Haymarsh Lake State Game Area
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
458 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Colfax Township
Colfax Township has 820 acres of parks, 376 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Haymarsh Lake State Game Area (0.7 mi). 15% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 6% of Colfax Township’s land is conserved, about 1,366 acres.
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
1,366 acres · of 35.1 sq mi of land
Trails
2.5 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
820 ac
376 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
15%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.1 mi
1.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Colfax Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Colfax Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Colfax Township is ahead of 50% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Colfax Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (3 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4CPark land376 acres of park per 1,000 residents (820 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home15% 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 50%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. 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 Haymarsh Lake State Game Area, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Clear Lake Public Access
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
2 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hillview Lake Public Access
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
2 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Townline Lake Public Access
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
1 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 5 parks & preserves
Haymarsh Lake State Game Area458 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Clear Lake Public Access2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsHillview Lake Public Access2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsTownline Lake Public Access1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsRiver Bend Bluffs Boating Access Site1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Who protects it
1,366 conserved acres
6% of Colfax Township’s land. Who manages Colfax Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife523 ac
Private owners442 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits196 ac
County124 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)81 ac
State Conservation Area · 523 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 285 acConservation Easement · 277 acPrivate Park · 157 acLocal Other or Unknown · 124 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 277 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haymarsh Lake State Game Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 523 | Open |
| Reformed Church Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 285 | Open |
| Meceola Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 157 | Restricted |
| Gravel Pit Local Other or Unknown | County | 124 | Closed |
Things to do
10 places to go in Colfax Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Colfax Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Colfax Township
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Colfax Township
Clear Lake Boat LaunchIn Clear Lake Public Access
DirectionsHillview Lake Boat LaunchIn Hillview Lake Public Access
DirectionsRiver Bend Bluffs Boat Launch
DirectionsTownline Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsCampgrounds in Colfax Township
Cran Hill Ranch of the Reformed
DirectionsTrails & water
7 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
1.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
2Equestrian
1Volleyball
1Baseball
1Tennis
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Colfax Township: July and September
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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 32 | 42 | 55 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.8 inches fall in April, the wettest month. The climate in Colfax Township →
Next door
Colfax Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Austin Township37 miGrant Township8.5 miBig Rapids Township3.5 miMartiny Township2.8 miColfax Township2.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colfax Township | 6% | 0.1 | 376 | 15% | B− |
| Big Rapids Township | 4% | 0.1 | 42 | 28% | C+ |
| Grant Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Austin Township | 7% | 1.0 | 1,096 | 36% | A− |
| Martiny Township | 15% | 0.1 | 1,695 | 38% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Colfax Township
Where can I hike in Colfax Township?
The longest trail networks: Haymarsh Lake State Game Area, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Colfax Township is conserved land?
6% 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 Colfax Township’s trails?
Haymarsh Lake State Game Area and Clear Lake Public Access don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Colfax Township?
1.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Colfax Township?
25,850 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Colfax Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 820 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Colfax Township have?
Ahead of 50% 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 Colfax 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 →