Asylum Lake Trail is a 2.6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Kalamazoo, Michigan that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
birding
fishing
hiking
nature trips
trail running
walking
forest
lake
views
wild flowers
wildlife
Former site of the Kalamazoo mental hospital. Now WMU has turned this area into a wild life preserve. This boasts a very large lake, trails, and loads of wildlife.
great, short hike in Kalamazoo
Stroller friendly. Bathrooms available. Kid friendly. Great walk.
KC P.
Great trail mostly flat mostly sunny beautiful lake consider it unmarked. Without the app I don't believe I could have made it back to the car lol. #truth
Beautiful place for a hike! There’s the main trial around the lake and many other small trails off of that if you want to explore a bit more. Will definitely go back.
A great area in Kalamazoo to go stretch your legs and soak up nature. Visit the lake or meander through the woods. We used to live across the street and walk this daily. Our dog loved it! Off the main trail of you stick to the north side of the lake there is another small beach that not as many people stop at. Perfect for letting your dog enjoy the water.
No trail markings. Muddy at times. Fairly busy.
This is a pretty legit trail. Lots of really nice people, beautiful scenery and trash cans places every so often. A ton of litter up near the Winchell Way apartments and the trails were poorly marked. Sorta hard to follow but luckily I had this app. I will probably return.
rolling but not difficult and very scenic. great accessibility.
Trekked around Asylum Lake Preserve today. The trails around the lake are tight, and most likely very wet in the spring. The cold and snow made the trip today quite enjoyable. Also, not much traffic today...but in the spring or summer this preserve is very well travelled. Lot of dog walkers. I will probably continue to make this a winter excursion.
We followed the trail all the way through. It was mucky and led to a major road. There was fencing around us for most of the trail. I would not recommend this trail.
Came from out-of-town and walked this in the Fall ~ was just okay. Lots of dog-walkers, and just average sightseeing. Easy trail to walk. Would use this all the time, though, if I had a furry-friend and they could swim in the lake!
Nice trail close to home. It can be quite busy at weekends. People don't always keep their dogs on a leash and - especially in winter - don't pick up after them! The walk around the lake is lovely and peaceful. Lots of bird life to see.
beautiful stream with bridge, great for a picnic.
Kelsey G.
My boyfriend and I go here all the time with our fur children. I don't know who enjoys it more: us or the dogs.
loved it. went off the main path along the lake. felt so refreshing to reconnect with nature.
I love this place. I take my dog here all the time and she loves it too. The scenery is beautiful and I can't wait for everything to start turning green!!
This is a pleasant hike, with both wooded paths and prairie paths Some of the paths are gravel or remnants of old streets. There is a downloadable app which helps you find your way on the trails, and indicates points of interest: Asylum Lake Preserve app.
Ralph C.
Nice , close to home. Trails not marked well once you leave the trailhead but you'll have no problem following them. I followed some wildlife paths ( human or otherwise) all the way around the lake with a short walk along Drake Rd.
Nice place, loaded with deer and raccoon. Bring bug spray.....all in all a nice fun quick jaun .
Trails aren't really marked once you enter. That being said, it's small enough that you won't get lost and there are plenty of hills to give you a good workout. It's in the city, but quiet enough and far enough out of the way to provide a peaceful and relaxing jog or walk.
Trails could be better marked although it would be tough to get lost here...
I have hiked here several times. Best times to go are in the spring and the fall. Trails are well-marked and easy to follow. Great place for birding. Asylum Lake is a home for waterfowl. I have plenty of good memories of this place.
This is a fantastic place to get away from the hussle and bustle in kalamazoo. The history is rich here and ghost stories during night runs/hikes are great!
The nature preserve has a pretty prairie that you can walk through and a hiking trail that goes all the way around the lake close to the shore. There are several tiny beaches where you could swim or fish. I've seen many deer out on the trail. If you go around one side of the lake and then back around the other you could hike around 5 miles.
A truly nice place to spend some time. WMU has done a nice job keeping this a great place to spend some time.
There are a couple places to jump in the water on a hot day. Some nice easy trails that are well manicured. All in all a great place.