Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
256 acres3.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Compiled from official records and local inspection by W.H. Goss, County Surveyor. Drawn by M.K. Orton. · Public domainB−Outdoors
Outdoors in Almena Township
Almena Township has 447 acres of parks, 84 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery (3.9 mi), Portman Nature Preserve (1.4 mi), Martha Mott Bird Sanctuary (0.7 mi). 25% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2% of Almena Township’s land is conserved, about 456 acres.
Ahead of 46% of U.S. towns · #466 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
456 acres · of 34.4 sq mi of land
Trails
7.1 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
447 ac
84 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
25%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
9
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Almena Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Almena Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Almena Township is ahead of 46% of U.S. towns, #466 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Almena Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land84 acres of park per 1,000 residents (447 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home25% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 46%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 34%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery, with 3.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Portman Nature Preserve
Managed by Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
104 acres1.4 mi of trail
Three Lakes - Blue TrailHickory Ridge Loop - Orange TrailFern - Green TrailLime Lake Boardwalk
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Martha Mott Bird Sanctuary
Managed by Michigan Audubon Society
77 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Fish Lake Public Access
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
2 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
456 conserved acres
2% of Almena Township’s land. Who manages Almena Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources278 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits178 ac
State Other or Unknown · 278 acPrivate Conservation · 178 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 278 | Open |
| Portman Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 100 | Open |
| Martha Mott Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 77 | Open |
Things to do
2 places to go in Almena Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Almena Township
Fish Lake Boat LaunchIn Fish Lake Public Access
DirectionsWolf Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 6.1 mi
Three Lakes - Blue Trail0.5 mi
Hickory Ridge Loop - Orange Trail0.4 mi
Fern - Green Trail0.4 mi
Lime Lake Boardwalk0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Almena Township: April and July to September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 46 | 59 | 71 | 80 | 84 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.1 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Almena Township →
Next door
Almena Township and its neighbors
Almena Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Oshtemo Township21 miAlmena Township7.1 miAntwerp Township3.0 miPine Grove Township1.2 miWaverly Township0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almena Township | 2% | 0.2 | 84 | 25% | B− |
| Antwerp Township | 3% | 0.1 | 22 | 43% | C+ |
| Oshtemo Township | 2% | 0.6 | 21 | 31% | B− |
| Waverly Township | 2% | under 0.1 | 116 | 30% | C+ |
| Pine Grove Township | 2% | under 0.1 | 128 | 34% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Almena Township
Where can I hike in Almena Township?
The longest trail networks: Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery, 3.9 miles; Portman Nature Preserve, 1.4 miles; Martha Mott Bird Sanctuary, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Almena Township is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Michigan town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Almena Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Martha Mott Bird Sanctuary (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Almena Township?
9,932 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Almena Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 490 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Almena Township have?
Ahead of 46% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #466 of 701 in Michigan. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Almena Township neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →