Jeptha Lake Fen
Managed by Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
53 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Compiled from official records and local inspection by W.H. Goss, County Surveyor. Drawn by M.K. Orton. · Public domainB−Outdoors
Outdoors in Columbia Township
Columbia Township has 458 acres of parks, 179 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Jeptha Lake Fen (0.5 mi). 46% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4.4 miles of mapped trail cross Columbia Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 51% of U.S. towns · #440 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
455 acres · of 33.9 sq mi of land
Trails
4.4 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
458 ac
179 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
46%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.0 mi
6.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
15
5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Columbia Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Columbia Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Columbia Township is ahead of 51% of U.S. towns, #440 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Columbia Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4CPark land179 acres of park per 1,000 residents (458 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home46% 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 51%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 37%
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 Jeptha Lake Fen, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Black River Nature Sanctuary
Managed by Michigan Nature Association
98 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Hultmark Preserve
Managed by Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
30 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Lake Eleven Public Access
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
11 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 13 parks & preserves
Jeptha Lake Fen53 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
DirectionsBreedsville North Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBlack River Nature Sanctuary98 acres · Michigan Nature Association
Hultmark Preserve30 acres · Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy
Lake Eleven Public Access11 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsCarolyn and Rifka Sharon Hultmark Memorial Plant Preserve7 acres · Michigan Nature Association
Saddle Lake Public Access4 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Columbia Township Park4 acres
DirectionsBreedsville Park3 acres
DirectionsUpper Jeptha Lake Public Access2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsLake Fourteen Boating Access Site2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsKal-Haven State Trail Access1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsNorth Scott Lake Public Access1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Who protects it
455 conserved acres
2% of Columbia Township’s land. Who manages Columbia Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources346 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits83 ac
Private owners15 ac
Other state land10 ac
Town or city1 ac
State Park · 346 acPrivate Conservation · 83 acPrivate Park · 15 acConservation Easement · 10 acLocal Park · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 10 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 7 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kal-Haven Trail Sesq. State Park State Park | State natural resources | 346 | Open |
| Jeptha Lake Fen Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 52 | Unknown |
| Hultmark Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 31 | Restricted |
| Jeptha Lake Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 15 | Restricted |
| Breedsville Historical Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
6 places to go in Columbia Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Columbia Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Columbia Township
Lake Eleven Boat Launch
DirectionsLake Fourteen Boat Launch
DirectionsNorth Scott Lake Boat LaunchIn North Scott Lake Public Access
DirectionsSaddle Lake Boat LaunchIn Saddle Lake Public Access
DirectionsUpper Jeptha Lake Boat LaunchIn Upper Jeptha Lake Public Access
DirectionsTrails & water
15 lakes & rivers
Biking & sports
6.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Basketball
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Columbia Township: June to 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Columbia Township →
Next door
Columbia Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lee Township6.3 miGeneva Township5.7 miColumbia Township4.4 miArlington Township4.0 miBloomingdale Township1.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Township | 2% | 0.1 | 179 | 46% | B− |
| Arlington Township | 1% | 0.1 | 57 | 15% | C |
| Bloomingdale Township | 3% | under 0.1 | 187 | 31% | C+ |
| Geneva Township | 3% | 0.2 | 169 | 35% | B− |
| Lee Township | 8% | 0.2 | 463 | 33% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Columbia Township
Where can I hike in Columbia Township?
The longest trail networks: Jeptha Lake Fen, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Columbia Township is conserved land?
2% 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 Columbia Township’s trails?
Jeptha Lake Fen and Black River Nature Sanctuary don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Columbia Township?
6.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Columbia Township?
24,135 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Columbia Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 458 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Columbia Township have?
Ahead of 51% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #440 of 701 in Michigan. 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 Columbia 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 →