Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Managed by University of Michigan
334 acres8.4 mi of trail
Prairie TrailSam Graham Trees TrailSue Reichert Discovery Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Flavinista · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Ann Arbor Township
Ann Arbor Township has 34 miles of mapped trails, 2.1 for every square mile of land
870 acres are parks and preserves, 189 per 1,000 residents. 17% of Ann Arbor Township’s land is conserved, about 1,727 acres. The biggest trail networks: Matthaei Botanical Gardens (8.4 mi), Marshall Nature Area (1.7 mi), Tom A. Freeman Preserve (1.6 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #14 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
1,727 acres · of 16.3 sq mi of land
Trails
34 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
870 ac
189 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
84%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.0 mi
1.0 mi lanes · 6.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Ann Arbor Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Ann Arbor Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ann Arbor Township is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #14 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Ann Arbor Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (34 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land189 acres of park per 1,000 residents (870 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home84% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 98%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. 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 Matthaei Botanical Gardens, with 8.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Marshall Nature Area
Managed by City of Ann Arbor
82 acres1.7 mi of trail
Red TrailGreen TrailYellow Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Tom A. Freeman Preserve
Managed by Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
64 acres1.6 mi of trail
Yellow TrailRed TrailBlue TrailGreen Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Horner-McLaughlin Woods
Managed by University of Michigan
98 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Raymond F. Goodrich Preserve
Managed by Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
56 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Parker Mill County Park
Managed by Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission
26 acres0.9 mi of trail
Hoyt G. Post TrailSugarbush TrailLegacy Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Dominican Meadows Preserve
Nature preserve
78 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Leslie Park
Managed by Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
13 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 14 parks & preserves
Matthaei Botanical Gardens334 acres · 8.4 mi of trail · University of Michigan
DirectionsMarshall Nature Area82 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · City of Ann Arbor
DirectionsTom A. Freeman Preserve64 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
DirectionsHorner-McLaughlin Woods98 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · University of Michigan
DirectionsRaymond F. Goodrich Preserve56 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
DirectionsParker Mill County Park26 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission
DirectionsDominican Meadows Preserve78 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLeslie Park13 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
DirectionsArbor Woods Preserve22 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
Gallup Park5 acres · Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
DirectionsKuebler Langford Nature Area1 acres · Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
DirectionsSouth Pond Nature Area1 acres · Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
Forest Nature Area1 acres · Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation
Sundial Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,727 conserved acres
17% of Ann Arbor Township’s land. Who manages Ann Arbor Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,709 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)926 ac
County272 ac
Other state land164 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits30 ac
Agricultural Easement · 1,887 acLocal Conservation Area · 909 acUnknown Easement · 155 acLocal Other or Unknown · 80 acConservation Easement · 35 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 701 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braun Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 285 | Closed |
| Silverman/Northbrook Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 155 | Closed |
| Horner-Mclaughlin Woods Local Conservation Area | Other state land | 100 | Open |
| Marshall Nature Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 86 | Open |
| Fleming Creek Headwaters Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 82 | Closed |
| Land Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 80 | Open |
| Matthaei Botanical Gardens Local Conservation Area | Other state land | 63 | Open |
| Tom A. Freeman Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 62 | Open |
| Raymond F. Goodrich Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 47 | Open |
| Parker Mill County Park Local Park | County | 26 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
13 places to go in Ann Arbor Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Ann Arbor Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Ann Arbor Township
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Ann Arbor Township
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Ann Arbor Township
Picnic GroveIn Matthaei Botanical Gardens
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
10 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.4 miUnpaved · 15.0 mi
Red Trail1.1 mi
Yellow Trail0.7 mi
Prairie Trail0.4 mi
Hoyt G. Post Trail0.4 mi
Sam Graham Trees Trail0.4 mi
Sue Reichert Discovery Trail0.4 mi
Green Trail0.3 mi
Blue Trail0.3 mi
Sugarbush Trail0.2 mi
Legacy Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.4 mi
off-road bike paths
0.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
17Tennis
4Pickleball
4Baseball
2Soccer
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Parker Mill ComplexBuilding · listed 1982
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Ann Arbor Township: 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) | 31 | 34 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Ann Arbor Township →
Next door
Ann Arbor Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Ann Arbor93 miSuperior Township36 miAnn Arbor Township34 miPittsfield Township25 miScio Township25 miNorthfield Township8.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor Township | 17% | 2.1 | 189 | 84% | A+ |
| Ann Arbor | 14% | 3.3 | 24 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Superior Township | 13% | 1.0 | 122 | 93% | A |
| Scio Township | 10% | 0.8 | 66 | 73% | A |
| Northfield Township | 7% | 0.2 | 14 | 29% | B− |
| Pittsfield Township | 11% | 0.9 | 36 | 95% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ann Arbor Township
Where can I hike in Ann Arbor Township?
The longest trail networks: Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 8.4 miles; Marshall Nature Area, 1.7 miles; Tom A. Freeman Preserve, 1.6 miles; Horner-McLaughlin Woods, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ann Arbor Township is conserved land?
17% 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 Ann Arbor Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Marshall Nature Area (on leash), Parker Mill County Park (on leash) and Leslie Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Ann Arbor Township?
8.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.0 of painted or protected lanes, 6.4 of off-road paths and 0.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Ann Arbor Township?
20,490 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ann Arbor Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 870 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Ann Arbor Township have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #14 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 Ann Arbor 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 →