Muskegon Winter Sports Complex

The Muskegon Winter Sport Complex is in Muskegon State Park, a drive of about an hour and a half from Kalamazoo.  We visited last weekend since their snow conditions report said the ski trails were in great condition.  The Complex offers over 9 miles of groomed trails in its system of five loops.  The trails are groomed for both skate-skiing and classic two-track skiing.  Several of the trails are lit for night skiing.  Most of the trails are very accessible for beginning skiers.

We skied for about an hour on an intermediate length loop.  The melt and freeze cycle had made Kalamazoo un-skiable, but Muskegon's groomed tracks were fine.  The classic tracks were a little icy, since there hadn't been any recent snow, but not too slippery to be enjoyable.  The wide section, groomed for skate-skiing, had a very good surface.

Besides the ski trails, they offer an ice skating trail through the woods and multiple ice rinks.  The skating attractions were very popular on a sunny Sunday.  A lodge offers skate and ski rentals, hot chocolate, cookies and other snacks, and a warming fire.  It's also where you purchase ski and skate passes.

Muskegon's Winter Sports Complex is probably best known for its luge track, one of three places to luge in the United States.  We didn't try the fast little sleds that day, although I did spend an afternoon learning to luge on the beginners track, nearly twenty years ago.

Muskegon Winter Sports Complex
462 Scenic Drive
N. Muskegon, MI  49445

Ski pass $7
Skate pass $5
luge $40 
parking: State Park passport or fee

Millennium Park Ice Rink

Tucked behind Westnedge Avenue's commercial strip is Portage's Millennium Park Ice Rink. This small outdoor rink is refrigerated so it stays frozen during West Michigan's winter thaws and it's lighted for night skating. It's open Wednesday-Sunday afternoons & evenings. (Open everyday during Winter vacation.)

It costs $4 to skate and skate rentals are $3. There's a small warming hut with benches & lockers and the rental office sells hot chocolate. Parking is behind Best Buy.

In the summer, the rink is a pond with a fountain.

830 Romence Rd (just west of the intersection of Romence and Westnedge.)
Portage, MI

See the Portage Parks department for specific information on hours and on discounts for multiple visits.

Update: Warm weather postponed the rink's planned opening.  The rink is now expected to open by Dec. 15 for the 2012-13 season. It's scheduled to be open daily through December (closed Christmas.) Most days it's open 3-9. It will be open earlier on Saturdays (11 am) and Sundays (noon). In January and February, it will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

Lawson Ice Arena

Western Michigan University's ice rink is open for public skating, weekend afternoons and at lunchtime most weekdays. Admission costs $3 ($1 on weekdays) and skate rentals are $1. Because it's indoors, it's open regardless of weather. The arena also offers broomball competitions and open hockey. It's home to WMU's hockey team. Lawson Arena website