Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness
Managed by National Park Service
3,268 acres10.2 mi of trail
Good Harbor Bay TrailPyramid Point Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Phoenix-Five · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Cleveland Township
More than half of Cleveland Township’s land is conserved: 54%
54% of Cleveland Township’s land is conserved, about 10,553 acres. 4,825 acres are parks and preserves, 4,079 per 1,000 residents. 31 miles of mapped trail cross Cleveland Township, 1.0 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
54%
10,553 acres · of 30.7 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,825 ac
4,079 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
47%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
18 mi
18 mi paths
Highest peak
1,047 ft
Sugarloaf Mountain
Lakes & rivers
8
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Cleveland Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild54% of the land is conserved; a typical Michigan town, 5%.Room to roam4,079 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 80% of U.S. towns.History along the way3 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cleveland Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cleveland Township is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cleveland Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land54% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (31 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land4,079 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,825 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home47% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
Water is more than half of Cleveland Township’s area (40 of 71 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 24%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, with 10.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Palmer Woods
Managed by Leelanu Conservancy
566 acres8.3 mi of trail
Darwin Loop TrailPrice Valley Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Managed by National Park Service
9,446 acres6.6 mi of trail
Pyramid Point TrailBass Lake AccessStanz Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Krumwiede Forest Reserve
Managed by Leelanau Conservancy
106 acres2 mi of trail
Forestry LoopRidgeline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Sugar Loaf Property
Managed by Leelanau Conservancy
356 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Swanson Preserve
Managed by Leelanau Conservancy
84 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 12 parks & preserves
Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness3,268 acres · 10.2 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsPalmer Woods566 acres · 8.3 mi of trail · Leelanu Conservancy
DirectionsSleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore9,446 acres · 6.6 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsKrumwiede Forest Reserve106 acres · 2 mi of trail · Leelanau Conservancy
Sugar Loaf Property356 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Leelanau Conservancy
DirectionsSwanson Preserve84 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Leelanau Conservancy
DirectionsTeichner Preserve41 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Leelanau Conservancy
Pat's Preserve32 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Leelanau Conservancy
DirectionsManitou Passage Underwater Preserve22,077 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Heffron Preserve27 acres · Leelanau Conservancy
Lime Lake Public Access2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsCleveland Township Park1 acres · Cleveland Township
DirectionsWho protects it
10,553 conserved acres
54% of Cleveland Township’s land. Water is left out: Cleveland Township has 30.7 square miles of land and 40.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Cleveland Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service9,281 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,036 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)217 ac
Private owners99 ac
Other state land27 ac
Town or city2 ac
National Lakeshore or Seashore · 7,593 acConservation Easement · 1,821 acPrivate Conservation · 852 acAgricultural Easement · 217 acPrivate Park · 99 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,007 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore National Lakeshore or Seashore | National Park Service | 7,593 | Open |
| Palmer Woods Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 292 | Closed |
| Palmer Woods Forest Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 237 | Open |
| Krumwiede Forest Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 106 | Open |
| Sugarloaf Resort Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 99 | Restricted |
| Swanson Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 84 | Closed |
| Teichner Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 43 | Open |
| Palmer Woods Jedena Darwin Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 33 | Closed |
| Lime Lake Preserve-Heffron Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 28 | Closed |
| Lime Lake Preserve-Fisher Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 24 | Closed |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
10 places to go in Cleveland Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Cleveland Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Cleveland Township
Lime Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Cleveland Township
Pyramid PointIn Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Cleveland Township
Sugarloaf Mountain1,047 ft elevation · In Sugar Loaf Property
DirectionsPicnic areas in Cleveland Township
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
8 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.7 miUnpaved · 22.4 mi
Good Harbor Bay Trail2.6 mi
Pyramid Point Trail2.1 mi
Forestry Loop1.6 mi
Darwin Loop Trail0.7 mi
Price Valley Trail0.6 mi
Ridgeline Trail0.4 mi
Bass Lake Access0.2 mi
Stanz Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
18 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
18 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Equestrian
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 15 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Cleveland 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 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 29 | 39 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 77 | 76 | 69 | 56 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Cleveland Township →
Next door
Cleveland Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Glen Arbor Township79 miLeland Township42 miCleveland Township31 miKasson Township11 miCenterville Township3.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Township | 54% | 1.0 | 4,079 | 47% | A |
| Glen Arbor Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Kasson Township | 3% | 0.3 | 435 | 34% | B |
| Centerville Township | 12% | 0.1 | 329 | 9% | B |
| Leland Township | 66% | 0.9 | 550 | 58% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Cleveland Township
Where can I hike in Cleveland Township?
The longest trail networks: Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, 10.2 miles; Palmer Woods, 8.3 miles; Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 6.6 miles; Krumwiede Forest Reserve, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cleveland Township is conserved land?
54% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Michigan town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Cleveland Township’s trails?
Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness and Palmer Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cleveland Township?
18 miles of bike routes are on the map: 18 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Cleveland Township?
23,618 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cleveland Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,825 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Cleveland Township have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Cleveland 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 →