Looking for a fall activity, aside from a pumpkin patch or orchard? Consider a walk through history
West Michigan residents looking to hike from Maine to California without leaving Ottawa County have a narrow window before winter buries the geography under snow.
GEORGETOWN TWP. — West Michigan residents looking to hike from Maine to California without leaving Ottawa County have a narrow window before winter buries the geography under snow.
Tucked into the south corner of Hager Park, off 28th Avenue, sits a concrete, gravel and stone relief map of the United States.
The oversized landscape has survived more than 50 years of Michigan weather, but for decades it was losing a quiet battle with the lawn, recalled Rylie Dorman, communications specialist for Ottawa County Parks and Recreation.
Turf swallowed state lines, weeds choked out major rivers, and the borders mostly faded into green.
That changed when Wyatt Nance, a member of Boy Scout Troop 354 in Jenison, decided to dig it out. Nance grew up exploring Hager Park, Dorman said. His troop uses the landmark every year for a game played across its scaled mountain ranges and stone coastlines.
To save it, Nance launched an online fundraiser that brought in $4,165 — far exceeding his $2,500 goal — to pay for tools and volunteer supplies. The project was completed on Sept. 6 with help from more than 75 volunteers.
Nederveld, a local surveying company, donated time to mark the outline before volunteers used sod cutters to remove the overgrown grass.
Dorman said the map remains one of the area’s most unique community fixtures.
“In the summer of 2025, the giant terrain map of the United States on the lawn at Hager County Park received a makeover,” Dorman said.
While official township records lack an exact build date, county park files and historical aerial photography reveal how far back the landmark goes.
“Our first aerial of the terrain map was taken in 1973,” Dorman said. “While we don’t have an exact date for when it was created, we know the map has been part of the community for more than 50 years.”
Hager Park is located at 8212 28th Ave.
— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.
