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!

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.

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.

This is a beautiful campground and the bathrooms were clean and new. HOWEVER, there were mosquitos…read moreand poison ivy everywhere - even in the middle of the campsites! My kids had to wear sweatpants and sweatshirts in 75/80 degree weather. We couldn't go anywhere without there being poison ivy within 5 ft of us. Our group (especially my children) were all covered in mosquito bites (we are talking 10+ on each of their faces - even with using bug spray, and multiple other methods of deterring mosquitos!) The staff were rude and unprofessional. The DNR officers were belittling and grumpy toward a large family group (adults with small children). This was our first time camping at this state park... and likely the last time camping at a Michigan state park. I am so disappointed in how Michigan is using their resources to create a "family friendly" campground when the way people are treated are not reflective of that. The campsites are not safe for children. Do better for someone else's sake, Fort Custer.

Super fun, quiet, off the beaten path park. The trails were all dirt, but mostly smooth. There are…read more1 or 2 good spots to sit and hangout, but no grills. There is a bathroom. There's a small floating dock that can maybe fit 2-3 fisherman at most. Mostly come for the views and to take in the scenery. The lake is serene and tranquil. Great for photography

Relatively new nature park for Kalamazoo County. This heavily wooded park with a central lake &…read moreperimeter hiking trails is reborn from a former 100 year old Boy Scout Campground Campus. Only a handful of physical elements remain from the scouting days. Park entrance fee is minimal & single day passes are available. No overnight camping allowed. Primary appeal will be hiking, birdwatching & fishing. The trails are pretty well marked and grooming will only get better over time.

Nice paved walking trail in Vicksburg. Next to the Vicksburg Heritage and Depot Museum. Close to…read moredowntown too.

Despite its proximity to busy Sprinkle Road, it's incredibly quiet and peaceful here for a paved…read morepath. It's less than 2 miles from start to finish (we start on TU Ave. and head into Vicksburg, often rewarding ourselves with a beer at the distant whistle or an ice cream at the local ice cream shop before heading back, but there are several places you could access the path.) Parking for the Vicksburg Trailway is available at the Vicksburg Depot Museum on Richardson Street; the northern trailhead on TU Avenue; and the Vicksburg Recreation Area (and disc golf course) just off Sprinkle Road as well, and they've already started construction on a new project that will eventually connect this path to the Portage Trailway, which will be such a nice option for cyclists as they will be able to get from Vicksburg all the way into Kalamazoo. We've did a fair bit of running here when we were first getting started, since when we dropped in at TU we could hit a 5K exactly by turning around as soon as we got into Vicksburg, and I intend to also put on my rollerblades and visit this path since it's nice and flat and very well paved without many cracks in the pavement. There's a few ponds along the path, which means later in the season mosquito repellent will probably be a must if you visit during a shady part of the day, and you can even watch disc golfers try to avoid that water hazard along part of the route.

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.

Another check mark on my list of visiting Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy preserves. On a…read morebeautiful December day, we ventured to Marcellus (Cass County) to explore the diverse woodlands and wetlands of Spirit Springs Sanctuary, a 124-acre preserve owned by the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC). It was named Spirit Springs in part because of the surface stream and groundwater seeps on the site, but also because it is a place that lends itself well to peaceful reflection and the renewal of mind, body and spirit. Classic glacial topography of the preserve features rolling woodlands that surround a 7-acre pond and borders 65 acres of spring-fed wetlands. A small creek connects the pond and wetlands. The mixed trees and evergreen woods are punctuated by openings where prairie plants grow. The wetlands include a swamp. I need to return in the spring or summer to see the wide array of plant communities. A network of maintained trails provides access to the various areas of the preserve. Come prepared for walking woodland trails and perhaps some wet areas. The trails are well marked and are relatively easy to moderate. It was a great day to be outside to enjoy SW Michigan's nature.

If you're looking for a peaceful getaway, Grand Mere State Park is a hidden gem that delivers on…read moreall fronts. The park offers several trails that take you through dense forests and towering sand dunes which lead to some stunning overlooks and beaches of Lake Michigan. It's a bit of a trek to get to the water, but once you do, the lakefront is beautiful and less commercialized than other spots. Definitely recommend Grand Mere State Parkin for anyone in the area looking for a peaceful outdoor escape.

Path to Lake Michigan was flooded, water over your ankles. No easy path to Lake Michigan. A…read morehiker would love the up/down sand dunes.

This place was busy as can be today but nice wide paths and folks paying attention to the "on your…read morelefts" from behind allowed for easy social distancing while enjoying the beautiful day. We've taken our dogs hiking here before many times but today was our first time cycling here, and it really is a great place to bike with some somewhat challenging rolling hills. The path goes all the way to the park on the back side of West Lake, so if you've got a mountain bike you could add that loop to the journey. Quarantine has been really rough on me but the sunny days are a joy as we plug away at training for a Beth-athlon I'm planning to do at the end of the summer (I can't run anymore, so I'm making up my own -athlon of multiple activities ranging from paddleboarding to rollerblading. It was great getting some cycling miles under my belt today and getting that heart beat racing.

Nice place for a nature walk! The path is paved and surrounded by nature, including wildlife…read more Parking is very difficult to find; doesn't show up on map. I ended up parking at a local business and walking in.