Ten acres along the Kalamazoo River, Verburg park includes lots of open grassy areas, grills, a…read moreswing set and a grass-surfaced basketball court. Fishing or launching a kayak/canoe is also an option here. Walking, biking along the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail, all kinds of outdoors experiences. I did spot limited parking at the south end on Cull Road and a paved lot with more space at the North end on Paterson Street. [Review 11211 overall, 987 of 2019.]

This was the taking-out point of a recent Kanoe the Kazoo event in which I participated. The game…read moreplan was to put-in the kayaks at the lovely Merrill Park and take-out at Verburg, then double-back to Arcadia Ales in the cars for a beer. We decided to stop at Arcadia on the way, and figured we'd boat the rest of the way to Verburg after the beer, for a little less over-all mileage and the punk-points of boating up the bar. The folks who did the original plan let us know that they sign that our group had posted to let us know where the turn for Verburg was probably wouldn't still be out by the time that we got there, and to keep an eye out for it on the left after was paddled past the tent city encampment on the river's edge. They also said it stunk to high heaven. They were right on all counts -- SO SMELLY! Pee-yoo! Fortunately, the stink let us know we were in the right spot since the sign had been taken down. It would be awesome if they added a permanent sign at the river's edge telling folks where to turn for the park. It would also be awesome if it didn't stink. Not sure what that aroma was about but it reminded me of Hoggle's biggest fear in Labyrinth -- the bog of eternal stench. That said, there's plenty of parking here and a boat launch for accessing the Kalamazoo River. Be sure not to fish there, though. It's contaminated.

We biked directly from our camp site at Fort Custer State Recreation Area to the Battle Creek…read moreLinear Park (aka trail). The trail largely runs along the Kalamazoo River which provides some nice scenery. The trail passes through the Leila Arboretum. My favorite spot was the Verona Dam, which has a nice deck with picnic tables and a great view of the water. The dam is like a man made waterfall. The trail runs through the campus of the Kellog Community College and through downtown Battle Creek right past the gorgeous old train station. There's a significant monument to the Underground Railroad near downtown. The sights along the trail are all pretty great! The trail itself is unfortunately poorly maintained. It's the roughest trail surface I've ever ridden in several spots. Not being from the area we found the trail poorly marked and we missed a number of turns and had to stop to search for where does the trail go in several areas. Navigation challenges for us included Bedford Rd Bridge, 20th St, and Washington Ave near Washington School. The trail makes several unconventional street crossings in mid-block such as along Capitol Ave near Bailey Park. Capitol is a busy 4 lane road so we chose to cross at the stop light rather than the marked crossing mid-block.

I ride the Battle Creek Linear Park Trail quite regularly. Usually several times a week. There are…read moreseveral different legs of the trail, but my favorite is the stretch along the river from Bailey Park to River Road. The scenery along this stretch is very nice and I usually see a variety of wildlife. My reason for only a 3 star rating is the condition of the trail. Many areas are very bumpy from tree root damage and the amount of glass on the trail is the most I've seen on any linear trail or rail trail. They have a clean up every year where locals volunteer to pick up various trash along the trail and river, but unfortunately, this does not include a thorough sweeping of the glass. If the city would just repair a few of the worst rough areas and run a lawn tractor with a sweeper down the trail just once a month, this trail could be a 5 star trail. It could also use a few more bathroom areas and watering areas along the route. There is a port a potty at Bailey Park and another at the boat launch near Helmer Road. But areas to get a drink or refill a water bottle are scarce. There is a water fountain near Claras downtown, but for some reason the last couple of years, the city has not turned the water back on in the spring, so it's useless. The city is always wanting to add more parks and facilities around the city, but they really need to maintain what they already have now. Kalamazoo River Valey Trail has 90% less glass and less chance of a flat, for cyclists.

I've been so impressed to see how much this cool local non-profit has been able to accomplish in…read moreour area. What started out as a two-person operation out of Kalamazoo College has expanded to provide tons of activities, training, cycling opportunities, bike repair instruction, community events and more. Kids can earn a bike by participating in an after-school program that teaches social skills as well as bicycle repair skills, and there's also a fix-a-palooza program that helps area youth learn how to maintain their cycles. Their big bike-a-palooza fundraiser at the 2017 Kalamazoo Bike Week raised over $15,000 for this awesome community-empowering program. It's a great place to donate your old bike, or your bucks or your time!

