Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
6,112 acres4.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Carp Lake Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Carp Lake Township
The biggest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit (4.1 mi), Barb and Joe Traub Family Working Forest Reserve (1 mi). 1% of Carp Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 264 acres. 161 acres are parks and preserves, 247 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
1%
264 acres · of 32.3 sq mi of land
Trails
13 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
161 ac
247 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
18%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.9 mi
6.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
2 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 Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, with 4.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Barb and Joe Traub Family Working Forest Reserve
Nature preserve
193 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
William and Stephanie Veling Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
66 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Stony Point Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
44 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit6,112 acres · 4.1 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsBarb and Joe Traub Family Working Forest Reserve193 acres · 1 mi of trail
William and Stephanie Veling Nature Preserve66 acres
Stony Point Nature Preserve44 acres
John and Julia Pachy Nature Preserve35 acres
Harry C. Smith Nature Preserve3 acres
Who protects it
264 conserved acres
1% of Carp Lake Township’s land. Water is left out: Carp Lake Township has 32.3 square miles of land and 2.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Carp Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits147 ac
Other state land76 ac
Private owners38 ac
State fish & wildlife2 ac
Private Conservation · 147 acConservation Easement · 76 acPrivate Park · 38 acState Conservation Area · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 76 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 6 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| William and Stephanie Veling Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 65 | Open |
| Stony Point Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 46 | Open |
| Wilderness Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 38 | Restricted |
| Joihn & Julia Pachy Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 36 | Unknown |
| French Farm Flooding State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 2 | Open |
Things to do
2 places to go in Carp Lake Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Carp Lake Township
Paradise Lake Boat LaunchIn Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 7.4 mi
Bridgeview0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.6 mi
off-road bike paths
1.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Carp Lake 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 | 38 | 50 | 64 | 73 | 77 | 76 | 69 | 55 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 2.7 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Carp Lake Township →
Next door
Carp Lake Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Bliss Township49 miWawatam Township33 miMcKinley Township23 miHebron Township13 miCarp Lake Township13 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carp Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wawatam Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bliss Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| McKinley Township | 13% | 0.6 | 2,328 | 74% | A |
| Hebron 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 Carp Lake Township
Where can I hike in Carp Lake Township?
The longest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, 4.1 miles; Barb and Joe Traub Family Working Forest Reserve, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Carp Lake Township’s trails?
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit and Barb and Joe Traub Family Working Forest Reserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Carp Lake Township?
7.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.6 of off-road paths and 1.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Carp Lake Township?
30,373 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Carp Lake Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 161 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Carp Lake 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 →