As the leaves change shades of red, yellow and brown, students can take advantage of the comfortable fall weather while relaxing at the different parks surrounding MSU's campus.
City officials in Lansing and East Lansing say there are a variety of recreational opportunities in each city, including basketball, volleyball and tennis courts, a soccer complex, a BMX track and an ice rink.
"There is plenty of open space in the parks, including many athletic fields, cookout grills and space for different campus groups to get together," said Wendy Longpre, East Lansing's assistant director of parks and recreation.
In East Lansing, there are 24 parks for students to relax, play sports and take in the sun.
At 40 acres, Patriarche Park, located on Saginaw Road at Alton Street, is the city's largest park. The area includes softball, baseball, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts.
Longpre said fraternities and sororities could reserve the park's pavilions and picnic tables for greek get-togethers. While renting the entire park is $1,200 per day, renting part of the pavilion is $45 and renting a table in it is $2.50.
"The size and location of the park is what makes it appealing to residents," Longpre said.
The city's only official soccer facility is the East Lansing Soccer Complex at Abbott Road, just north of Lake Lansing Road. The facility includes seven soccer fields - three of which are tournament quality while four are recreation quality - and a concession area. Although the complex is meant for soccer, Longpre said residents can use the open fields for frisbee and football in the fall, when the soccer season is over.
"Soccer seems to be a real popular sport right now," she said.
"I think a lot of people like it because just about anyone can play it. I think you see a lot of people getting together for pick-up and co-ed soccer games now."
Though the fields can be occupied by league games in the middle of the soccer season, Longpre said fields can be reserved for recreational games.
Though Patriarche is the city's biggest park, Longpre said Valley Court Park, just behind Beaner's Gourmet Coffee, 270 W. Grand River Ave., might be the city's busiest park. Because of its central location near Grand River Avenue and next to many student-occupied rentals, the park is popular with many Spartans.
"It's easy walking distance for people within the heart of the city, and there's a lot of open field so you just see a lot of activity there," Longpre said.
Rachel Walters, a 2004 graduate, said she hung out in Valley Court Park when she lived in an apartment on Grand River Avenue.
"We went there a lot to study on the open fields and just hang out," she said. "There was always a lot of students there at the tennis courts or sunbathing."
Just near its neighbor, the city of Lansing is home to a wide range of common recreational opportunities, said Tanya Moore, the city's landscape architect.
Lansing's largest park is Washington Park, 2700 S. Washington Ave., and at almost 45 acres, it contains a domed ice rink, ball fields and a pavilion that can be rented out.
"What's great about the park is it also has an eight and-a-half mile river trail which runs along the Grand River," Moore said.
Gier Park, 2400 Hall St., Moore said, contains a community center, basketball courts, baseball diamonds and a BMX track.
Also of interest to students, Moore said, might be Fenner Nature Center, 2020 E. Mount Hope Road, which is the closest nature center to campus. It spans 130 acres and contains four miles of trails, picnic areas and a visitor center.
Clara Bratton, the nature center's naturalist, said the visitor center houses museum exhibits, and the park's employees are available for questions regarding nature or wildlife.
Visiting parks and experiencing nature is a good opportunity for students to de-stress, Longpre said.
"There are so many neat places for people to get out, get sun and visit," she said.
"It's nice to go out, relax and enjoy some good weather."
