< Back

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Big Rapids, MI

15344 Waldron Way, Big Rapids MI 49307, USA

Reservations: 1-800-830-5222 US/Canada Toll-free

Telephone: +1 (231) 527-9000 Fax: +1 (231) 527-9030

Email:

	Map & Directions		Print Page
	Photo Gallery		Send to a Friend
			Add to my favorites list

Overview

Rooms

Services

Groups & Meetings

Dining

Local Area

Rates & Availability

VIRTUAL CONCIERGE

BROWSE:

Staff Picks

T.G.I. Friday's (1)

St. Ives Golf Course

Scenic Trailways

Enjoy the Outdoors

Big Rapids Hotel's Convenient Location near Ferris State University

Located just off Highway 131, our Big Rapids hotel near Ferris State University offers convenient access to the university and the best area attractions. Golfers will love St. Ives and Tullymore golf courses, and fishermen will be astounded by the number of great fishing holes on the Muskegon River. Plus, Ferris State's Katke Golf Course is situated just across the street from our Big Rapids hotel's property, and the main campus is less than two miles from our hotel. Whether you're here for business or leisure, you'll love exploring everything this beautiful area has to offer.

The following attractions are convenient to our Big Rapids hotel:

Ferris State University (1.5 miles)
Our Big Rapids hotel near Ferris State University is the perfect place to stay while visiting this college, which enrolls almost 15,000 students and has a beautiful campus.
Phone: +1 (231) 591-2000
Mecosta County Historical Museum (1.8 miles)
Located in the home of a former lumberman, this museum preserves information regarding the lumber and logging industries around Big Rapids.
Phone: +1 (231) 592-5091
Muskegon River (2.2 miles)
Boating, canoeing, tubing, water skiing, fishing and kayaking are all possible on the Muskegon River, and the Muskegon is especially popular with fly fishermen being Michigan's second longest river offers a peaceful, scenic retreat for outdoors enthusiasts lodging in Big Rapids.
Frederik Meijer White Pine Rails to Trails (3.0 miles)
This 92-mile trail passes within three miles of our hotel and is a great place to enjoy hiking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and biking. A paved section of the trail runs 13 miles from Big Rapids to Reed City.
Phone: +1 (231) 775-7911
Resorts of Tullymore & St. Ives (12.0 miles)
Golfing novices and experts alike will enjoy the 36 holes of golf offered by these two beautiful courses. Schedule tee times in advance of your stay to ensure a great golfing experience at these premier courses.
Phone: +1 (231) 972-4837
Wheatland Music Organization (18.0 miles)
The Wheatland Music Organization preserves traditional arts and hosts an annual music festival on their 160-acre centennial farm.
Phone: +1 (989) 967-8879

Golf Courses:

Katke Golf Course: 0.4 miles
Falcon Head Golf Course: 2.5 miles
Meceola Country Club: 6.4 miles
Spring Valley Golf Course: 13.0 miles

For more information about downtown shopping and events, visit the Big Rapids Downtown Business Association website.

About Big Rapids

Set among rolling hills along the Muskegon River, Big Rapids takes its name from the waterway's strong local currents, readily known to regional lumbermen passing new-cut logs to downriver sawmills. Big Rapids, initially settled in the mid-19th century, was known as "Leonard" early on, but a subsequent plat gave the town its lasting name. Logging was prominent from inception, and the town's rural character was enlivened in the latter part of the century by an influx of German and Scandinavian settlers. It was also around this time that Woodbridge Ferris arrived in Big Rapids and established a small school that has since grown into Ferris State University, one of the area's largest employers and a 10,000-student-strong institute especially noted for its health sciences programs. (New York-born Ferris later served as Michigan's governor and as a US senator.) These days, the seat of Mecosta County (in the lower peninsula's west-central region) is a haven for nature lovers, and folks from all around enjoy Big Rapids' stretch of river and its abundant natural attractions. Hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing trails call out irresistibly, as do the town's many parks and golf courses. Boating and fishing also prove immensely popular, and canoeing - and especially, tubing - along the Muskegon are summertime musts. A charming downtown area proves appealing as well, thanks to a fun mix of shops and restaurants, and the Historical Museum lays out the town's past for interested visitors.

Did you know?

Today the Muskegon River flows freely. From 1880-2001 the river's flow was impeded by a dam built at Big Rapids. Through careful planning of economics, ecology, and physical and political issues, the dam was removed. Now river navigation by man is possible, the fishing habitat has improved, and many celebrations and festivals happen along the Muskegon River.