The beach there sucks, they have parts blocked off so there's very little area to swim and the…read morelifeguards will pull everyone get out of the water every 15 minutes

Hurray for a bit of good news amid an abysmal year. Tests came back for the beach staffers who were…read moreshowing potential Covid symptoms and they received the all-clear. It's freezing out today so the beach is a no-go right now, but it's wonderful to have the option available. They've got another beach campfire event, drive in movie, and drive in concert scheduled at the park this month as well. We appreciate their efforts to provide social but socially distanced events, although we hope they'll do a better job hiring local and/or talented bands for future summer concert series.

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

Great park for walking on trails. Some are paved, some are grass, and some are dirt. We saw many…read moredeer in our walk! There are serval lakes along the paths too. We weren't brave enough to try the wild berries but there are plenty if you're up for it.

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.

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.

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.

i don't like being followed my entire golfing round. it doesn't make me feel wanted or welcome…read morethere. i will not be back

This place is not closed permanently. This is a beautiful park. Excited to see what it looks like…read morein the warmer months. The disc golf course is legit! Four of us just had a ton of fun playing disc golf, and there were a lot of others out, too. There is a delightful, challenging variety of hole types. Many long holes, a bunch of tight shots through the woods, a few makeable drives, and a couple nice wide open bombers. This course is quite difficult, but it's beautiful and enjoyable. We will definitely be back!

Great park with a lot to offer. I have come here several times for camping and the other activities…read morethis place allows and will gladly continue to make the trek from Illinois to see it again. Most of my experience here has been camping at sites during the winter which is a totally different experience and one I recommend. The trails and river/lake in this park are beautiful and well maintained and they offer all levels of mountain biking. Again I usually go in the winter and my group is the only one here and it is just an amazing time to be able to walk the trails and park and take it all in undisturbed by others. If for some reason you are losing interest in nature which is hard to believe they also have some nearby towns with some breweries and other entertainment as well. - Ample parking - Nice, knowledgeable rangers - Range of sites for how much you want to rough it - Amazing trails

Wouldn't let us in because we have out of date tags, during a pandemic, and can't get an…read moreappointment at the Secretary of State until October.

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.

This is our favorite local lake to kayak in because it has so many little creeks that connect it to…read moreother local waterways. It's so peaceful to paddle slowly through the reedy sections and connect to the neighboring lake (Howard Lake). Between the lake itself and its adjacent creeks/rivers, you could be busy from dawn to dusk exploring every little cranny. The main lake gets pretty busy with speedboats, though, so be sure to stick to the edges in your kayak and don't bring a tippy one!