Antrim Creek Natural Area
Managed by Antrim County
161 acres2.5 mi of trail
Trillium Ridge TrailNorth Barrier-Free LoopNipissing TrailThimbleberry Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto North TrailheadWebsite ↗
C+Outdoors
Outdoors in Banks Township
Banks Township has 66 acres of parks, 45 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Antrim Creek Natural Area (2.5 mi). 29% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4.2 miles of mapped trail cross Banks Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 38% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
534 acres · of 45.0 sq mi of land
Trails
4.2 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
66 ac
45 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
29%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
12
1 beach · 2 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Banks Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Banks Township is ahead of 38% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
C+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Banks Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4CPark land45 acres of park per 1,000 residents (66 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home29% 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 38%
LessMore
Water is 12% of Banks Township’s area (6 of 51 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 2%.
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 Antrim Creek Natural Area, with 2.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ellsworth Community Park
Park
12 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve
Nature preserve
3,439 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ellsworth Sports Park
Managed by Village of Ellsworth
29 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 6 parks & preserves
Antrim Creek Natural Area161 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Antrim County
DirectionsEllsworth Community Park12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGrand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve3,439 acres
DirectionsEllsworth Sports Park29 acres · Village of Ellsworth
DirectionsWooden Shoe Park3 acres
Banks Township Park2 acres · Banks Township
DirectionsWho protects it
534 conserved acres
2% of Banks Township’s land. Water is left out: Banks Township has 45.0 square miles of land and 6.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Banks Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits346 ac
Private owners163 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)125 ac
Town or city20 ac
Unknown Easement · 344 acPrivate Park · 163 acAgricultural Easement · 125 acLocal Park · 20 acPrivate Conservation · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 349 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim Dells Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 163 | Restricted |
| Wooden Shoe Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Banks Township Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| St. Clair Lake - Six Mile Lake Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 2 | Open |
Things to do
11 places to go in Banks Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Banks Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Banks Township
6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Banks Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Banks Township
Creek OverlookIn Antrim Creek Natural Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in Banks Township
Wooden Shoe Park Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
9 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Trillium Ridge Trail0.5 mi
North Barrier-Free Loop0.5 mi
Nipissing Trail0.4 mi
Thimbleberry Trail0.3 mi
South Barrier-Free Loop0.2 mi
Pit & Mound Trail0.2 mi
Back Dune Trail0.2 mi
Creek Trail0.1 mi
Schoolhouse Trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
7Tennis
4Baseball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Banks Township: May to August
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) | 27 | 29 | 39 | 51 | 65 | 74 | 78 | 77 | 70 | 56 | 43 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Banks Township →
Next door
Banks Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Norwood Township12 miTorch Lake Township7.7 miSouth Arm Township7.3 miCentral Lake Township5.4 miBanks Township4.2 miEastport2.9 miMarion Township0.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banks Township | 2% | 0.1 | 45 | 29% | C+ |
| South Arm Township | 3% | 0.2 | 101 | 23% | B− |
| Central Lake Township | 3% | 0.2 | 226 | 51% | B |
| Marion Township | 1% | under 0.1 | 2 | 7% | D |
| Eastport | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Torch Lake Township | 4% | 0.5 | 163 | 25% | B |
| Norwood Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Banks Township
Where can I hike in Banks Township?
The longest trail networks: Antrim Creek Natural Area, 2.5 miles; Ellsworth Community Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Banks 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 Banks Township’s trails?
Antrim Creek Natural Area and Ellsworth Community Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Banks Township?
9,728 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Banks Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 66 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Banks Township have?
Ahead of 38% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Banks 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 →