I have watched this trail around 60 times in the past few months, and have no intention of…read morestopping. It's a small walk, but such a gem to discover. If you enjoy animals, especially birds, you see and hear more than in any other park.

Really well kept up trails! I saw a lot of wildlife. There is not parking near the entrance of the…read morepreserve, but I parked in Oakwood Plaza and walked over, it was under a half mile. There were benches sporadically for resting or birdwatching. If you stick to the main trail (it's a loop), it's just over a mile.

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.

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.

I came for a quick hike on an icy cold afternoon with my friend. The Park is composed of a…read moreHistorical Area, hiking trails and a kayak launch into the creek. In May, the Park was hit by a tornado that destroyed many of the trees and damaged several structures. It is amazing how Mother Mature can change the face of the land so quickly. The Park is named Celery Flats, because the region has been popular for growing celery with its sandy soil. The Historic Area of the Park is decorated for the holidays with trees and lights. Historic buildings include a grain elevator, a one room school house and Stuart Manor. Stuart Manor as moved to the park in 1994 and was one of the first homes built in Portage. Hayloft Theater is a restored barn turned theater. The barn was damaged by the tornado and is awaiting repair. There is also an amphitheater in the Park that is perfect for summer concerts. The buildings were not open for touring during our visit, but they appear to be open during events. The Historic Area is a perfect place to bring the kids to learn about history. The hiking trail through the Park is part of the trail system that meanders through Portage and Kalamazoo. There are picturesque bridges along the trail with a canoe/kayak launch over Portage Creek. The trails are a perfect place to watch birds. We saw a flock of mallards in the creek during our visit. The trail offered something I had not seen before. There was a solar phone charging station near a bench for those who need to stay connected. The Park has a really nice pavilion that was decorated for Christmas. I could see this as a perfect place to take family pictures or visit with Santa. The parking lot is large with handicapped spaces close to the pavilion. The trails are paved and easily accessible. I will return to see how the forest recovers from the tornado. The Park has a lot to offer.

This is a very popular spot, very clean and beautiful it was recommended by a friend when we asked…read morewhat's a good walking trail. We are from Battle Creek and she told us this spot county zoo.

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!

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.

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!

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.