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🗺️ Farm Day Trips guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Kalamazoo & Mattawan, Michigan
Visit a free, year-round lavender farm in Mattawan, then pick apples on the fruit ridge or ride the 33.5-mile Kal-Haven Trail toward South Haven.
4 places · updated October 17, 2026
West of Kalamazoo, the orchards around Mattawan and Paw Paw sit about 20 minutes from a college city full of museums, nature preserves and trailheads. I-94 and West Main Street are the main routes, so a day here can mix farm stops in the morning with a museum or a long walk in the woods by afternoon.
Shades of Lavender Farm on 24th Street in Mattawan is the anchor. It is free to visit, open year-round (Monday through Saturday 10 to 6 and Sunday afternoons in 2026), welcomes leashed dogs, and adds summer you-pick, farm animals, a farm shop and a full calendar of classes. Its 2026 you-pick season has ended, but the shop, animals and fall classes keep it worth the stop. Nearby fruit farms carry the season from summer berries and peaches into fall apples, cider and corn mazes.
The lavender farms
- Shades of Lavender FarmLavender farm · Mattawan
summer
Open year-round, free; Monday–Saturday 10–6, Sunday 12–4 (2026). U-pick in summer bloom; classes, events with live music and food trucks, and sauna and cold plunge sessions.
Best time to visit
Summer is lavender you-pick time at Shades of Lavender (the farm does not publish exact bloom dates, so watch their website and social pages; the 2026 you-pick has already closed). Summer also brings blueberries, cherries and peaches at Schultz Fruitridge Farms, and the county beaches at Markin Glen and Prairie View open from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In September and October the area turns to apples: Husted's opens U-pick apples around September 1, Verhage and Harvest Moon Acres run fall weekends from early and mid-September, and Schultz runs its Big Red Wagon farm tours. Shades of Lavender keeps a busy fall class schedule, and in 2026 it hosts Pancakes for Pages on October 10. In winter, the Kal-Haven Trail opens to snowmobiles from December 1 to March 31.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Lillian Anderson Arboretum🌲 Preserve · Kalamazoo · about 7 mi, 15 min drive
Kalamazoo College's private natural area, open to the public, with about 5 miles of trails including the Magnificent Pines trail. It is on West Main Street, a short drive from the orchards west of town.
- Kal-Haven Trail State Park🥾 Trail · Kalamazoo · about 10 mi, 15 min drive
A 33.5-mile limestone rail-trail from Kalamazoo to South Haven; road bikes are not recommended. Bloomingdale, at the midpoint, has a caboose and the Bloomingdale Depot Museum.
Year-round; snowmobiles allowed December 1–March 31
- Asylum Lake Preserve🌲 Preserve · Kalamazoo · about 10 mi, 20 min drive
A 274-acre preserve owned by Western Michigan University at Drake Road and Parkview Avenue, used for quiet recreation and research. Dogs must be leashed at all times, including in the water.
- Kalamazoo Valley Museum🏛️ Museum · Kalamazoo · about 14 mi, 25 min drive
A free downtown museum on North Rose Street with changing exhibits (in 2026, Toytopia, on the history of toys) and a planetarium whose shows range from deep space to the bottom of the Great Lakes.
free general admission
- Kalamazoo Institute of Arts🏛️ Museum · Kalamazoo · about 14 mi, 25 min drive
The city's art museum on South Park Street, with a permanent collection, changing exhibitions and an interactive gallery for kids. General admission is free on Thursdays, when it stays open until 8.
Wednesday–Saturday 11–5 (Thursday to 8), Sunday noon–4; closed Monday–Tuesday
free on Thursdays
- Air Zoo🏛️ Museum · Portage · about 15 mi, 25 min drive
More than 100 air and space artifacts, a restoration center, full-motion flight simulators and indoor rides at its Flight Innovation Center on Portage Road. A good rainy-day stop with kids.
Flight Innovation Center Monday–Saturday 9–5, Sunday noon–5
- Markin Glen County Park🏞️ Park · Kalamazoo · about 16 mi, 25 min drive
A county park on the north side of Kalamazoo with mountain bike trails and a swimming beach.
