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!

I love our local state rec area! Yes, I do wish there was more shade, and more shade closer to the…read morebeach, and I also know what the possibilities are for short and long term goals. This space is such a gift in our community.

Traveling has become so darn expensive (mostly thanks to hotels and rental cars) so I've been…read moretrying to find places within driving distance to explore this year so I can drive and also camp to save money and connect with nature more! I loved this campground. It's quite large with lots of lakes and bodies of water. I didn't get to hike a ton but the one trail I did hike was great and very peaceful. I reserved campsite 159. I will say that the campsite next to it was basically right on top of mine so it would be great for a group site! It was also located right by the bike/hike trail, so that was good for me but could see how it wasn't as private as other sites. Loved the check in process and great location related to Kalamazoo.

The Black River Preserve is truly a spectacular place. The location of the preserve, along the…read moreLake Michigan coastal area, makes it a premier migratory songbird stopover. There is also great biological diversity ranging from poplars and redbud trees to hemlocks and birch trees. The Preserve encompasses 120 acres of rolling forest, meadows, and scenic tributary ravines. The trails are all marked and offer easy-to-difficult hiking options. We spent a Sunday afternoon in October walking through this magical preserve. The Mainstem Trail is the most direct route through the preserve. We traversed slops of the north and middle ravine and crossed streams along the way. We stopped at the "quiet spot" bridge and closed our eyes and just listened to the peaceful sounds of nature. The Black River Preserve is located on 8th Ave. in South Haven. There is a gravel park lot and a trail map posted at the trail head. If you are looking for a place to go for nature and a quiet atmosphere, be sure to check out the Black River Preserve.

This place is great for hiking and meeting up with friends! I really enjoy all the flora & River.read more

Would highly recommend this place. My spouse and I are originally from the Pacific Northwest and…read morenow live in Chicago - so we are always looking for little nooks within 3 hours of the city. This is a little gem of a campground that's pleasantly filled with comforts and modern amenities. The campground itself is very small, but it's quiet, & has a steady body of water. I will be staying here again. I spent the weekend sitting in my hammock and enjoying hearing the water. 5/6 of the cabins face the water just as an fyi, so it's like a private paradise. The town of SoHa is really fun too and a great place to wine, dine, & explore. The cabins are basic and rustic with one plug in to charge your electronics. There is one light in there but it does get dark at night. Bring a nightlight. The queen bunk beds are great and comfortable. I would say more like 2-3 people could comfortably sleep in a cabin due to space and the cabins get hot at night! There's showers, there's toilets, there's cabins- oh my! The showers run on a unique token system. 1 token=$1=3 minutes of hot, private, shower. Tokens are purchased on site. the showers are game changers because they're open 24 hours with cameras outside so the owners monitor who goes in/out and your safety. As a queer person, I felt comfortable & safe at this campground.

Best camping experience in a long time, maybe ever. Staff extremely friendly and helpful…read more(especially Brandon amd his grandfather). Clean facilities. Wood cheaper than at the gas-station (even if you have to buy it on the premesis). Canoe/Kayak rental and ride on the premises. Just a short distance from South Haven, breweries and wineries and a blueberry farm. Will definitely be back! Thank you for the experience. Chris S.

Beautiful state park with a few different trails to take you to the beach. Parking is $12 for a day…read morefor non-Michigan residents. The kiosk is easy enough to navigate. On to the hike! We did the yellow trail. Difficulty level in my opinion was easy but on our way back, we took the adventurous route which was more of a medium difficulty because you had to be on an uphill climb for quite a bit. Overall, I would classify the hike as easy. It's way too cold so neither of us swam. Because it is a longer hike, we didn't take our dog with us but we saw several while on the trail. If your dog is older than ours (8 months, super slow due to being easily distracted) I highly recommend taking them on the trail. The beach is dog friendly as well. Just make sure to pick up after them. Beautiful view of the lake and overall. I would definitely come back again (and hopefully with Miss Birdie next time)!

This is a beautiful state park with tree covered trails to hike. If hiking sand dunes is not your…read morething there are other trails. If it is, it could be a training pre-curser to bigger dunes. In any regard, it is rustically beautiful. There are porta-potties and picnic tables near the parking lot.

The mill has been a prominent place in my life for almost 40 years. It's where I go when I need to…read moreleave the world's problems behind.

I adore Scott's Mill Park! My friend and I have always had our girls evenings out there. We just go…read moreout and sit on the bench of the small cabin and stare down at the gorgeous scenery and talk. Also a great back drop for engagement or graduation photos out near the cabin and cute garden.

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.

Wonderful visit, warm sunny day. Greatly enjoyed chatting with the head miller. He was full of…read moreinformation about the mill itself and expanded our knowledge of multiple grains while discussing bread making tips n tricks. We strolled a shorter bath but forgot our bug spray so didn't adventure into the woods. The gardens around the mill were picturesque and the mill store had a great variety. I would recommend a visit and be sure to engage the miller for all your questions !!

Well done tours of a genuine mill. Fascinating story behind the original owner! Great place for a…read morepicnic or a stroll - the grounds are beautiful. Check online for hours - not open every day (for tours).

Great dog park and lots of trees for shade. Very relaxing…read moreand only $5 for a day pass

The dog parks are very nice, some shade and water is available for dogs of all sizes. The drive…read morearound is very nice and tree lined with a nice boat ramp

This is a wonderful place to see so many birds. It is usually not as crowded as some of the larger…read morezoos in the area. Which adds to the enjoyment in my opinion. The whole sanctuary is a great place for singles, couples, families and anyone who enjoys wildlife. Young kids get a thrill out of seeing the birds. And in non COVID times can feed them too. Adding to children's enjoyment. There are some birds in captivity (usually rehabbed animals) which are common in Michigan. Then the lake and ponds are great places to see waterfowl in their natural habitat. This is a treasure in Kalamazoo county. And a place not to be missed.

Went to hike with friends after school. We got scavenger hunt maps which was neat for the kids to…read moresearch for to cross off. We were able to see several birds and learn about them. Birds journeys that led them to be at the sanctuary. Usually you get to feed them but not today since they had a flu going around. Nice paved paths to walk on for strollers and wagons. Bathroom area to use if you need to go. Swans are so much bigger in up close viewing.