Definitely no rain check as it rained after we had been there a few hours. I felt water could have…read morebeen cleaner. You have to pay for all the extras. There are only 2 slides. Extremely frustrating that they send kids down in no life jackets with no one catching them at the bottom. I am surprised no one has drowned because of this. Probably won't go back. With covid still felt like there was to many people. Figured they were all about the money and not safety of customers.

I go to full blast to get away from everyone! It is a good day to play in the water or just lay in…read morethe sun !the snack bar is fun too!

The park is under some construction through September which is a bummer but from what they've dug…read moreup, it looks like there will be some great improvements. The ball field will go away but they're putting in new playground equipment, new pavilion, new basketball courts and updated restrooms. In the meanwhile, the parking lot is still there, the river is still there (note the warning about eating the fish) and it's a nice, peaceful spot. [Review 11208 overall, 984 of 2019.]

This is our go-to putting-in point for kayaking to Arcadia Ales (it's round about an hour's paddle…read more-- longer if you're feeling leisurely and faster if you're going for a big workout). Plenty of parking, tons of covered picnic area. We staged about 75 kayaks/paddleboards/canoes there for a recent Kanoe the Kazoo event and it didn't feel too crowded on the riverbank, which was awesome. However, you've got to be pretty strategic about how you put in (fortunately we had seasoned paddlers leading our group who gave good advice about how to put in, but those who tried to enter the river closer to the woods/fence/parking lot got caught up in some wicked current. Be sure to put in farther out toward the picnic structure and park and paddle across the river then let the current drift you across the mini-rapids. Don't forget -- it's unsafe to eat the fish from the Kalamazoo River. We saw tons of people fishing on our recent excursion and really worried about their health. A few people were sad to see a small tent city on the river's edge -- personally it made me happy that some of the homeless had found a more pleasant haven than the city parks. Just a matter of perspective, I suppose. One of the "tent cities" was also a group of 5 matching, new-looking tents so I suspect that group was a group of people kayak-camping.

Major fun! Our pilot Steve and his crew were top notch. Safe, fun, and a beautiful ride. Would…read moredefinitely do it again and recommend if you're looking for a really unique adventure.

I'm from Grand Rapids and am used to the yearly tradition of going to Rosa Parks circle for ice…read moreskating. When I found Millennium park and knew it was outdoors, I was beyond excited to keep with tradition. When we went, the weather was a bit on the warm side so there was a little ice melting but that didn't stop us from having a great time! There are concessions here as well that are decently priced. I remember seeing hot chocolate and remembering the good ol' days when it was so cold outside and when your mom told you to come in, she had a hot cup of chocolate waiting. The staff was friendly and were very informative as to the difference in skate types, figure vs. hockey. Parking was pretty accessible and there was plenty of it and free! I would love to go again, and this time, bring on the cold!

my family was super excited to enjoy a nice evening skating at the park! When we arrived for our…read morereservation, we had to wait and an extremely long line to get skates and onto the ice. when we got to the front of the state line, they failed to mention that they were only giving out men's sizes. So, after standing in extremely long line, we were all giving incorrect sizes because we were unaware of what they had. In addition to that they did not carry large sizes so part of our party was not able to skate. very disappointed

This very large park includes three miles of walking trails that loop so you can get a different…read morebunch of scenery coming and going. Some of the trails go parallel to the Kettle Lakes. The website indicates that they're great for walking in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. The first part of the red trail I walked was unimproved. Definitely not handicapped accessible but that's the charm. It's quiet and it's peaceful and it's a great opportunity to get some nature. The entrance on Helmer Road has a parking lot. [Review 11148 overall, 922 of 2019.]

This is a perfect place for a quiet walk in nature. Somehow manages to be peaceful and tranquil…read moreright in the city, just a few minutes from home. The only problem is that parts of the trails are frequently flooded, so you either have to detour or look for the little collateral trails that go around and bypass flooded/muddy areas. I like that with the different loops of trails connecting you can either get in a quick walk, like under a mile, or wander around the trails a little more and get several miles in. I usually either jog or walk here, I've seen bike tracks in the mud but I haven't been able to find info on whether biking there is actually permitted and I haven't tried it yet. One of my favorite places to walk around here!