Portage, MI Outdoor Activities

Surfari Joe's—a safety-focused, safari-themed water park under new management—helps families to splash to their hearts' content with 18,000 square feet of indoor opportunities to get wet. A pair of extreme slides flings riders out of the building before funneling them back inside, where colorful runs for tykes share space with low-speed attractions such as Lino's Lagoon, a plesiosaur-free pond that warms guests with an 84-degree embrace. Between thrills, visitors can explore a video arcade or refuel at The Water Hole Bar & Restaurant, which teems with hearty sandwiches, housemade pizzas, and fiber-rich faux palm trees. Surfari Joe's happily handles parties and special events, and its onsite hotel reaches out to dedicated water sliders with cozy suites featuring flat-screen TVs, free WiFi, and access to a fitness center for burning off any steam remaining after a day on the slides.

When describing his approach to designing a golf course, renowned course architect Donald Ross said "a golf course should be subtly deceptive, rather than unduly penalizing," a philosophy he put to work in 1908, when he crafted the 18-hole course at The Highlands Golf Club. Measuring 6,519 yards from the tips, the course offers a fair test for golfers across the handicap spectrum while still supplying enough challenges to attract legendary golfers such as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Ben Hogan, who played the course when it was a fixture on the Senior PGA Tour. Strategically placed bunkers and fairway-hugging tree lines that cast shadows resembling golfers' fears loom throughout the course, but its most memorable challenge awaits at the 14th hole—a long par 5 that doglegs left and ends with a forced carry over a pond and onto the green.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole course designed by Donald Ross
• Length of 6,519 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 71.5 from back tees
• Slope rating of 133 from back tees
• Five tee options
• Scorecard

The bayous and creeks flowing into the Grand River form an inviting home for wildlife, including eagles that nest in the trees along the shoreline. Perched in their aeries, the birds study the water's surface. Spotting a disturbance, an eagle lifts off and glides toward the water, opening its talons to pluck the prey suspended just beneath the surface.

The team at Lakeshore Kayak Rental lends their DNR-inspected and certified kayaks and other watercraft to help visitors stumble upon sights such as these throughout the gentle Grand River and its connecting waterways. The staff, which includes instructors claiming certifications from the American Canoe Association, provides lessons for beginner kayakers, canoeists, and paddleboarders, and recommends areas for more experienced outdoorsmen to explore. With advanced notice, Lakeshore's crew can also arrange transportation to and from some area lodgings and farther-away launch points. To encourage camaraderie throughout the kayaking community, Lakeshore's team hosts the annual Grand River Kayak Race.

Perched on the banks of Gun Lake amid several hiking trails and picnic sites, Gun Lake Rentals provides visitors with entertainment selections from its flotilla of boats and personal watercraft. The rental company carries a variety of aquatic options for satisfying thrill seekers and leisurely paddlers alike. The fleet includes jet skis and pontoon boats, as well as paddleboards and kayaks. After a full day of staying afloat on the oversized puddle, guests can seek out attractions in nearby Shelbyville, such as golf courses, miniature golf courses, horse ranches, and miniature horse ranches.

Just Add H2O's diving experts have guided students of all levels of experience safely through waters for more than 34 years. Providing diving certifications through PADI and NAUI, instructors chart progression from introductory diving lessons all the way up to instructor certification, which comes with a license to ride giant seahorses. Just Add H2O's staff also hosts local and regional dives and leads trips to Lake Michigan shipwrecks, the cool depths of Gilboa Quarry, and tropical destinations such as Truk Lagoon in the Eastern Caroline Islands. To ensure that dives proceed without a hitch, the facility lets guests rent or purchase gear and can help to maintain used equipment.

When Ed Dunneback founded his business in 1925, he didn’t have to rely on anything fancy to attract attention—just his milk cows and freshly harvested apples, strawberries, peaches, and pears. Today, third and fourth generations of Dunneback women carry on Ed's tradition at the same location. Despite the lack of dairy cows arguing about prohibition, not much has changed on the farm since the '20s; the property still produces the same fresh fruits it did some 80 years ago. Located inside a nearly century-old barn, the farm's bustling market slings seasonal produce, as does the bakery, where housemade donuts and pies bake to golden-brown fruition within ovens. Visitors can work up an appetite picking their own pumpkins or while navigating through an autumn corn maze, complete with trivia questions about pop culture, agriculture, and history.