The Jackson Ice Cream Trail | Your Guide to 18 Locally Owned Ice Cream Shops in Jackson County

Macaroni and cheese. Peanut butter and jelly. Spaghetti and meatballs.

Some things just go together. Like ice cream and summertime.

So we thought you’d like to spend your summer like we’re spending ours – checking out all of the delicious ice cream shops in Jackson County, Michigan!

We know everyone has their favorite place to get a sweet treat, but we thought this would be a good time to get out and explore while trying out some new-to-you places! We’re calling it the Jackson Ice Cream Trail.

And to sweeten the adventure – we’re offering a fun prize for trying some new-to-you ice cream places throughout the county. Be sure to read all the way to the end for more details!

Because ice cream is a family affair, we wanted to include our kids in the planning and even the writing of this article. Join us, Jackson, as we check out all of the delicious ice cream places throughout Jackson County!

Cascades Ice Cream Co. – Jackson

This is an awesome place for everyone to enjoy! Their menu includes soft serve, hand-dipped, sundaes, and dairy-free options. They are located in Cascades Park near the playground. They also are easily accessible from the road with a drive-thru and a front walk-up entrance. 

The menu includes over 40 flavors of hand-dipped ice cream, 5 flavors of soft-serve, and so many different sundaes and flurries! We like to reach them by parking on the other side of the hill by the baseball fields and walking over the top, but you can park next to or behind the shop too.

There are some food options like hot dogs, coney dogs, and more.

 After you get some ice cream, walk the wetlands trail that originates near the shop. Or, hang out on the playground with your kids. Check out their Facebook page for hours, flavors, and other updates! Located at 1800 S Brown St. Jackson, MI.

RJ’s Metropolitan – Jackson

This is a cozy place in downtown Jackson. It has fantastic flavors and gives out huge scoops. This place has a wide variety of hand-dipped flavors like classic vanilla and cookies ‘n’ cream. They also do specialty shakes, candy jars, and more sweet treats.

They also serve amazing burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, and fries.

For parking, you can either park right in front of the shop next to the street, or farther down the street from the shop and walk to it. After you get your ice cream, walk around downtown and enjoy the murals. Or, just sit in the shop and listen to music or talk to your buddies.

Check out their website for the full menu, hours, and pricing. Located at 135 E Michigan Ave Jackson, MI.

The Galley – Napoleon

This is a great stop on a hot day! Whether you want some food – they are known for their pizza – or refreshing ice cream this is the place for you! Their menu includes many flavors of hard serve as well as slushies. 

Parking is right in front of the building.

Once you get your ice cream, sit at one of the tables and enjoy!

Check out their website for hours and the food menu. Located at 102 Brooklyn Rd Napoleon, MI

The Horton Hop – Horton

This is a great stop for soft serve and hand-dipped alike! Its menu regularly includes the flavor of the week and many kinds of food. The flavor of the week changes, well, weekly, but 2 favorites are regularly occurring; Peanut Butter and Pumpkin.

This place has a drive-thru as well as a walk-up window. After you get your ice cream, sit at the picnic tables and enjoy!

There’s even a little free library box by the picnic tables – perfect for something to read if the lines are long or if the kids need some help waiting for others to finish their ice cream.

Check out their Facebook page where they share their flavor of the week. Located at 7434 Moscow Rd Horton, MI

The Country Corner – Grass Lake

This is truly a hidden gem! Located just down the road from one of the Waterloo State Park entrances, it is a small place with huge scoops and delicious ice cream!

Park in the parking lot outside the building and walk right in. Afterward, go into the park to take a walk or drive in your car!

We “discovered” this place while camping at Waterloo, and it did not disappoint! They do not have a website, so this is their information:

The Country Corner
12226 Seymour Rd Grass Lake, MI 49240
(517) 522-8980
8 am-8 pm, seven days a week.

The Parlour – Jackson

This is one of the best shops in Jackson! They serve a wide variety of flavors and kinds of ice cream including floats, shakes, and hard serve! Known for their generous portions, the Parlour has been a long-time Jackson staple.

Park in their parking lot and head right inside! After you get your ice cream, head outside to sit at their picnic tables or take a walk around!

Check out their Facebook page for hours, updates, and more. Located at 1401 Daniel Rd Jackson, MI.

Sweet Scoops – Jackson

This is a great cold-slab ice cream place with a variety of mix-ins. In case you’ve never been to a cold-slab creamery, you choose the flavor or flavors of ice cream you want and they are mashed onto a cold slab where they won’t melt. From there, mix-ins are added in as the ice cream is kneaded on the cold slab. It’s pretty fun to watch!

They have many flavors of ice cream with 3 mix-ins included with each bowl.

Park your car in the large shared parking lot in front of the building and head in the Sweet Scoops doors! After you get your ice cream, sit at a table in the shop, explore the other shops next to it, or, return to your car and just drive around!

Check out their Facebook page for hours and updates. Located at 1077 N Wisner St. Jackson, MI (in the same plaza as JoAnn Fabric).

Swiss Swirl – Brooklyn

This is a great place for many types of ice cream (even dairy-free!) including malts and soft serve. They serve large portions for a great price!

Park next to the building in their parking lot and go up to the ordering window. Then, after you get your ice cream, sit outside on their picnic tables!

Check out their Facebook page for updates and hours. Located at 195 S Main St Brooklyn, MI.

