Great dog park and lots of trees for shade. Very relaxing…read moreand only $5 for a day pass

The dog parks are very nice, some shade and water is available for dogs of all sizes. The drive…read morearound is very nice and tree lined with a nice boat ramp

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.

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.

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.

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!

Wonderful visit, warm sunny day. Greatly enjoyed chatting with the head miller. He was full of…read moreinformation about the mill itself and expanded our knowledge of multiple grains while discussing bread making tips n tricks. We strolled a shorter bath but forgot our bug spray so didn't adventure into the woods. The gardens around the mill were picturesque and the mill store had a great variety. I would recommend a visit and be sure to engage the miller for all your questions !!

Well done tours of a genuine mill. Fascinating story behind the original owner! Great place for a…read morepicnic or a stroll - the grounds are beautiful. Check online for hours - not open every day (for tours).

I love our local state rec area! Yes, I do wish there was more shade, and more shade closer to the…read morebeach, and I also know what the possibilities are for short and long term goals. This space is such a gift in our community.

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.

Amazing nature, great hiking, so many birds and, and very peaceful. Highly recommendedread more

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.