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    Asylum Lake Preserve

    4.9 (11 reviews)

    Asylum Lake Preserve Photos

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    Looking at the meandering stream - you can hear the babbling, and see the leaves pass by. It's very relaxing.
    Jessica V.

    We love walking at Asylum Lake Preserve. There are two entrances - one on Drake, and one on Parkview (that one has a much smaller parking lot). If it is nice out, the parking is usually full! There are many trails within Asylum Lake Preserve. Most are just paths through trees (both alive and fallen), mowed or worn paths through grassy areas, and on the south side of the woods, a bit of leftover pavement at times. I use my wheelchair scooter (it is very durable) to get around if the ground is dry, although it can be challenging at times, with the hills. The whole path system usually takes you close to water - the lakes are gorgeous, with a variety of waterfowl to watch. There are few benches along the paths, but you can always perch on a fallen log. If you go to the south end of the lake, you can find a meandering stream with a bench nearby. It is soothing to listen to the water flow. Note: a LOT of people walk their dogs here. I love that - it's a perfect place! But a cautionary tale: watch where you put your feet. Not every dog owner cleans up after their pet. :( Best of all? It's free! free parking, free to enter, free to roam. This is one of the hidden treasures of Kalamazoo.

    Elise B.

    We moved close to this preserve and I'm so happy about it! This area has a couple miles of trails, mix of woodchips, gravel, and dirt. Decently well maintained. Lots of picturesque spots all year round. I've seen people ice fishing in the winter. Lots of hikers, walkers, dogs, and hammocks during nice weather. Gets pretty busy when it's nice out, especially during the school year. Even when its busy it's still pretty easy to find quiet areas. Watch out for wildlife especially when driving near the preserve, I've seen many turtles on the road and deer near the road.

    Daffodils should be blooming any day now

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    8 years ago

    My favorite place to walk on the west side! The trails are amazing! Great place to take pictures

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    Review Highlights - Asylum Lake Preserve

    There are two entrances - one on Drake, and one on Parkview (that one has a much smaller parking lot).

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    St. Joseph's Lake - Posted with review and hopefully John will let me know if I'm wrong. Thx John. 01/06/25

    St. Joseph's Lake

    3.3(3 reviews)
    49.0 mi

    St. Joseph's Lake Recently a really cool nice Yelper John…read moreS. of San Francisco Communicated with me regarding my posts on places on and around the University of Notre Dame Campus. He is amazing with so much information that has helped me. He's an Encyclopedia of Notre Dame! I'm going by my senior citizen memories and old photos. He geared me to the St. Joseph's Lake page for my incorrectly posted Lake photos. That being said I love being out in nature and around bodies of water. When my daughter and I spent time together at the university a walk to the lake was a great escape. I'm sure during my many visits in four years I visited other lakes near the campus. If you live in South Bend, go to the university, or you are visiting like me then by all means take in the lake activities and spend time hiking or walking around St. Joseph's Lake. Highly recommended.

    I'm not sure why I didn't realize this was a separate lake the first time I visited Notre Dame when…read moreI was in high school in 1993. Or maybe I did realize it, but St. Mary's Lake just held a particular sway for me. In any case, St. Joseph's Lake is probably more beautiful than its westerly cousin--er, (unconsummated) spouse? I say "probably" because it depends on what you like. If you'd rather walk around a mostly flat path without trees obstructing your view, then St. Mary's Lake is your girl. But if you like changing elevations, paths that sometimes take strange turns, and the wonder of a mysterious island with a locked gate, then St. Joseph's Lake is your boy. Yes, I know, both lakes have islands; and technically, St. Mary's Lake has more of them, but one of St. Joseph's Lake's islands is connected to the shore by a footpath, and there's this weird gate that's usually locked, although if you don't mind getting wet, it's pretty easy to get around. (Believe me, I know.) If the weather's particularly nice, you can rent a boat and sail around the lake. I never did this, but when my brother was in town for my graduation, he really wanted to. The lake is strange during the winter because it doesn't freeze. Why not? Well, Notre Dame has its own power plant (coal-fired, unfortunately), which is cooled by St. Joseph's Lake. After the water is used, it is pumped back into the lake, which ensures that the water is always too warm to freeze. This causes quite a lot of confusion for the local waterfowl. Normally, ducks and geese fly south for the winter, and this is largely the case for Notre Dame's ducks and geese. But even in the middle of winter, you'll find some ducks swimming around St. Joseph's Lake, and I often wonder whether this ruins their natural instincts. I'm not very athletic, but if I were, I would be one of those people who run around this lake and then St. Mary's Lake in what seems like a decently challenging but also relaxing jog. If you're a woman and you choose to run around St. Joseph's Lake, you should probably bring some mace along. I've never felt unsafe walking around the lake, even in the middle of the night in really cold weather, but it is kind of spooky, and there are a lot of places to hide.

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    St. Joseph's Lake - Posted with review and hopefully John will let me know if I'm wrong. Thx John. 01/06/25

    Posted with review and hopefully John will let me know if I'm wrong. Thx John. 01/06/25

    St. Joseph's Lake
    St. Joseph's Lake - Posted with review and hopefully John will let me know if I'm wrong. Thx John. 01/06/25

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    Posted with review and hopefully John will let me know if I'm wrong. Thx John. 01/06/25

    Asylum Lake Preserve - parks - Updated May 2026

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