Miller’s Dockside – Horton

This place has a huge menu that includes everything from soft-serve and hand-dipped down to slushies, floats, glaciers, and more! Their menu even includes a fish-bait sundae which is chocolate ice cream topped with Gummy worms, crushed Oreos, whipped cream, and a cherry.

They also serve Walking Tacos, soft pretzels, and more!

Park right up front and head in! Then after you get your cone or sundae, sit at the tables outside or return to your car.

Our favorite part? There is playground equipment right next to the picnic tables so kids can eat then play, play then eat, play while eating, or whatever it is the kids want to do!

Check out their Facebook page for hours and updates. Located at 3631 Hanover Rd Horton, MI.

T&N Dairy Kreme – Springport

This is a great place to get all kinds of ice cream! With a variety of kinds from Soft-serve and hand-dipped to sundaes, shakes, flurries, and malts. Each week, the flavor of the week if posted on the Facebook page (see below) so you can plan ahead.

Park beside the building and head to the front where you can order. After your ice cream is delivered to your hand, you can sit at the picnic tables beside the building, or, return to your car to eat.

Check out their Facebook page for hours and updates – especially for that Flavor of the Week info. Located at 100 W Main St Springport, MI.

Stoyanna’s – Jackson

This is a great little place in Jackson with so many delicious options. Their menu includes Mackinac Island Fudge, Moose Trax, and more – including specialty sundaes and drinks with uniquely Michigan flavor combos.

Park beside the building and go on right up!

They also have Greek meatball sliders. Yum.

Check out their website for a full list of flavors and hours. Located at 5037 Brooklyn Rd Jackson, MI.

Sattler’s Tasty Treat – Concord

This is a great place to satisfy all your ice cream needs! From soft serve to sundaes, this place has it all! From blue cotton candy slushies to banana splits and Tin Roof sundaes – visit them for coming-out-of-your-ears choices of ice cream! 

Park in front of or beside the building in the parking lot, then, just head right up to the order window. Then, after you get your ice cream, head back to your car or sit in the chairs in front of the building.

Visit their Facebook page for hours, specialty flavors, and more information. Located at 100 E Jackson St Concord, MI.

Village Creamery – Brooklyn

This is a great little place with a wide variety of ice cream choices. Including soft serve, hand-dipped, flurries, and more! Some of their flavors include Cherry Cordial, Oreo Cyclone, Banana Split, and too many more to count!

Park in the building parking lot right beside the shop, and go in the front doors! After you get your cone or shake, sit inside the building, or outside on their picnic tables or the ice cream-shaped bench. You can also return to your car with your ice cream.

Visit their Facebook page for hours and more information. Located at 140 N Main St Brooklyn, MI.

Frosty Boy of Vandercook Lake – Jackson

This is a great place with a big menu and great reviews from many people. With a flavor of the week and other unique flavors such as lemon and butterscotch pecan sundaes!

Park in the front of the building and walk up to the front to order! When you get your ice cream, return to your car, or sit at the picnic tables under the trees by the parking lot.

This place does not have a website or a phone number, but I will write their information here:
Frosty Boy of Vandercook Lake
516 E McDevitt Ave, Jackson MI, 49203
Hours: 12 pm-8 pm seven days a week.

Amanati’s Frosty Boy – Jackson

Another Jackson legacy, this is a little place that has great prices and a wide variety of flavors. Some of their kinds include glaciers, slushies, soft-serve, and hand-dipped ice cream. We loved all of the soft-serve flavor options. So refreshing!

Park your car in the parking lot beside the building and head up to the ordering window! After you get your ice cream, sit at the picnic tables beside the building or return to your car.

Check out their Facebook page for hours and more information. Located at 1201 N Cooper St Jackson, MI.

Parma Ice Cream – Parma

This is a great place with many flavors from flavors of the week like Raspberry to many different malts and shakes.

Park in the building parking lot around the building and walk up to the front window or use the drive-thru. After you get your ice cream, sit at the building picnic tables up front, or return to your car.

Check out their Facebook page but since you’re most interested in when you can get yummy ice cream from them, the hours are 12-9 pm Mon-Sat and 1-9 pm Sun. Located at 225 E Michigan Ave Parma, MI.

The Tin Roof – Stockbridge

While not technically in Jackson County, we thought this was worth adding. This place offers a wide variety of ice cream including soft serve, flurries, sundaes, and dairy-free options! They also have a wide variety of flavors including the trash can sundae and the turtle sundae. 

Park in the parking lot in the front of the building and walk right in or, head to the window! After you get your ice cream, sit in the outdoor seating area, take a walk, or return to your car!

Check out their Facebook page for hours and updates. Located at 853 S Clinton St Stockbridge, MI.

Spad’s Twisters – Jackson

This is a chain of wonderful little shops with locations in Jackson, Chelsea, Parchment, Grand Rapids, Williamston, Lansing, St. Johns, and Alma. They offer a wide variety of sundaes, soft-serve, flurries, and more!

Some of their famous sundaes include the Trash Can Sundae, the Super Bowl Sundae, and the Brownie Fantasy.

Park in the parking lot beside the building and go inside or go up to the front window to receive your tasty treat! After you receive your ice cream, sit at one of the picnic tables in front or beside the building, or, return to your car.

Check out their website for hours and other information. Located at 4005 Lansing Ave Jackson, MI and 901 S Main St Chelsea, MI.