Even on a cloudy day in November, Chipman Preserve is beautiful…read more This was our first time to visit Chipman Preserve. I recently joined the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy and my goal is to visit all 19 of the public preserves. Chipman Preserve is located in between Comstock and Galesburg on E. Main St. There is a gravel parking lot, which probably holds 10-15 cars. Chipman Preserve is nearly 230 acres that take you through savanna, forest, and grassland habitats. There are six miles of trails. The main loop takes you around the perimeter, but there are lots of smaller twisting trails that take you off the beaten path. The dense forest area is so peaceful. I'm anxious to return in the spring so I can see the beautiful wild flowers. I've always been loved the beauty of nature and Chipman checks all the right boxes. The paths are easy to follow and there is not a lot of elevation. It only took us a little over an hour to traverse most of it. Besides hiking, you can cross-country ski, snowshoe, and it is also used for trail-running. And it is dog friendly. If you want to get away from it all, this is the place to do it.

This out-of-the-way hiking spot is a good go-to if you want to avoid the crowds (although they're…read morepretty adamant about no off-leash puppers, which is one of our top reasons to seek out lesser traveled trails). Really enjoyed a short lunchtime hike here recently and love that they have lots of kiosks where you can learn a bit about the area and its wildlife.

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 Kellogg Research Forest is an interesting & m as maintained forestry research facility. Like…read morethe USFS, it's a bit too rah rah forestry industry focused but is genuinely educational about the tree species on display in various stands ... there is a surprising number of species showing what goes into commercializing a selected species or figuring out which species will thrive under which environmental conditions...

Hidden nature trail, you never believe this is only 20 min away from Kalamazoo, hiking, house…read moreridding, pretty in summer, great place to ski in winter, part of Kellogg Biological Station, open to public. It is a part of the National Park's North Country National Scenic Trail form NY to North Dakota under construction, longest continuous hiking trail in US! http://www.nps.gov/noco/index.htm After the rainy day all the forest trees smells REFRESHING! Jan/ 2014 About a beautiful swamp board walk: a secret garden Just before the covered bridge and trail entrance gate form the parking lot, go walk left-north, there are rest room, maple syrup log house, picnic area beside the trout creek, keep walking for about 5min. The end of the road with a driving loop, you will see the bridge to cross the creek. Cross the creek walk bridge and you will find the most beautiful little area of this forest, board walk through the swamp with water plants. Best time is in Spring green time. Stay walk along with the creek side trail ( stay with left trails) and cross the high voltage power line. You will see the maple syrup gathering place, start crumbing along with north side syrup correcting tubes you will go back to the north end of main trail. It is about 15min walk. If you like to stay in loop trail, go straight up to the bit steep trail form the main road crossing ( there are two trails go up hill, go right-south hill trail). about 50min you be back to the east side of the covered bridge to the parking lot. This is a great walk including 20 min climbing - cardio, and 15min relaxing gentle down hill, feels like taking exercise class. Have a little great time in nature! Map is available at the ranger station beside the parking lot!

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!

Of all the parks I experienced during the last weeks in Kalamazoo, Milham Park was my favorite. At…read more49 acres, it is one of the larger parks and it is bisected by Portage Creek. This means that there are three bridges over the creek and they're beyond lovely. Picnic tables and a pavilion (though it needs some sweeping) that has electricity and water fountains and a playground nearby. There are other playgrounds in the park, connected by walking trails. The bridge nearest the entry and parking lot on East Kilgore was my favorite. A paved path from the parking lot, through the pavilion and over the bridge means that this beauty is also available for folks who are mobility challenged. There is a second entrance at Milham Park Road with another bridge and from there, a view of the neighboring golf course. Love, love, love Milham Park. Well done, Kalamazoo. [Review 11245 overall, 1021 of 2019.]

What? No reviews? Are you KIDDING me? This was my go-to park in the Kalamazoo area for the longest…read moretime and I've been coming here for at least 20 years. I used to love climbing the big pines along the water's edge, all the way to the top, back when I was a young adventure-lover. I'm an old adventure-lover now and I weigh more, so it's been a long time since I've done that. There's plenty of space to walk around here along lots of little streams, there's a small but pretty dam, lots of picnic spots. Milham Park is about equidistant from my house and my husband's work so we meet up there for lunch pretty regularly and watch kids feed the birds. Please be aware of what is and isn't safe for birds to eat and do not bring them bread! There's lots of covered picnic areas and BBQ stations, so it would be a great spot for a work or family get-together, a nice playground area for kids. On my last visit a hula hooper was doing all sorts of awesome tricks and we had the best time watching her. It's kind of the bee's knees, actually.

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.

What the village has done with the Rec center is amazing! It's a huge disc golf course now and it's…read moreone of my favorites in the area! Make sure you bring your bug spray though. With so many of the holes being near water the bugs can get heavy.

This park is the launching point for a lovely, wooded path for walking/running/cycling. We used it…read morea ton when we were in early days of our marathon training because it was nicely shaded and not too busy. Sunset Lake also abuts the area and is a beautiful little pond with lots of lily pads and bird life. There's very little in the way of homes on the lakeshore so it's a pretty spot. Great for sunset photography, too.

Probably my favorite and most unique trail in the area. First major tip is to wear shoes that can…read moreget WET because theres a 95% chance they will on the boardwalk, no matter how careful and lightly stepping you are. When we say "bog", it's for real. Theres a long boardwalk literally through the bog/swamp. After the boardwalk theres a more typical forested nature trail area. Also there is West Lake Nature Preserve across the street, so you can make a day of it really. Lots of photography opportunities here. I think it's a beautiful place. I've never seen more than maybe 4 other people on the trail. But seriously wear water shoes, athletic sandals, rain boots, or some kind of waterproof shoes. I wouldn't run here only due to the possible slippery nature of the bog area. I don't consider this a deterrent from visiting though, just plan ahead!

It's a beautiful spot for a hike, but they mean it when they say 'bog'…read more Raised rubber boardwalks do their best to keep park guests above the water but you should definitely plan on getting very wet. My first run here was when I was marathon training in a visciously cold winter. Ice below us crackled as we started across the boardwalk and water guysered up and completely soaked us. There's no experience quite like this ... Especially amid an 8 mile run when you're many miles from the car and any hope of changing. Brr. My nethers are shivering just thinking about it. It would be nice to see them use some of the huge influx of bikeway funding that will connect bishop's big and Schrier Park with Elaison Nature Preserve to raise the boardwalks a bit higher above the water.