It was absolutely staggering to see how much more activity this particular park started to see when…read morethe pandemic hit. My partner and I have been long time year-round outdoor enthusiasts, but have noticed that historically in the winter months the hiking and biking paths are mostly only trafficked by people training for early season marathons. Not so these days. We met up with a friend this weekend for a socially distanced trudge through this snow. Much of the terrain here had been fairly well tramped down, but the smaller pads closer to the lake were almost entirely untrampled. My partner was relieved to have his snow pants on as parts of the path were knee deep in snow. We saw some cross-country skiers enjoying the paths as well. Keep in mind that the parking lots often fill up and there and there aren't really secondary parking options unless you wanted to park in the tech campus at WMU. also, the path doesn't wrap all the way around the lake, so if you try to circle around you will have to walk along Drake road for about an eighth of a mile. The speed limit is relatively high there and the spot you'll walk along is on the downward descent of a hill, so stay close to the guardrail and keep your eyes peeled for cars. The large open field adjacent to the hiking trails here is one of the best views of the sunset in the area, and you can catch a glimpse of the sunset across the pond as well.

Beautiful day for a walk with nature at Asylum Park. Even had a few deer friends with us.read more

Beautiful nature preserve. Tons of native plants, animals and bugs. Good for families, dogs, hikers…read moreand maybe joggers. Really well made trails and beautiful scenery. Also some really great examples of trees and birds. There is good parking for handicap accessory vehicles.

We had walked around this preserve more than several years ago but never realized it was part of…read morethe Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC). Evidently, we weren't so adept at reading signs then. I don't recall if there were graveled paths leading to an overlook last time. The overlook looks to be several hundred yards to the west of the trailhead, and there are three benches along the gravel paths. There's a dirt path that goes from the right of this area down a small hill to the marsh. The dirt path turns into a boardwalk with occasional interpretative posts. Depending on the time of the year you go to this preserve, it will either strike you as a place of phenomenal beauty or one of the Gates of Hell. Several years ago we experienced this preserve as the former, then later the latter. Our first several encounters were when there were flowers everywhere. It was stunning. Later that summer, babysitting an Irish Wolfhound for a friend who was stuck in the hospital, we walked about the preserve - dogs must be on leashes - and we discovered the boardwalks were covered with overgrown foliage. So not taking a misstep off the boardwalk into water was a challenge. And then later, surprise! We and the dog caught ticks. It was simple to find the few that were on our legs and to remove them, but checking through the fur of a dog whose size is just short of a pony was arduous. So for this most recent time, we checked out the gravel paths and overlook. The paths wander around. The overlook, which is an inverted V shaped structure and already marked with graffiti, is a bit small but it provides a great view of the marsh below. The plateau above the marsh looks like it's a project and that SWMLC has something in mind to do with it. The parking is dirt and gravel except for the 2 spaces reserved for handicapped parking. Those 2 spaces are concrete. There is a white barn to the right of the parking lot that has the trails posted. Entering and exiting the preserve's parking lot can be tricky because there is a blind corner north of the entrance, so southbound traffic on Nazareth Rd. can just suddenly and unexpectedly appear. In short, a beautiful area. Watch out entering and leaving the parking area. Do tick prevention.

I have been visiting Woods Lake for several years. I know the Lake is on the small side, but it is…read morecertainly safer than most lakes I have seen. The restrooms, drinking fountain, and picnic pavilion are definitely a plus. They were just recently updated. The water temperature of the lake feels like that if a bathtub. It is very warm. It is also clear enough for me to open my eyes underwater. I have taken my inflatable stand-up paddle board to Woods Lake several times. I know one brat said you'd get swimmer's itch, but I disagree. I never had any issues with water quality. I wear beach socks or water shoes to avoid directly touching anything with my bare feet, and I stay in the area just in front of the sandy shore. I know most of the sandy shore has been submerged, but that's what fucking happens with inland lakes!

We've been swimming here for years, so I was surprised to see I hadn't written a review yet!…read more This park has a sandy (with some gravel) beach, accessed via a hilly sidewalk from the handicap parking next to the newish picnic pavilion. Note: to get to the handicap parking, you don't park up top (and walk down those stairs, obviously!), but drive down a clearly marked accessible road down to the four handicap spaces nearer to the beach. You will still have to walk/wheel from those spots to the water. The water starts out really shallow (good for playing, if you have littles), and then goes deep pretty quickly. There is often a bunch of seaweed near to the shore, and, depending on the weather, the water can be murky. Persevere! STILL! It is a swimmable lake, and feels really good to get in the water, so close to home. There's a small playground area, a grassy area next to the sidewalks, and then, along the lakeshore, plenty of space for fishing.

Fantastic trail that is mostly flat and a mix of crushed stone and paved. It had rained the day…read morebefore we rode and the crushed stone was still in great condition. We rode one-way from Kalamazoo to South Haven and logged 38 miles. We stopped for lunch in Gobles. Traffic on the trail was light on a weekday. The trail is mostly rural and wooded. The trail is well maintained, well marked, and in good condition. There are pit toilets every few miles. There is water along the trail and it's mostly old-fashioned hand-pumps, which is fun. There are a even a couple of camp sites along the trail, which looked nice enough with a picnic table and fire ring.

This is an easily walkable/bikeable sometimes-shaded, bucolic trail created as a "rail trail" on a…read moreformer railroad bed from the 1870's. It is all asphalt, flat, & winds alongside bodies of water, sometimes busy main roads and with lots of wildflowers growing alongside (also flies...so, bring bug spray). It is 33.5 miles long, has a campground, Kal Haven Outpost, on the South Haven end of it, as well as a water fountain, bike tools & rest rooms. There are covered bridges & overpasses to go under and through, nice views alongside & benches to rest on. We started on the trail midday and, interestingly enough, barricades, closing down the trail, were put up sometime during our walk. We are lucky that we got in our walk before this happened.

