Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The biggest trail networks: Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit (102 mi). 120 acres are parks and preserves, 271 per 1,000 residents. 114 miles of mapped trail cross Blue Lake Township, 3.3 per square mile of land.
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit, with 102 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 29 | 39 | 52 | 66 | 76 | 79 | 77 | 70 | 56 | 42 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Blue Lake Township →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Coldsprings Township | 1% | 1.3 | 71 | 14% | B |
| Bear Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mancelona Township | 1% | 1.8 | 6 | 33% | C+ |
| Frederic Township | 14% | 3.2 | 4,372 | 46% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
The longest trail networks: Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit, 102 miles; Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit and Papoose Lake Nature Sanctuary don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
17,135 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Blue Lake Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 120 of them inside the town line.
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Blue Lake Township neighbors.
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 →