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Portage is a city of about 50,000 people in Kalamazoo County, Michigan, directly south of Kalamazoo. In the late 1800s and early 1900s the rich muck soil around Portage Creek made it a center of celery farming, and today it is a leafy suburban city dotted with lakes, nature preserves and trails.
Portage is best known for the Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Center, a Smithsonian-affiliated museum near the Kalamazoo airport with dozens of historic aircraft, flight simulators and indoor rides. The Celery Flats Historical Area preserves the city's farming past with a historic grain elevator and interpretive center along Portage Creek.
The Portage Bicentennial Park Trail links many of these places, and West Lake Nature Preserve and Eliason Nature Reserve offer quiet walks. Ramona Park has a swimming beach on Long Lake. Kalamazoo's museums, breweries and Western Michigan University are minutes north, and Lake Michigan beaches are about an hour west.
A Smithsonian-affiliated museum with more than 100 aircraft and space artifacts, from World War I fighters to an SR-71 Blackbird, plus flight simulators, indoor amusement rides and hands-on science exhibits. Plan at least three hours, and buy a ride wristband if you are visiting with children.
A historic area along Portage Creek that tells the story of the Dutch immigrant families who grew celery here a century ago. It has a historic 1931 grain elevator, demonstration gardens and an interpretive center. The Bicentennial Park Trail passes by, and the creek is pleasant for paddling in summer.
A paved trail of several miles that runs through woods, wetlands and parks along Portage Creek, linking Celery Flats and other city parks. It is popular for walking, running, cycling and in-line skating, with boardwalks over marshy sections. Start at Celery Flats, where there is parking and restrooms.
A city nature preserve on the shore of West Lake with trails, boardwalks over a bog and wetlands, and a fishing and observation dock. It is a quiet spot for bird watching, especially during spring and fall migration. The trails are short and easy, so allow about an hour.
A wooded nature reserve on the east side of Portage with trails winding through forest, meadows and wetlands around small ponds. It is popular with walkers, trail runners and bird watchers and stays peaceful even on weekends. Wear waterproof shoes in spring, as low spots get muddy.
A city park on Long Lake with a sandy swimming beach, lake access for fishing, a playground and picnic areas with grills. It is the main summer swimming spot in Portage. Lifeguard hours and any parking fees are set each season, so check the city parks page before heading out on a hot weekend.
One of Portage's largest community parks, with sports fields, a playground, picnic pavilions and walking paths through open grounds near Portage Creek. It is a handy stop for families who want space to run around. Weekend sports tournaments can fill the parking lots, so arrive early.
The Kalamazoo area's enclosed regional shopping mall, on South Westnedge Avenue in Portage, with department stores, national chains and dining. A large movie theater complex and many restaurants sit nearby along the Westnedge corridor. It is a practical rainy-day stop or a place to stock up before a lake trip.
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Log in to add photosPhoto: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Pixeled.Abe, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: AirZoo.Collection, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Barera, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: User:my name, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: rossograph, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Photo: MacintoshlovesToriel, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
