Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
5,874 acres8.5 mi of trail
County Road Akc
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States · CC BY 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Champion Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Champion Township
The biggest trail networks: Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (8.5 mi), Van Riper State Park (1.7 mi). 3% of Champion Township’s land is conserved, about 2,537 acres. 312 acres are parks and preserves, 2,024 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
3%
2,537 acres · of 120.9 sq mi of land
Trails
164 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
312 ac
2,024 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
43%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.0 mi
1.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
19
1 beach · 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 Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit, with 8.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Van Riper State Park
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
292 acres1.7 mi of trail
Main TrailOld Wagon Road TrailMiners Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (North)
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
5,874 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mulligan Creek Highlands Reserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
1,742 acres
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit5,874 acres · 8.5 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Van Riper State Park292 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsHorse Pulling Grounds8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (North)5,874 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Mulligan Creek Highlands Reserve1,742 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Berle LaPin / Veterans Memorial Park1 acres
Who protects it
2,537 conserved acres
3% of Champion Township’s land. Who manages Champion Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,007 ac
State parks295 ac
State natural resources235 ac
Private Conservation · 1,729 acState Park · 295 acConservation Easement · 278 acState Wilderness · 235 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 278 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulligan Creek Highlands Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,729 | Restricted |
| Van Riper State Park State Park | State parks | 295 | Open |
| Rocking Chair Lakes Natural Area State Wilderness | State natural resources | 235 | Closed |
Things to do
6 places to go in Champion Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Champion Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Champion Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Champion Township
Dead River Basin-north Boat Launch
DirectionsSilver Lake Basin boat launch
DirectionsWolf Lake Boat LaunchIn Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit
DirectionsTrails & water
14 named trails and 19 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 17.6 mi
North Country Trail7.4 mi
County Road AAP2.9 mi
County Road Akc1.8 mi
Chicago and North Western RR1.4 mi
Main Trail0.7 mi
County Road ABA0.5 mi
Old Wagon Road Trail0.4 mi
Miners Loop0.4 mi
County Road AAB0.4 mi
County Road AKB0.4 mi
4 more trails
County Road AKC
0.3 miCounty Road AKA
0.1 miSoo Line Railroad
0.1 miCounty Road AM
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
1.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Champion Township: May and 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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 21 | 25 | 36 | 48 | 62 | 72 | 77 | 75 | 66 | 52 | 37 | 26 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 3.7 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Champion Township →
Next door
Champion Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Powell Township253 miMichigamme Township205 miChampion Township164 miEly Township107 miIshpeming Township97 miHumboldt Township87 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Michigamme Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ishpeming Township | 2% | 1.1 | 81 | 68% | B+ |
| Ely Township | 6% | 0.8 | 2,656 | 24% | B+ |
| Powell Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Humboldt 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 Champion Township
Where can I hike in Champion Township?
The longest trail networks: Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit, 8.5 miles; Van Riper State Park, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Champion Township’s trails?
Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit and Van Riper State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Champion Township?
1.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Champion Township?
16,263 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Champion Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 312 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Champion 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 →