Lovely place, first time my wife and I had been there. We walked several trails and toured the…read morevisitors center. The trails were well made and matained. We will be back. We were impressed in the COVID precautions. Temperature checks and contacting info.

My family absolutely loves the KNC. When the weather is glum, there are lots of things to do for…read morekids inside. When it's nice outside, there are tons of trails and lots of exploring to be done. We typically start inside, and then we hit the trails. Lots of birds to see and streams to play in. The imagination runs free at Kalamazoo Nature Center! With annual passes available (around $80 for a family), the investment in the community is well worth it!

Great park. The ranger met us and a parking pass ($5). The…read moresite was perfect for the reunion outing with play structure and a volley ball court. Bathrooms close and super cleaned for a park. Very well stocked. Parking was easy.

You can't make reservations on the Weekends, only one tent per site is absolutely ridiculous for…read more$40 a night, also the overflow lot is for "family" only for some reason, you can even stay with your friends, this place doesn't want your money and just like stingy rules, I guess they just hate peoples staying here, would 10000% recommend any other campsites than this dog crap place.

This place was busy as can be today but nice wide paths and folks paying attention to the "on your…read morelefts" from behind allowed for easy social distancing while enjoying the beautiful day. We've taken our dogs hiking here before many times but today was our first time cycling here, and it really is a great place to bike with some somewhat challenging rolling hills. The path goes all the way to the park on the back side of West Lake, so if you've got a mountain bike you could add that loop to the journey. Quarantine has been really rough on me but the sunny days are a joy as we plug away at training for a Beth-athlon I'm planning to do at the end of the summer (I can't run anymore, so I'm making up my own -athlon of multiple activities ranging from paddleboarding to rollerblading. It was great getting some cycling miles under my belt today and getting that heart beat racing.

Nice place for a nature walk! The path is paved and surrounded by nature, including wildlife…read more Parking is very difficult to find; doesn't show up on map. I ended up parking at a local business and walking in.

The unique and fragile ecosystem located in this park is even more amazing when you consider it's…read moreat the heart of the city of Portage. Some of the first stops along the sanctuary's trail are viewing platforms overlooking a marshy area, which, though enjoyable, still require you to press on to reach the five-star attraction -- a wetland bog featuring carnivorous pitcher plants, sphagnum moss, and tamarack trees. You will have to walk awhile on paths through the woods before you reach the actual bog, which must be traversed on a floating boardwalk. Choose to wear shoes that will keep your feet dry. (At certain times of the year the boardwalk may even be flooded and inaccessible.) Mosquito spray and drinking water are also must-haves. Autumn is a particularly beautiful time to visit; the colors are spectacular. The trek ends with a glorious view of West Lake. You can sit on benches on the viewing platform before the trip back to the parking lot. Your wetland adventure will take 45 minutes or more depending on your pace and frequency of stops. Also, beware of poison sumac growing along the trail through the bog; the risk of getting a rash is a great deterrent to picking any pretty plants along the way.

Yet another Portage Park that has elevated walkways over the bogs. Be aware both that when you walk…read moreover these rubber walkways, water will squirt up through the holes so you're likely to get damp (not a huge deal on a hot summer day, but pretty intense when you're going on a run in the late fall or early spring). Also, despite being a fairly neutral looking gray, these elevated walkways get incredibly hot. I noticed my chihuahua was lifting his paws so I reached down and touch the surface and it was scalding, so we carried the dogs for those stretches of the paths. We saw lots of butterflies, birds and a gorgeous turtle on our recent visit. Our cousin had a hard time finding the geocaches that were supposed to be on our route, though. There's a beautiful West Lake view at the end of one of the elevated platforms and lots of yummy wild blackberries to forage if you happen to be at the park in early July. We're always on the hunt for great spots to take our dogs for a nice afternoon hike, and this will be becoming one of our go-to spots.

Nothing beats a nice stroll in the park. No matter the season! The beautiful green now has a slap…read moreshot of other colors bringing the fall features to life! But as lovers of spring and summer. Green was our calling card for sure. Very beautiful park!

I stopped here for a bit to destress in the green. This is a very pretty park that has been set…read moreaside though it isn't completely isolated from the noises of the buses and trucks that pass by. Still, pretty, green, refreshing. Great walking and jogging and biking trails, picnic benches, covered areas, grills, fishing areas, permanent structures with restrooms. This park has everything. Over 200 acress and connected by a 3.5 mile trail. [Review 11230 overall, 1006 of 2019.]

I've driven by the sign for this trail a zillion times and I always think: I've got to go hike…read morethere. So I finally did. Spoiler alert: The path is maybe a quarter mile long. I read up on the park's purpose when I returned home after my disappointing stroll here. Sounds like the four acre parcel was purchased by the Kalamazoo Nature Center as a brownfield with the idea of adding more park space to downtown, which I definitely dig, but the path really needs to connect to other walking trails to be a viable addition to the system of trails in our area. Parking is also a major issue here. There is a parking lot adjacent to the trailhead, but it is restricted for patrons and employees of neighboring businesses. We wound up parking in one of the Food Dance spots since we knew the business is currently closed. There are also a couple of spots on the street before the railroad track. When the path wound up being way shorter than my friend and I had hoped for, we wound up taking advantage of the beautiful day by strolling through downtown and hitting some of the boutiques, which wound up making for a lovely afternoon nonetheless. While short, the path does in a raised wooden platform over the stream. We felt uncomfortable impinging on the space of some homeless people who were camping right next to the bridge so we took off rather quickly.