical trees to the project.

Native trees planted include:

American Chestnut Dawn Redwood
American Sycamore Kentucky Coffee Tree
Black Gum Pagoda Dogwood
Black Oak Red-berried Elderberry
Black Walnut Serviceberry
Bur Oak Wafer Ash/Hop Tree
Chinkapin Oak White Pine
Common Elderberry  

 

Leslie E. Tassell Park

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Tassel ParkLeslie E. Tassell Park, a 3.2-acre park on the Thornapple River, is located just south of Cascade Rd., at 2900 Thornapple River Dr. Construction of the park began in spring 2001 with completion in 2002.

Read the Dedication by Leslie E. Tassell, Oct. 4, 2001

The park, situated beneath a variety of mature hardwood trees and beautiful landscaping, boasts an interactive fountain, sculptures, a fire pit, two shelters and a public restroom. Picnic tables and benches are located throughout the park.

Wisner PavilionOpportunities abound for fishing, canoeing and kayaking, relaxing along the bank of the river or picnicking. The park is near the Cascade Rd. and Thornapple River Dr. pathways, allowing easy access by foot or bicycle. There are two small lots at either end of the park for vehicle traffic. 

Leslie E. Tassell Park Wisner Pavilion/Terrace is available for rent. Visit the Park Reservations page for more information.
 
Read about park rules and regulations in the 1-2025 Amended Park Ordinance.

Printer Friendly Map of Tassell Park
 


Michael McGraw Park

McGraw Park SignMcGraw ParkThrough a generous donation from Michael McGraw in 2002, Cascade Township acquired property on the Grand River, in the northeast corner of the township. This 68-acre parcel is located 1.1 miles east of Buttrick Ave., on Grand River Dr. As it is almost entirely flood plain for the Grand River, the park will remain largely undeveloped, left in its natural state. The park borders a larger 120-acre parcel donated to Ada Township.
 
Along the bank of the river is a paved asphalt trail for pedestrians or bicyclists. The trail is, at this time, the only entrance into the park.


 

Virgil Nishimura Westdale Memorial Park

Museum Gardens FlowersThe Virgil Nishimura Westdale Memorial Park located at the northwest corner of Cascade Rd. and Thornapple River Dr.  The garden incorporates the original Cascade Town Hall. Benches are placed around the garden and on the patios to enable admirers and pedestrians to sit and enjoy their surroundings.

Its location makes it an ideal rest stop for persons traveling through the village on the pedestrian pathway.
 
The property, once the site of a gas station in the village for many years, was renovated in the summer of 2015. The garden area was redesigned to encourage more interaction with three large trees in the center area, updated plantings, a sculpture pad, musical interaction pieces, soft lighting and new seating.  


Wycliffe Trailhead Park

Wycliffe-grandman-toddler-web-(1).jpg2977 Wycliffe Drive SE


This 1.86-acre parcel features several nature trails that gently wind through the property. The most unique part of Wycliffe, however, is its nature-based playground.

In a 2022 parks survey, residents ranked nature-based play areas as one of the highest requested amenities for Cascade parks. Much more than just playing in the woods, nature-based playgrounds provide a variety of durable and interactive playground structures made from natural elements. These structures are intended to inspire children’s curiosity and provide unstructured play in a safe environment.  The Township created two play areas: One intended for 2- to 5-year-olds (three wooden structures for imaginative play) and one intended for 5- 12-year-olds (an obstacle ropes course made with UV-resistant and metal-reinforced material to resist breakage).

To keep costs low, volunteers and Township Building & Grounds staff completed the majority of the park improvements. This included creating a fully accessible trail, installing rail fencing to create a barrier between the park and Cascade Road, and removing invasive species, including numerous black locust trees.  
 

Friendship Park

2870 Jacksmith Ave SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546

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For years Friends of the Cascade Library collected money from their regular book sales, Chapter Two Bookstore, and eBay shop to fund an outdoor gathering space. The group paid for an initial outdoor space master plan and, following bids from several companies, selected Native Edge to design a space where:

  • People could gather safely, surrounded by nature.
  • Larger events could be held.
  • Special events such as concerts could be hosted.
  • People, particularly children, could learn and explore.
  • Community members could picnic.
  • Environmental stewardship would be considered.

After the initial bids, Cascade Township took up the mantle and completed the project in 2024.