Huron National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
62,067 acres238.8 mi of trail
Shore to Shore TrailMeadows - M72-Parmalee TrailMeadows - MCCCT TrailMeadows-M33 Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
AOutdoors
Outdoors in Big Creek Township
More than half of Big Creek Township’s land is conserved: 69%
69% of Big Creek Township’s land is conserved, about 62,604 acres. 281 miles of mapped trail cross Big Creek Township, 2.0 per square mile of land. 130 acres are parks and preserves, 48 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #81 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
69%
62,604 acres · of 141.7 sq mi of land
Trails
281 mi
2.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
130 ac
48 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
40%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,286 ft
Mio Mountain
Lakes & rivers
16
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Big Creek Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Big Creek Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Big Creek Township is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #81 of 701 in Michigan. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Big Creek Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land69% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (281 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land48 acres of park per 1,000 residents (130 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home40% 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 90%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 89%
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 Huron National Forest, with 238.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
1,501 acres5.6 mi of trail
Shore to Shore Trail - North SpurTuckers Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Wayside Recreation Site
Managed by Consumers Energy
18 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Luzerne Park
Park
4 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Huron National Forest62,067 acres · 238.8 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsAu Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit1,501 acres · 5.6 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Wayside Recreation Site18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Consumers Energy
DirectionsLuzerne Park4 acres
Camp Ten Boating Access Site1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Camp Ten Fishing Access Site1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Who protects it
62,604 conserved acres
69% of Big Creek Township’s land. Who manages Big Creek Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service62,065 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits435 ac
County101 ac
Town or city9 ac
National Forest · 62,065 acConservation Easement · 339 acLocal Park · 110 acUnknown Easement · 95 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 429 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Huron National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 62,028 | Open |
| Oscoda County Park Local Park | County | 101 | Open |
| Huron Purchase Unit National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 37 | Open |
| Luzerne Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Softball Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Comstock-Nelson Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
21 places to go in Big Creek Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Big Creek Township
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Big Creek Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Big Creek Township
Camp Ten Bridge Boat LaunchIn Camp Ten Boating Access Site
DirectionsMio Pond SFCG Boat Launch
DirectionsMio Pond T-Dock
DirectionsScenic views in Big Creek Township
Scenic Overlook
DirectionsPeaks in Big Creek Township
Mio Mountain1,286 ft elevation
DirectionsTimberline Mountain1,240 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Big Creek Township
Island Lake Day Use AreaIn Huron National Forest
DirectionsLoon Lake Day Use Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in Big Creek Township
Island Lake CampgroundFee · In Huron National Forest · United States Forest Service
DirectionsLuzerne Trail CampIn Huron National Forest · United States Forest Service
DirectionsMio Pond State Forest Campground and Group CampFee · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsOscoda County ParkHours: Apr-Nov · Fee · Oscoda County
DirectionsPaddle-In Group Camp
DirectionsParmalee Bridge State Forest CampgroundIn Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWagner Lake CampgroundFee · In Huron National Forest · United States Forest Service
DirectionsTrails & water
19 named trails and 16 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.4 miHorses · 20.2 miUnpaved · 16.4 mi
Shore to Shore Trail16.3 mi
Meadows - M72-Parmalee Trail8.3 mi
Meadows - MCCCT Trail5.4 mi
Meadows-M33 Trail3.9 mi
Midland to Mackinaw Trail3.8 mi
Shore to Shore Trail - North Spur3.7 mi
Meadows - CCCC Trail3.7 mi
Meadows North Trail2.5 mi
ORV Route1.3 mi
Coupland Trail0.7 mi
9 more trails
Island Lake Loop Trail
0.7 miMeadows West Trail
0.6 miMeadows - Comstock Trail
0.6 miTuckers Trail
0.4 miThunder Cloud Trail
0.3 miIsland - Loon Lake Spur
0.2 miAlvin Court
0.1 miIsland Loop Cutoff Trail
0.1 miDemott Court
0.1 miBiking & 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
4Basketball
4Baseball
2Volleyball
2Football
2Tennis
1Softball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Big Creek Township: May 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 30 | 40 | 53 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 57 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 3.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Big Creek Township →
Next door
Big Creek Township and its neighbors
Big Creek Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Big Creek Township281 miMentor Township266 miFoster Township231 miSouth Branch Township209 miElmer Township134 miGreenwood Township122 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Creek Township | 69% | 2.0 | 48 | 40% | A |
| South Branch Township | 51% | 2.0 | 1,751 | 28% | A |
| Mentor Township | 90% | 1.9 | 391 | 38% | A |
| Greenwood Township | 5% | 1.7 | under 1 | 1% | C+ |
| Elmer Township | under 1% | 1.9 | 63 | 2% | B− |
| Foster 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 Big Creek Township
Where can I hike in Big Creek Township?
The longest trail networks: Huron National Forest, 238.8 miles; Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit, 5.6 miles; Wayside Recreation Site, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Big Creek Township is conserved land?
69% 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 Big Creek Township’s trails?
Huron National Forest and Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Big Creek Township?
204,579 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Big Creek Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 62,590 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Big Creek Township have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #81 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 Big Creek 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 →