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

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Great park for walking on trails. Some are paved, some are grass, and some are dirt. We saw many deer 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. read more

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Today was my first visit! I went with my husband and 13 year old daughter - both of whom are more fit and outdoorsy than I am - and we all had a great time. The weather was perfect so as we walked further in from where we parked we could see the gigantic beautiful sky all around. We saw several deer, including a fawn, and plenty of birds and butterflies. And, to be honest, it was the nicest porta potty I've ever used. We will be going back - possibly as soon as tomorrow. 2 hours was not enough time to explore and enjoy. read more

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We love walking at Asylum Lake Preserve. There are two entrances - one on Drake, and one on Parkview (that one has a much smaller parking lot). If it is nice out, the parking is usually full! There are many trails within Asylum Lake Preserve. Most are just paths through trees (both alive and fallen), mowed or worn paths through grassy areas, and on the south side of the woods, a bit of leftover pavement at times. I use my wheelchair scooter (it is very durable) to get around if the ground is dry, although it can be challenging at times, with the hills. The whole path system usually takes you close to water - the lakes are gorgeous, with a variety of waterfowl to watch. There are few benches along the paths, but you can always perch on a fallen log. If you go to the south end of the lake, you can find a meandering stream with a bench nearby. It is soothing to listen to the water flow. Note: a LOT of people walk their dogs here. I love that - it's a perfect place! But a cautionary tale: watch where you put your feet. Not every dog owner cleans up after their pet. :( Best of all? It's free! free parking, free to enter, free to roam. This is one of the hidden treasures of Kalamazoo. read more

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We moved close to this preserve and I'm so happy about it! This area has a couple miles of trails, mix of woodchips, gravel, and dirt. Decently well maintained. Lots of picturesque spots all year round. I've seen people ice fishing in the winter. Lots of hikers, walkers, dogs, and hammocks during nice weather. Gets pretty busy when it's nice out, especially during the school year. Even when its busy it's still pretty easy to find quiet areas. Watch out for wildlife especially when driving near the preserve, I've seen many turtles on the road and deer near the road. read more

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It was absolutely staggering to see how much more activity this particular park started to see when the pandemic hit. My partner and I have been long time year-round outdoor enthusiasts, but have noticed that historically in the winter months the hiking and biking paths are mostly only trafficked by people training for early season marathons. Not so these days. We met up with a friend this weekend for a socially distanced trudge through this snow. Much of the terrain here had been fairly well tramped down, but the smaller pads closer to the lake were almost entirely untrampled. My partner was relieved to have his snow pants on as parts of the path were knee deep in snow. We saw some cross-country skiers enjoying the paths as well. Keep in mind that the parking lots often fill up and there and there aren't really secondary parking options unless you wanted to park in the tech campus at WMU. also, the path doesn't wrap all the way around the lake, so if you try to circle around you will have to walk along Drake road for about an eighth of a mile. The speed limit is relatively high there and the spot you'll walk along is on the downward descent of a hill, so stay close to the guardrail and keep your eyes peeled for cars. The large open field adjacent to the hiking trails here is one of the best views of the sunset in the area, and you can catch a glimpse of the sunset across the pond as well. read more

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I have loved walking with my dog at the Preserve during all seasons for many years. Usually parking is full and overflowing on Parkview and the Drake entrance has had so many breakins, that I won't park there. So I have been parking on Winchell for a number of years, as have many others. Last week I got a $20 ticket for parking in a no-parking zone. I am mad and would like there to be designated parking on Winchell where I don't have to worry about getting a ticket. It is such a gem in Kalamazoo and parking shouldn't be an issue. read more

Great place to bring your dogs, go on a picnic or look for cool bugs. Also, super cool old giant tree. read more

Great place for hikes , walk or run with kids or dogs. Lots of trails in sun , shade and some around the lake. In season there is a porta potty and trash cans around. When the weather is nice it can get busy real quick. read more

Really nice for short 2-3 mile walks. Plenty of wildlife, geese with babies, oriole's, many different birds, chipmunks squirrels etc. great relaxing walking spot. Would go too sabotage for biking for here for shorter walks read more

My favorite place to walk on the west side! The trails are amazing! Great place to take pictures