Come visit the Lakeview Urbandale Kiwanis Outdoor Center, – 60 acres of natural woodlands and wildlife habitat with over 2 miles of groomed walking trails designed to enjoy nature at it’s best. Located at 3499 South Minges Road (at the corner of Minges Road South and 3 ½ Mile Road) in Battle Creek, the Kiwanis Outdoor Center is open to the public from dawn to dusk year round, and is free of charge for hiking or picnics. It also provides facilities for public school programs, boys and girls clubs, and other community youth activities.
If you haven’t been out there we invite you to check it out, and if you are a regular visitor we thank you for enjoying this beautiful spot. Just follow the signs on Beckley Road and look for the gate.
So come out for a walk! Your dog and your heart will love you for it!
But if you want to do more than just walk, picnic or enjoy nature, we could use you. All the work at the Kiwanis Outdoor Center is done by volunteers and there always seems to be more work than people, so we could use you. If you would like to help or want further information, please leave your information on this website and we will contact you.
We try to maintain the property in its most natural state so personal hazards may exist. Therefore please use the property responsibly and safely, because all use is at your own risk.
But our main purpose as a Kiwanis Club is always Youth Development. As such we work to empower elementary school students, tweens, and teens, to make an impact through service and leadership. As part of that mission, we encourage all non-profit local education and youth development organizations within Calhoun County and greater Southwest Michigan, to utilize our Outdoor Center for their leadership development activities.
Therefore we make this fully owned site available to any qualifying, non-profit, youth development agency or organization, free of charge. We particularly encourage local schools to utilize this site as part of their Environmental, Sustainability, and/or Science curricula, and are in discussion with the local school districts and other youth organizations to do just that. In addition, we have had several Scout troops use the site for their hiking, camping, and other outdoor programs, and encourage more to join us.
This facility offers electrical power, running water, covered pavilions, basic toilets, over 2 miles of groomed walking trails, and overnight camping opportunities for registered youth groups, as well as unlimited daylight access to local residents.
The inner city issues we face are not unique to Battle Creek, but our ability to bring a calming and peaceful experience to today’s youth through better access to nature night be, and we believe that the Outdoor Center will provide real benefits to our community. Furthermore, it is only through this type of broad youth education, experience, and awareness, that environmental sustainability can be realized in our next generation. To that end we constantly continue to enhance the site to attract larger numbers of community youth organizations, thereby increasing exposure and knowledge to a broader audience, for lasting community awareness of – and respect for – environmental sustainability.
Increasing the usage and improving the effectiveness of the Lakeview Urbandale Kiwanis Outdoor Learning Center for the benefit of the youth of our community is the top priority of our club, and we encourage all Calhoun County residents – young and old – to check it out.
Outdoor Learning Center
Take a Walk on the Wild Side
Come visit the Lakeview Urbandale Kiwanis Outdoor Center, – 60 acres of natural woodlands and wildlife habitat with over 2 miles of groomed walking trails designed to enjoy nature at it’s best. Located at 3499 South Minges Road (at the corner of Minges Road South and 3 ½ Mile Road) in Battle Creek, the Kiwanis Outdoor Center is open to the public from dawn to dusk year round, and is free of charge for hiking or picnics. It also provides facilities for public school programs, boys and girls clubs, and other community youth activities.
If you haven’t been out there we invite you to check it out, and if you are a regular visitor we thank you for enjoying this beautiful spot. Just follow the signs on Beckley Road and look for the gate.
So come out for a walk! Your dog and your heart will love you for it!
But if you want to do more than just walk, picnic or enjoy nature, we could use you. All the work at the Kiwanis Outdoor Center is done by volunteers and there always seems to be more work than people, so we could use you. If you would like to help or want further information, please leave your information on this website and we will contact you.
We try to maintain the property in its most natural state so personal hazards may exist. Therefore please use the property responsibly and safely, because all use is at your own risk.
But our main purpose as a Kiwanis Club is always Youth Development. As such we work to empower elementary school students, tweens, and teens, to make an impact through service and leadership. As part of that mission, we encourage all non-profit local education and youth development organizations within Calhoun County and greater Southwest Michigan, to utilize our Outdoor Center for their leadership development activities.
Therefore we make this fully owned site available to any qualifying, non-profit, youth development agency or organization, free of charge. We particularly encourage local schools to utilize this site as part of their Environmental, Sustainability, and/or Science curricula, and are in discussion with the local school districts and other youth organizations to do just that. In addition, we have had several Scout troops use the site for their hiking, camping, and other outdoor programs, and encourage more to join us.
This facility offers electrical power, running water, covered pavilions, basic toilets, over 2 miles of groomed walking trails, and overnight camping opportunities for registered youth groups, as well as unlimited daylight access to local residents.
The inner city issues we face are not unique to Battle Creek, but our ability to bring a calming and peaceful experience to today’s youth through better access to nature night be, and we believe that the Outdoor Center will provide real benefits to our community. Furthermore, it is only through this type of broad youth education, experience, and awareness, that environmental sustainability can be realized in our next generation. To that end we constantly continue to enhance the site to attract larger numbers of community youth organizations, thereby increasing exposure and knowledge to a broader audience, for lasting community awareness of – and respect for – environmental sustainability.
Increasing the usage and improving the effectiveness of the Lakeview Urbandale Kiwanis Outdoor Learning Center for the benefit of the youth of our community is the top priority of our club, and we encourage all Calhoun County residents – young and old – to check it out.