Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District
Managed by United States Forest Service
17,355 acres27.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Chicagon Mine Road-Chicagon Creek Bridge · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Bates Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Bates Township
The biggest trail networks: Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District (27.9 mi), Ottawa National Forest - Iron River Ranger District (21.3 mi), Copper Country State Forest - Crystal Falls Unit (2 mi). 40% of Bates Township’s land is conserved, about 31,823 acres. 1,959 acres are parks and preserves, 2,113 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
40%
31,823 acres · of 125.7 sq mi of land
Trails
112 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,959 ac
2,113 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
50%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
38
8 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 Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District, with 27.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ottawa National Forest - Iron River Ranger District
Managed by United States Forest Service
11,552 acres21.3 mi of trail
Forest Road 2143Forest Road 2144
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Copper Country State Forest - Crystal Falls Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
2,485 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ontonagon Wild And Scenic River
Managed by United States Forest Service
708 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District17,355 acres · 27.9 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
Ottawa National Forest - Iron River Ranger District11,552 acres · 21.3 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
Copper Country State Forest - Crystal Falls Unit2,485 acres · 2 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Ontonagon Wild And Scenic River708 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
Sunset Lake Park49 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Bates Township
DirectionsIron County Forest Preserve314 acres · Iron County
DirectionsForests for the Future #13 Conservation Reserve38 acres · Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
Larson Roadside Park6 acres · Michigan Department of Transportation
DirectionsWho protects it
31,823 conserved acres
40% of Bates Township’s land. Who manages Bates Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service28,768 ac
State natural resources2,527 ac
County321 ac
Town or city213 ac
National Forest · 28,768 acState Conservation Area · 2,527 acLocal Park · 371 acLocal Resource Management Area · 91 acLocal Conservation Area · 71 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 28,768 | Open |
| Crystal Falls State Forest Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 2,470 | Open |
| County of Iron Park Local Park | County | 321 | Open |
| Land Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 77 | Open |
| Helgemo Park Game Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 71 | Closed |
| MNRTF Parcel State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 58 | Restricted |
| Township of Bates Park Local Park | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Local Forest Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 15 | Open |
Things to do
17 places to go in Bates Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Bates Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Bates Township
Bates Township Park Boat Launch
DirectionsEmily Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsHannah Webb Lake Boat LaunchIn Ottawa National Forest - Iron River Ranger District
DirectionsLake Ste. Kathryn Boat LaunchIn Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District
DirectionsMarten Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsNorway Lake Boat LaunchIn Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District
DirectionsPerch Lake Boat LaunchIn Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District
DirectionsWinslow Lake Boat LaunchIn Ottawa National Forest - Iron River Ranger District
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bates Township
Norway Lake Picnic AreaIn Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District
DirectionsCampgrounds in Bates Township
Bates Township Park/Sunset Lake CampgroundIn Sunset Lake Park
DirectionsBlockhouse CampgroundIn Ottawa National Forest - Iron River Ranger District · United States Forest Service
DirectionsLake Sainte Kathryn CampgroundIn Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District · Scenic Canyons Recreational Services
DirectionsNorway Lake CampgroundFee · In Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District · United States Forest Service
DirectionsPerch Lake CampgroundIn Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District · Scenic Canyons Recreational Services
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 38 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.7 mi
Forest Road 21430.8 mi
Iron County Rec Trail0.4 mi
Forest Road 21440.3 mi
Old County 6430.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bates LakelakeChicken LakeCone LakelakeCougar LakelakeDog LakelakeEbony LakelakeGasley LakelakeGlare LakeGlitter LakelakeHannah Webb LakelakeIce LakelakeJingle LakelakeKnave LakelakeLaCrosse LakeLake EmilyLake FifteenlakeLake NinelakeLake Sainte KathrynlakeLake SixteenlakeLittle Nesbit LakelakeMarten LakelakeMuffle LakeMuskrat LakelakeNesbit LakelakeNorway LakelakePerch LakelakePetrow LakelakeSunset LakelakeThree-On LakelakeWildcat LakelakeWildwood LakelakeWinslow LakelakeChicagon SloughEast Branch Ontonagon RiverHemlock RiverNet RiverPaint RiverPerch River
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.
Iron County Recreational TrailBike route
4.1 miCourts & fields
2Baseball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 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 Bates 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 21 | 26 | 38 | 50 | 65 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 68 | 53 | 38 | 26 |
| Rain (in) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.7 |
February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 3.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Bates Township →
Next door
Bates Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Iron River Township263 miDuncan Township218 miStambaugh Township183 miHematite Township169 miBates Township112 miCrystal Falls Township89 miIron River7.9 miAmasa0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hematite Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Iron River Township | 66% | 1.1 | 1,191 | 37% | A |
| Stambaugh Township | 46% | 1.0 | 1,833 | 43% | A |
| Crystal Falls Township | 15% | 0.4 | 12,690 | 40% | A− |
| Amasa | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Iron River | 3% | 1.2 | 16 | 79% | B+ |
| Duncan 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 Bates Township
Where can I hike in Bates Township?
The longest trail networks: Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District, 27.9 miles; Ottawa National Forest - Iron River Ranger District, 21.3 miles; Copper Country State Forest - Crystal Falls Unit, 2 miles; Ontonagon Wild And Scenic River, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Bates Township’s trails?
Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District and Ottawa National Forest - Iron River Ranger District don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Bates Township?
287,970 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bates Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 30,100 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bates 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 →