Betsie Dunes Nature Santuary
Managed by Grand Traverse Regional Land Convervancy
81 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Crystal Lake Township
Crystal Lake Township has 460 acres of parks, 511 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Betsie Dunes Nature Santuary (1.4 mi). 6% of Crystal Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 498 acres. 52% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
498 acres · of 12.6 sq mi of land
Trails
3.9 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
460 ac
511 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
52%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.1 mi
5.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
4 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Crystal Lake Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Crystal Lake Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Crystal Lake Township is ahead of 72% 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 Crystal Lake Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land511 acres of park per 1,000 residents (460 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home52% 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 72%
LessMore
Water is 26% of Crystal Lake Township’s area (5 of 17 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 5%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B 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 Betsie Dunes Nature Santuary, with 1.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Betsie River State Game Area
Nature preserve
272 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Railroad Point Natural Area
Managed by Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
158 acres0.1 mi of trail
Outlet
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Crystal Lake Township Park
Managed by Crystal Lake Township
68 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Betsie Dunes Nature Santuary81 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Grand Traverse Regional Land Convervancy
Railroad Point Natural Area158 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsBellows Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBetsie River State Game Area272 acres
Crystal Lake Township Park68 acres · Crystal Lake Township
Donald E. Hart Plant Preserve24 acres · Michigan Nature Assocatiaton
Who protects it
498 conserved acres
6% of Crystal Lake Township’s land. Water is left out: Crystal Lake Township has 12.6 square miles of land and 4.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Crystal Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife295 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits76 ac
Private owners68 ac
State natural resources56 ac
Town or city1 ac
Other state land1 ac
State Conservation Area · 352 acPrivate Conservation · 76 acPrivate Park · 51 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 17 acLocal Park · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betsie River State Game Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 295 | Open |
| Betsie Dunes (Killian) Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 58 | Open |
| MNRTF Parcel 1 State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 56 | Restricted |
| Frankfort Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 51 | Restricted |
| Donald E. Hart Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 9 | Open |
| Christian Assembly Camp Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 9 | Open |
| Elisabeth Parr Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 7 | Open |
| Crystal Aire Camp Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 5 | Open |
| Congregational Assembly Camp Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 3 | Open |
| Betsie River Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 2 | Closed |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
10 places to go in Crystal Lake Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Crystal Lake Township
Congressional Summer Assembly Crystal Lake Beach
DirectionsCongressional Summer Assembly Lake Michigan Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Crystal Lake Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Crystal Lake Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Crystal Lake Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Crystal Lake Township
Betsie River Campsite
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.4 mi
Snell0.8 mi
Outlet0.3 mi
Marquette Court0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
14Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Crystal 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 30 | 40 | 52 | 64 | 74 | 78 | 77 | 69 | 56 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Crystal Lake Township →
Next door
Crystal Lake Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lake Township42 miBenzonia Township9.2 miCrystal Lake Township3.9 miGilmore Township2.8 miElberta2.6 miFrankfort0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Lake Township | 6% | 0.3 | 511 | 52% | B+ |
| Frankfort | 4% | 0.1 | 35 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Gilmore Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Elberta | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Benzonia Township | 7% | 0.3 | 249 | 65% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Crystal Lake Township
Where can I hike in Crystal Lake Township?
The longest trail networks: Betsie Dunes Nature Santuary, 1.4 miles; Railroad Point Natural Area, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake Township’s trails?
Betsie Dunes Nature Santuary and Betsie River State Game Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Crystal Lake Township?
5.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Crystal Lake Township?
7,765 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Crystal Lake Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 460 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Crystal Lake Township have?
Ahead of 72% 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 Crystal 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 →