Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
9,732 acres41.9 mi of trail
Bone Yard HighwayPlains Highway
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Bismarck Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Bismarck Township
The biggest trail networks: Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit (41.9 mi). 23% of Bismarck Township’s land is conserved, about 9,852 acres. 9,849 acres are parks and preserves, 23,848 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
23%
9,852 acres · of 67.5 sq mi of land
Trails
81 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
9,849 ac
23,848 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
27%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.3 mi
6.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
20
1 beach · 6 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 Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit, with 41.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Porcupine Run Nature Preserve
Managed by Headwaters Land Conservancy
19 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Hawks Ball Field
Managed by Township of Bismark
3 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lake Nettie Boating Access
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
3 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit9,732 acres · 41.9 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Porcupine Run Nature Preserve19 acres · Headwaters Land Conservancy
Hawks Ball Field3 acres · Township of Bismark
DirectionsLake Nettie Boating Access3 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lost Lake Boating Access2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake Emma Boating Access2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake Ferdelman Boating Access2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake May Boating Access1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Who protects it
9,852 conserved acres
23% of Bismarck Township’s land. Who manages Bismarck Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources9,809 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)43 ac
State Conservation Area · 9,809 acConservation Easement · 43 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 43 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta State Forest Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 9,806 | Open |
| MNRTF Parcel State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 3 | Restricted |
Things to do
8 places to go in Bismarck Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Bismarck Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Bismarck Township
Lake Emma Boat RampFee
DirectionsLake Ferdelman Boat LaunchFee · In Lake Ferdelman Boating Access
DirectionsLake May Boat LaunchFee · In Lake May Boating Access
DirectionsLake Nettie Boat LaunchFee · In Lake Nettie Boating Access
DirectionsLost Lake Boat RampFee · In Lost Lake Boating Access
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Bismarck Township
Bethel Youth CampFee
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 20 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 57.5 mi
Bone Yard Highway2.6 mi
Plains Highway0.8 mi
Big Cut Highway0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Basketball
1Beach volleyball
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bismarck Township: May, June, August and 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 29 | 39 | 52 | 66 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 70 | 56 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 3.4 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Bismarck Township →
Next door
Bismarck Township and its neighbors
Bismarck Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Montmorency Township335 miBismarck Township81 miCase Township72 miMoltke Township13 miBelknap Township3.1 miMetz Township2.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Belknap Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Metz Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Moltke Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Case Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Montmorency Township | 46% | 2.4 | 31,056 | 68% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bismarck Township
Where can I hike in Bismarck Township?
The longest trail networks: Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit, 41.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Bismarck Township’s trails?
Mackinac State Forest - Atlanta Unit and Porcupine Run Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bismarck Township?
6.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Bismarck Township?
107,626 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bismarck Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 9,849 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bismarck 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 →