Daily 7 a.m. to sunset; beach 7 a.m.–8:30 p.m., Memorial Day to Labor Day
$5 per vehicle (cash or check)
- Kalamazoo Nature Center🌲 Preserve · Kalamazoo · about 17 mi, 30 min drive
About 14 miles of trails through woods and fields north of the city, plus an interactive visitor center with animal ambassadors.
Trails daily 9 a.m.–7:30 p.m.; visitor center Monday–Saturday 9–5, Sunday 1–5
- Kellogg Bird Sanctuary🌲 Preserve · Augusta · about 30 mi, 40 min drive
Michigan State University's sanctuary on Wintergreen Lake, where a paved, accessible three-quarter-mile trail passes hundreds of waterfowl, including trumpeter swans, plus enclosures with bald eagles, hawks and owls.
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Schultz Fruitridge FarmsU-pick farm · Mattawan
A Mattawan family farm since 1951 with U-pick and pre-picked apples, blueberries, cherries and peaches, a few minutes from the lavender.
- Husted's Farm Market & Cider MillApple orchard · Kalamazoo
A West Main market and cider mill with local fruit, pies and donuts, and U-pick apples from about September 1.
- VerHage Fruit Farms & Cider MillApple orchard · Kalamazoo
A fall fruit farm with apple picking, hayrides, pony rides and a zip line, plus cider, donuts and fudge.
- Harvest Moon AcresPumpkin patch · Gobles
A fall fun farm north of Paw Paw with a giant corn maze, hayrides and an animal barn on weekends from mid-September.
- Henderson CastleInn or B&B · Kalamazoo
A hilltop castle inn in Kalamazoo with a chophouse, a wine cave and tea service, good for dinner or an overnight stay.
- Here in the MittenGift shop · Paw Paw
A downtown Paw Paw shop carrying goods from more than 45 local businesses.
A one-day plan
- 10:00 AMShades of Lavender Farm
Walk the lavender rows (you-pick in summer), visit the animals and browse the farm shop. About an hour; admission is free.
- 11:15 AMSchultz Fruitridge Farms · about 10 min drive
Pick whatever fruit is in season or grab pre-picked fruit and donuts at the market. About 45 minutes.
- 12:15 PMHusted's Farm Market & Cider Mill · about 15 min drive
Make lunch a farm-market picnic of fresh fruit, pie and cider. About 45 minutes.
- 1:15 PMLillian Anderson Arboretum · about 5 min drive
Walk part of the 5-mile trail network under the big pines. About an hour.
- 2:30 PMKalamazoo Valley Museum · about 15 min drive
Free exhibits and a planetarium show downtown. About an hour; check show times on their website.
- 3:45 PMKalamazoo Nature Center · about 15 min drive
Stretch your legs on the trails, which stay open until 7:30 p.m. About 1.5 hours.
- 5:30 PMHenderson Castle · about 15 min drive
Dinner at the castle's chophouse; call ahead for reservations.
Tips
- Kalamazoo County parks take cash or check only for the $5 daily vehicle fee, so bring both.
- Shades of Lavender is free and open on Sundays only from noon to 4, so a Saturday gives you the longest farm day.
- The Kal-Haven Trail surface is crushed limestone; bring a hybrid or mountain bike rather than a road bike.
- Visit the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts on a Thursday for free admission and evening hours.
- Fall weekends are busy at the corn-maze farms; go early in the day or on a weekday for apple picking.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
Is Shades of Lavender Farm free?
Yes. There is no cost to visit, and in 2026 the farm is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.
Can I bring my dog to Shades of Lavender?
Yes, well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome, and owners must clean up after them.
Can I still pick lavender this year?
Not in 2026: the farm's lavender you-pick has ended for the season. It runs again in summer.
How long is the Kal-Haven Trail?
33.5 miles, from Kalamazoo to South Haven, with a midpoint stop at Bloomingdale.
When can I pick apples near Mattawan?
From about September 1 at Husted's, with Schultz Fruitridge, Verhage and other farms open through September and October.
🪪 Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
Open the Passport🏡 Own a farm, café or inn here?
Add your listing for free so travelers find you, or become a Featured sponsor to sit at the top of this guide, on the Passport map and in the event calendars.
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