Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
9,075 acres24.8 mi of trail
Devils Lake TrailDevils Lake RouteDevils Lake ORV Route
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Chris Rycroft from Madison, Wisconsin, United States · CC BY 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Alpena Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Alpena Township
The biggest trail networks: Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit (24.8 mi), Rockport Recreation Area (10.1 mi), Norway Ridge Pathway (8 mi). 23% of Alpena Township’s land is conserved, about 15,140 acres. 12,824 acres are parks and preserves, 1,409 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
23%
15,140 acres · of 104.8 sq mi of land
Trails
91 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
12,824 ac
1,409 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
40%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
19 mi
13 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
12
2 beaches · 4 boat launches
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 Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit, with 24.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rockport Recreation Area
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
2,507 acres10.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Norway Ridge Pathway
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
435 acres8 mi of trail
Cedar Creek Loop#11 - #12 Norway Ridge Pathway#10 - #11 Norway Ridge Pathway#9 - #10 Norway Ridge Pathway+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Misery Bay Nature Preserve
Managed by Alpena Township
185 acres2 mi of trail
Central TrailWhite Pine TrailIris TrailBay Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 14 parks & preserves
Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit9,075 acres · 24.8 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsRockport Recreation Area2,507 acres · 10.1 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Norway Ridge Pathway435 acres · 8 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMisery Bay Nature Preserve185 acres · 2 mi of trail · Alpena Township
DirectionsThunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary17,024 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration;State of Michigan
DirectionsJulius C. and Marie Moran Peter Memorial Nature Sanctuary73 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Michigan Nature Association
North Point Nature Preserve1,430 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Huron Pines
DirectionsLong Lake County Park100 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMichigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge370 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Rockport State Park54 acres
Morris Bay Nature Sanctuary32 acres · Michigan Nature Association
Gull Island13 acres · Michigan Nature Association
Grass Island11 acres · Michigan Nature Association
Mich-e-ke-wis Park1 acres · City of Alpena
Who protects it
15,140 conserved acres
23% of Alpena Township’s land. Water is left out: Alpena Township has 104.8 square miles of land and 36.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Alpena Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources9,075 ac
State parks2,537 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,863 ac
State fish & wildlife903 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service634 ac
Town or city158 ac
Private owners138 ac
State Conservation Area · 9,979 acState Recreation Area · 2,537 acConservation Easement · 1,493 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 634 acPrivate Conservation · 400 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,493 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta State Forest Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 9,050 | Open |
| Rockport Recreation Area State Recreation Area | State parks | 2,537 | Open |
| Devil's Lake and River Flooding State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 903 | Open |
| Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 634 | Restricted |
| Squaw Bay Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 296 | Closed |
| NE Thunder Bay-HOUGHMASTER Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 158 | Open |
| Alpena Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 138 | Restricted |
| Long Lake Park Local Park | County | 100 | Open |
| Peter Memorial Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 74 | Open |
| Morris Bay Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 29 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Alpena Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Alpena Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Alpena Township
10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Alpena Township
Devils Lake Boat LaunchFee
DirectionsFour Mile Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Alpena Township
Long Lake CampgroundHours: May 15-Oct 01 · In Long Lake County Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.5 miHorses · 8.5 miUnpaved · 55.5 mi
Devils Lake Route8.4 mi
Devils Lake Trail7.3 mi
Central Trail1.0 mi
Cedar Creek Loop0.8 mi
#11 - #12 Norway Ridge Pathway0.7 mi
#10 - #11 Norway Ridge Pathway0.7 mi
#9 - #10 Norway Ridge Pathway0.6 mi
Narnia - AKA - Single Track After Marker 110.5 mi
Tamrack In/Out Loop0.5 mi
White Pine Trail0.5 mi
15 more trails
Foster Trail - AKA - Snowshoe Loop
0.4 miIris Trail
0.4 miLake Loop
0.4 mi#12 - #9 Norway Ridge Pathway
0.3 mi#2 - #6 Norway Ridge Pathway
0.3 mi#1 - #2 Norway Ridge Pathway
0.3 mi#6 - #7 Norway Ridge Pathway
0.3 mi#5 - #6 Norway Ridge Pathway
0.3 miRidgeline Trail
0.3 miDevils Lake ORV Route
0.2 mi#1 - #3 Norway Ridge Pathway
0.2 mi#10 - #12 Norway Ridge Pathway
0.2 mi#2 - #3 Norway Ridge Pathway
0.2 miBay Trail
0.2 miDeer Run - The Connector
0.2 miBiking & sports
19 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
13 mi
off-road bike paths
5.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
New Alternate Entrance to NorwayBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
11Baseball
5Tennis
4Basketball
4Soccer
2Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Alpena Township: May to July and 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 30 | 38 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 78 | 77 | 70 | 56 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 3.4 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Alpena Township →
Next door
Alpena Township and its neighbors
Alpena Township has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Alpena Township91 miPresque Isle Township32 miWilson Township28 miSanborn Township13 miMaple Ridge Township13 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Maple Ridge Township | 14% | 0.2 | 3,019 | 11% | B+ |
| Sanborn Township | 19% | 0.3 | 2,372 | 31% | A− |
| Wilson Township | 16% | 0.4 | 3,790 | 35% | A− |
| Presque Isle Township | 9% | 0.9 | 1,072 | 34% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Alpena Township
Where can I hike in Alpena Township?
The longest trail networks: Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit, 24.8 miles; Rockport Recreation Area, 10.1 miles; Norway Ridge Pathway, 8 miles; Misery Bay Nature Preserve, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Alpena Township’s trails?
Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit and Rockport Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Alpena Township?
19 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of off-road paths and 5.5 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: New Alternate Entrance to Norway.
Is there public land near Alpena Township?
50,998 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Alpena Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 12,824 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Alpena 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 →