We invite you to come spend some time in beautiful Downtown Allegan. Stroll past the Carnegie library, listen to the chiming bells emanating from the beautiful bell towers of the 5 ornate church buildings nearby. Hear the sound of the river as you run along the river-walk past the zip-line, and so much more. Below are our favorite things to see and do in and near Allegan.
Things To Do in Southwest Michigan
Seek Adventure
The Riverfront Zipline offers views of the Kalamazoo River winding through downtown Allegan is one of the area’s most visible attractions for adventure-minded travelers. The 50,000-acre Allegan State Game Area has numerous trails for hiking, biking, birdwatching.
Drive M-40 15 minutes south to Gobles, where there’s a trailhead for the 34-mile Kal-Haven Trail linking Kalamazoo and South Haven. This is a great area to bring your horses. The Allegan State Game Area offers a 60-mile network of equestrian trails. While you enjoy the comforts of Jade Estate Inn, any of several nearby facilities will board your horses and provide you with a range of services.
Golfers, book a tee time at Cheshire Hills (nine holes) or Lynx (18 holes) golf courses. Diamond Springs Golf Course (18 holes), the area’s highest-rated course, is nine miles from the center of Allegan.
Float the Waterways
The Kalamazoo River makes a curlicue through Allegan as it runs west to Lake Michigan for 123 miles from Albion, where north and south branches meet. Recommended nearby sections for kayaking or canoeing are:
- Lake Allegan (Calkins) dam to Richmond Bridge Park
- Lake Allegan dam west with a detour through the Big Dailey Bayou, a naturalist’s paradise
- Put in at Plainwell or Otsego and head west toward Allegan. Research portages before you go.
Follow the Wine Trail
The Lake Michigan Shore Wine Trail runs primarily along the Lake Michigan Shore with tributaries inland to Fennville, Paw Paw, and almost to Kalamazoo. Making Jade Estate in Allegan your home base allows you to choose your route for an unhurried afternoon of tasting wines produced by award-winning vintners along the North, Central, East or South arm of the trail.
The closest wineries to Jade Estate are Warner Vineyards and St. Julian Winery in Paw Paw, 20 minutes away, and Fenn Valley Vineyards and Modales Wines in Fennville, 30 minutes away.
Indulge in Craft Beer
Schaendorf Brewing Co. produces a rotating list of craft beers made on site in their classy, renovated space downtown. This family-run establishment also favors locally produced meats, including beef from their own cattle, and the emphasis on local foods prepared well accounts for a large percentage of its five-star reviews.
Tantrick Brewing Co., also family-owned, rotates its taps with a variety of IPAs, stouts, lagers, ales and hard ciders. Both of these fantastic breweries are within a 5 minute walk from Jade Estate Inn.
Taste Great Food
The Grill House, two-and-a-half miles away, offers a popular grill-your-own experience. Billing itself as a “rustic American eatery.”
Fennville’s Salt of the Earth, 20 minutes away, is all about farm-to-table and scratch-made foods.
Nearby, Root Cafe Coffeehouse & Spirits, an eclectic eatery with foods from nearby and around the world, draws foodies from Chicago and Grand Rapids.
If you’re taking a day trip to Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo, ask the innkeepers for their dining suggestions. Both towns have excellent options.