VISITING THE PRESERVE

About:
Asylum Lake Preserve (274 total acres) encompasses roughly 217 acres of land along with a 47-acre lake and a smaller 10-acre lake. Located at 3836 S Drake Rd, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, the Preserve supports multiple habitat types: oak savanna, prairie, forest, wet meadow, emergent marsh, shrub-carr and two lakes. Owned and managed by Western Michigan University, the Preserve is the one place in the city where the animals and plants, not the humans and visitors, are the main elements – and this is why it is called a preserve and not a park.

Hours:
Sunrise to sunset.

Rules:
- Stay on trails
- Keep pets leashed and pick up after them
- No camping
- No kayaks, canoes, or flotation devices (except for WMU research)
- No fires, firearms, fireworks, or hunting
- No motorized or mechanized vehicles or bikes (except for maintenance crew)

Pets:
Dogs are allowed on the property but must be leashed at all times, including if in the water. This rule is enforced to protect the natural environment as well as other visitors and their pets. Kalamazoo County Animal Control Officers will be ticketing anyone with unleashed pets.

Map:

Trail Brochure

ALPA has created a new brochure with the updated information describing interesting sights and facts relating to each trail. Trees throughout the Preserve have been marked with blue, green, red and yellow diamonds to indicate the major trails. You can also find the complete brochure and maps at each of the three entrances.