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

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.

Rosy Mound Natural Area's dunes, forested trails, and shoreline views were stunning!…read more Pulling in there is small parking lot, restrooms, and pay station kiosk for the $8 daily permit. The 2.2 mile trail starts at the parking lot leading you through the woods right to Lake Michigan's shoreline. The trail consist of dirt, dune, and board walk paths with a total of 360 stairs; so get those quads ready! Thankfully there are lots of shaded places to stop and rest with benches along the paths and between flights of stairs. Note to mention: This is a no pet area so keep your furry friends at home! Would definitely recommend Rosy Mound if you're up for a short hike and want to enjoy a breathtaking shoreline view or beach at the end.

Beautiful hike to the beach!…read more The trailhead starts in a parking lot, weaving through the woods. You go up stairs to a dunes overlook and you can continue to follow the trail down to the beach. The beach and the sand dunes are beautiful, especially at sunset. There are bathrooms at the beginning of the trail and near the beach.

Clear Springs Nature Preserve is a great hidden gem in Montague! It is a spring, meaning the water…read morenever freezes. The tranquility is unmatched. There is beauty at Clear Springs no matter the season. There are quite a few hiking trails to choose from. Most of the trails are loops. There are never a ton of people there which is nice. Dogs are allowed as long as they are on a leash. There is a porta-potty there all year round so if you have to go, no worries! A great spot to get some fresh air and get a few miles in. You will not be disappointed!

Wow what a hidden Gem. Hidden away between Muskegon and Whitehall. You pull into a nice ordinary…read morepark. Then there is a nice boardwalk path that leads to a beach area along side a Duck Lake. A very nice view in itself. Then the boardwalk travels on, then goes under a bridge and next to a sand dune, then Bam! The lake and path funnel into Lake Michigan and the path onto an amazing beach. I had no idea this beautiful public beach was here. The views are outstanding and the sand is pristine. We took the dog, yes on a leash, for a walk of the beach and had a great time. Overall an easy 5 star review. Would I return? Absolutely! A must stop.

This looks to be an awesome and somewhat hidden state park nestled between Lake Michigan and the…read morenorthern shore of Duck Lake. Nice trails with a long paved pathway from the lake front to deep in the woods for wheelchair users. By the bridge and outlet of Duck Lake, this place reminded me of Big Sur California but on a smaller scale. The sunset here was stunning but that's Lake Michigan for you!

Absolutely stunning. This park is another reminder of why we need to invest time, energy, and funds…read moreinto our natural resources. I could spend all day here wandering the trails and walking the beach. I plan to reserve a campsite in their beautiful campground sometime this summer.

Definitely worth the drive to see lake Michigan and the Sand dunes. There is a beautiful boardwalks…read morenext to the visitor center that you can take directly to the dunes. It's a wooden walkway, with a ton of shade from the trees, that takes you through the forest directly to the dunes. The visitor center was closed for remodel when we were there so we could not go inside to enjoy the displays on this trip so I am looking forward to the upgrades.

Beautiful trails and butterfly exhibit. Stayed a few hours waking the many trails. I was advised…read morethere's around 8mi of trails. Butterfly exhibit was nice and captured plenty of photos. A nice place to solo visit or bring family and children.

This was legit one of the nicest maintenance nature areas I have been in. Tons of elevated…read moreplatforms to view and we walked on wood paths most of the time in the lower marsh. Such beautiful views. Great visitor center!

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!

Nice newer park. Theres trails...macatawa rivwr access for fishing. A pavilion and playground…read moreequioment. Make sure to look at the park signs for a map, the park kind od winds through the outskirts of Holland/ Zeeland.

Hudsonville Nature Center ⁣ ⁣…read more76 BEAUTIFUL acres of woodlands, wetlands and prairies is tucked away is this neighborhood. It's absolutely gorgeous in the Fall. ⁣ ⁣ These hiking trails are well kept and well loved by the community. Along the trail are lookouts, bridges, and picnic areas. The nature center offers guided tours as well! ⁣

This is a beautiful and sacred space: a place for all of us to honor and reflect on the cost of…read morewar. It is also a very healing space for anyone going through a loss or grief. The experience for me was overwhelming. Please remember to honor the sacredness of the space and park carefully and follow the requests to not walk in the poppy field. It is a truly incredible experience. I think this is such a gift to their son and the whole community. What a beautiful idea.

I got goosebumps at first glimpse of this beautiful memorial park on a 92° day…read more I've been reading quite a bit about this beautiful, 4 acre property that local blueberry farm owners had turned into a gigantic poppy garden in honor of their son, an Afghanistan war veteran who committed suicide after struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder. I think it's so important to acknowledge the importance of mental health, the stigma against mental health disorders, and the difficulty in finding treatment and peace. I have also lost loved ones to suicide, and my heart so deeply goes out to the family who put together this incredible tribute. This gigantic, beautiful field of poppies and other wildflowers will certainly be an ephemeral beauty, so be sure to visit before July as it is currently at peak bloom. Whatever you do, do not walk on nor pick the flowers. There are a few small paths that lead 5 to 10 ft into the field, so you can capture some beautiful photos without disturbing any of the flowers. Visitors can park along the road, or at the far side of the neighboring cemetery, but of course be sure to be mindful of those visiting the graves of loved ones.