Baraga Plains Waterfowl Management Area
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
15,178 acres61.3 mi of trail
North Country TrailGorge Cutoff
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Baraga Township
Baraga Township has 9,769 acres of parks, 2,748 for every 1,000 residents
27% of Baraga Township’s land is conserved, about 31,972 acres. 255 miles of mapped trail cross Baraga Township, 1.4 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Baraga Plains Waterfowl Management Area (61.3 mi), Ottawa National Forest - Ontonagon Ranger District (57.5 mi), Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District (14.6 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #46 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
27%
31,972 acres · of 184.1 sq mi of land
Trails
255 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
9,769 ac
2,748 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
50%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.8 mi
2.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
14
2 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Baraga Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Room to roam2,748 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.Land that stays wild27% of the land is conserved; a typical Michigan town, 5%.A trail town1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 87% of U.S. towns.History along the way3 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Baraga Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Baraga Township is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #46 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Baraga Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land27% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (255 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land2,748 acres of park per 1,000 residents (9,769 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home50% 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 93%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 94%
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 Baraga Plains Waterfowl Management Area, with 61.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ottawa National Forest - Ontonagon Ranger District
Managed by United States Forest Service
17,007 acres57.5 mi of trail
Forest Road 2296North Country TrailForest Road 2240Forest Trail 2297+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District
Managed by United States Forest Service
3,911 acres14.6 mi of trail
North Country TrailGorge CutoffBear's Den Overlook TrailPine Bluff Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
5,614 acres3.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness
Managed by United States Forest Service
2,324 acres0.7 mi of trail
Pine Bluff Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 7 parks & preserves
Baraga Plains Waterfowl Management Area15,178 acres · 61.3 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Ottawa National Forest - Ontonagon Ranger District17,007 acres · 57.5 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsOttawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District3,911 acres · 14.6 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsCopper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit5,614 acres · 3.8 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsSturgeon River Gorge Wilderness2,324 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsBaraga Cliff Roadside Park5 acres
DirectionsBaraga Marina Park1 acres
Who protects it
31,972 conserved acres
27% of Baraga Township’s land. Who manages Baraga Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service20,917 ac
State natural resources5,440 ac
State fish & wildlife2,627 ac
Other state land1,553 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)919 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits195 ac
Private owners122 ac
National Forest · 20,917 acState Conservation Area · 8,067 acPrivate Conservation · 1,425 acConservation Easement · 1,271 acLocal Resource Management Area · 132 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,261 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 20,917 | Open |
| Baraga State Forest Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 5,440 | Open |
| Sturgeon River Sloughs State Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 2,627 | Open |
| State Forest Private Conservation | Other state land | 1,231 | Open |
| Six Mile Creek Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 194 | Open |
| Ottawa Sportsmens Club Private Park | Private owners | 122 | Open |
| Local Forest Local Resource Management Area | County | 89 | Open |
| Baraga State Park State Park | State parks | 50 | Open |
| Land Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Rockafellow State Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1 | Open |
Things to do
11 places to go in Baraga Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Baraga Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Baraga Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Baraga Township
Baraga Village Ramp Boat Launch
DirectionsBaraga.sp Boat Launch
DirectionsBig Lake Sfcg Boat LaunchIn Baraga Plains Waterfowl Management Area
DirectionsSturgeon.river Boat LaunchIn Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit
DirectionsWaterfalls in Baraga Township
Ogemaw Falls
DirectionsPicnic areas in Baraga Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Baraga Township
Baraga State ParkMichigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsBig Lake State Forest CampgroundIn Baraga Plains Waterfowl Management Area
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 17.6 mi
North Country Trail16.8 mi
Forest Road 22963.4 mi
Forest Road 22403.0 mi
Gorge Cutoff2.7 mi
Forest Trail 22972.0 mi
County Trail1.9 mi
Forest Road 22851.1 mi
Forest Road 22911.0 mi
Forest Trail 2285-G0.9 mi
Pine Bluff Trail0.8 mi
15 more trails
Forest Road 2287
0.6 miForest Road 2249
0.5 miJolgren
0.5 miForest Trail 2291-D
0.5 miForest Road 2296-D
0.4 miForest Road 2297
0.4 miForest Road 2297-A
0.4 miBaraga Nature Trail
0.4 miForest Trail 2240-J
0.4 miBeaver Trail
0.4 miForest Trail 2297-D
0.3 miForest Trail 2296-C
0.3 miForest Road 2287B
0.3 miNational Forest Road 2284
0.2 miForest Trail 2297-G
0.2 miBiking & sports
2.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
2Baseball
1Football
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).
When to get out
The best walking months in Baraga Township: May and 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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 27 | 37 | 50 | 64 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 68 | 54 | 40 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 3.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Baraga Township →
Next door
Baraga Township and its neighbors
Baraga Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
L'Anse Township531 miBaraga Township255 miLaird Township187 miPortage Township168 miCovington Township142 miChassell Township25 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga Township | 27% | 1.4 | 2,748 | 50% | A |
| L'Anse Township | 11% | 2.1 | 1,986 | 58% | A |
| Laird Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Portage Township | 18% | 1.5 | 3,534 | 51% | A |
| Covington Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chassell Township | 17% | 0.5 | 2,478 | 37% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Baraga Township
Where can I hike in Baraga Township?
The longest trail networks: Baraga Plains Waterfowl Management Area, 61.3 miles; Ottawa National Forest - Ontonagon Ranger District, 57.5 miles; Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District, 14.6 miles; Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit, 3.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Baraga Township is conserved land?
27% 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 Baraga Township’s trails?
Baraga Plains Waterfowl Management Area and Ottawa National Forest - Ontonagon Ranger District don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Baraga Township?
2.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Baraga Township?
191,379 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Baraga Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 27,134 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Baraga Township have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #46 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 Baraga 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 →