West Lake Nature Preserve — Attraction in Portage

What an adventure and right in the middle of the city. A paved trail through a shady forest first offers views of a marshy wetland from two separate docks, but keep heading for its real jewel -- a wetlands bog featuring tamarack trees, cattails, carnivorous pitcher plants and sphagnum moss. You transverse the bog on a narrow floating boardwalk which sometimes squirts and splashes water, so wear appropriate footwear. (Kids love this part, by the way. Prepare for what happens when they jump up and down!) The boardwalk ends with an observation deck offering a breezy view of West Lake. Approach quietly and you will probably see some frogs. Download a self-guided tour brochure from the Portage Parks website to make this easy hike even more educational. At the park entrance there are restrooms, a water fountain and a playground. We love visiting here no matter the season and I always bring...

Good spot that hadn't come across. It was pretty dead there too, might be why. Not a bad thing though. Our kid had the play structure all to herself. Small structure but good for our young 4 yr old. Had some different climbing feathers she really had fun with. Pretty good walking trails. Didn't do the full thing but what we did was all wood chipped, so even with the recent rain, it wasn't muddy. Had 2 swings, one being a kids one which worked out perfect for our 10m old. Our daughter has already asked to go back, which we...

Beautiful area for birthdays or just a fun day out with the family. The kids section has equipment that looks well maintained and safe, and the public bathrooms were astonishingly clean. There are lots of cool paths that lead to neat areas to see animals in their natural habitat. My nephew loved the turtles near the dock we found. The paths seem well used and there are guard rails on areas near water for safety. Overall a...