Wilderness State Park
Park
9,989 acres33.5 mi of trail
North Country National Scenic TrailO'Neil Lake TrailSturgeon Bay TrailNebo Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto NCT Traihead Parking - W Sturgeon Bay Trail
Waugoshance Light Station · Photo: Ddieffen · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Bliss Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Bliss Township
The biggest trail networks: Wilderness State Park (33.5 mi), Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit (6.5 mi). 30% of Bliss Township’s land is conserved, about 8,433 acres. 7,895 acres are parks and preserves, 12,532 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
30%
8,433 acres · of 43.7 sq mi of land
Trails
49 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
7,895 ac
12,532 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
19%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.0 mi
Highest peak
679 ft
Billiau Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
3 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 Wilderness State Park, with 33.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
2,492 acres6.5 mi of trail
North Country National Scenic Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve
Nature preserve
242 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ralph and Ursula Compton Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
4 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Lake O'Neal Rustic Parking & Boat Launch
Who protects it
8,433 conserved acres
30% of Bliss Township’s land. Water is left out: Bliss Township has 43.7 square miles of land and 2.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Bliss Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks6,637 ac
State natural resources1,787 ac
Town or city5 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits5 ac
State Conservation Area · 7,098 acState Park · 1,326 acLocal Park · 5 acPrivate Conservation · 5 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardwood State Forest Wilderness Area State Conservation Area | State parks | 5,158 | Open |
| Wilderness State Park Natural Area State Conservation Area | State parks | 1,337 | Open |
| Wilderness State Park State Park | State natural resources | 1,326 | Open |
| Waugoshance and Temperance Islands Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 455 | Restricted |
| Natural Area Sturgeon Bay Dunes State Conservation Area | State parks | 128 | Open |
| Natural Area Big Stone-Cecil Bay Nature Study Research Area State Conservation Area | State parks | 13 | Open |
| Natural Area Inholding State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 6 | Restricted |
| Bliss Township Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Ralph and Ursula Compton Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 5 | Open |
| Natural Area Waugoshance Point Nature Study Reserve State Conservation Area | State parks | 1 | Open |
Things to do
13 places to go in Bliss Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Bliss Township
O'Neal Lake Rustic Boat LaunchIn Wilderness State Park
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Bliss Township
Billiau Hill679 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Nebo659 ft elevation · In Wilderness State Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Bliss Township
O'Neal Lake Back Country CampsiteIn Wilderness State Park · Michigan DNR
DirectionsWilderness State Park CampgroundFee · In Wilderness State Park · Michigan DNR
DirectionsWilderness State Park CampgroundFee · In Wilderness State Park · Michigan DNR
DirectionsWilderness State Park Pines CampgroundFee · In Wilderness State Park · Michigan DNR
DirectionsPlus 4 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
13 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.1 miUnpaved · 32.9 mi
North Country National Scenic Trail7.9 mi
O'Neil Lake Trail4.2 mi
Sturgeon Bay Trail3.7 mi
Nebo Trail2.4 mi
Old South Boundary Trail1.8 mi
Old East Boundary Trail - Flooded1.6 mi
East Ridge Trail1.3 mi
Red Pine Trail1.1 mi
Wiikehns Trail1.0 mi
Big Stone Trail0.6 mi
3 more trails
East Boundary Trail
0.6 miHemlock Trail
0.5 miPondside Trail
0.5 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
When to get out
The best walking months in Bliss 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 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 28 | 37 | 48 | 61 | 70 | 75 | 74 | 68 | 55 | 42 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 75 °F). 4.3 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Bliss Township →
Next door
Bliss Township and its neighbors
Bliss Township has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bliss Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Carp Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cross Village Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Center 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 Bliss Township
Where can I hike in Bliss Township?
The longest trail networks: Wilderness State Park, 33.5 miles; Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, 6.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Bliss Township’s trails?
Wilderness State Park and Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bliss Township?
2.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Bliss Township?
28,404 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bliss Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,895 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bliss 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 →