Pinckney State Recreation Area
Park
2,719 acres26.8 mi of trail
Potawatomi TrailPotawatomi & Crooked Lake TrailCrooked Lake TrailLosee - Longest Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Dwight Burdette · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Dexter Township
Dexter Township has 5,364 acres of parks, 808 for every 1,000 residents
62 miles of mapped trail cross Dexter Township, 2.1 per square mile of land. 27% of Dexter Township’s land is conserved, about 5,293 acres. The biggest trail networks: Pinckney State Recreation Area (26.8 mi), Stinchfield Woods (16.7 mi), Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park (11.7 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #34 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
27%
5,293 acres · of 30.3 sq mi of land
Trails
62 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,364 ac
808 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
51%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.3 mi
6.3 mi paths
Highest peak
1,027 ft
Peach Mountain
Lakes & rivers
12
3 beaches · 11 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Dexter Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dexter Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dexter Township is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #34 of 701 in Michigan. 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 Dexter Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land27% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (62 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land808 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,364 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home51% 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 94%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 95%
Water is 8% of Dexter Township’s area (3 of 33 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 25%.
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 Pinckney State Recreation Area, with 26.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Stinchfield Woods
Managed by University of Michigan
764 acres16.7 mi of trail
Toma Road AccessThe Pines TrailThe Bowl TrailHigh Ridge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
Park
1,212 acres11.7 mi of trail
Acorn Nature TrailAcorn Nature Trail ShortcutCross Country Race
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
West Lake Preserve
Managed by Washtenaw County
271 acres4 mi of trail
Green TrailBlue TrailBlack TrailYellow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
Pinckney State Recreation Area2,719 acres · 26.8 mi of trail
DirectionsStinchfield Woods764 acres · 16.7 mi of trail · University of Michigan
DirectionsHudson Mills Metropolitan Park1,212 acres · 11.7 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Lake Preserve271 acres · 4 mi of trail · Washtenaw County
DirectionsChelsea State Game Area86 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Reichert Preserve78 acres
Portage Lake Public Access1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWho protects it
5,293 conserved acres
27% of Dexter Township’s land. Water is left out: Dexter Township has 30.3 square miles of land and 2.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Dexter Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land3,488 ac
Regional agency1,134 ac
County212 ac
Private owners191 ac
Town or city174 ac
State fish & wildlife89 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits80 ac
State Recreation Area · 2,711 acLocal Park · 1,308 acLocal Conservation Area · 981 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 138 acState Conservation Area · 89 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinckney Recreation Area State Recreation Area | Other state land | 2,711 | Open |
| Hudson Mills Metropark Local Park | Regional agency | 1,134 | Open |
| Stinchfield Woods Local Conservation Area | Other state land | 769 | Open |
| West Lake Perserve Local Conservation Area | County | 212 | Open |
| Land Local Park | Town or city | 174 | Open |
| Timberland Game Ranch Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 135 | Open |
| Chelsea State Game Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 89 | Open |
| Reichert Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 56 | Open |
| Iverness Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 56 | Restricted |
| Brooks Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 19 | Closed |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Dexter Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Dexter Township
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Dexter Township
4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Dexter Township
North Lake Boat LaunchIn Pinckney State Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 10 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Dexter Township
2 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Dexter Township
Twin Pines Overlook Point
DirectionsPeaks in Dexter Township
Peach Mountain1,027 ft elevation · In Stinchfield Woods
DirectionsPeach Mountain Peak (1040 Feet)
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Dexter Township
Activity Center Picnic AreaIn Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
DirectionsOak Meadows Picnic AreaIn Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
DirectionsPineview Picnic AreaIn Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
DirectionsRiver Grove Picnic AreaIn Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Dexter Township
Canoe CampingIn Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
DirectionsGroup CampIn Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
DirectionsPinckney-Crooked Lake RusticIn Pinckney State Recreation Area · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsDisc golf in Dexter Township
Monster Disc Golf CourseIn Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
DirectionsOriginal Disc Golf CourseIn Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 25.8 miUnpaved · 47.9 mi
Potawatomi Trail7.2 mi
Potawatomi & Crooked Lake Trail1.7 mi
Acorn Nature Trail1.7 mi
Crooked Lake Trail1.3 mi
Losee - Longest Loop1.3 mi
Green Trail1.0 mi
Silver Lake Trail0.9 mi
Losee - Middle Loop0.8 mi
Blue Trail0.8 mi
Black Trail0.7 mi
15 more trails
Potawatomi & Silver Lake Trail
0.6 miLosee - Shortest Loop
0.6 miCrooked & Silver Lake Trail
0.5 miYellow Trail
0.5 miLosee Lake Hiking Trail
0.5 miRed Trail
0.5 miDexter Animal Clinic Path
0.4 miToma Road Access
0.2 miDances With Dirt
0.2 miQuarry Overlook Trail
0.2 miThe Pines Trail
0.2 miThe Bowl Trail
0.2 miHigh Ridge Trail
0.2 miAcorn Nature Trail Shortcut
0.1 miCross Country Race
0.1 miBiking & sports
6.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Potawatomi Trail (Bike)Bike route
9.4 miCrooked Lake Trail (Bike)Bike route
3.6 miSilver Lake Trail (Bike)Bike route
2 miCourts & fields
7Soccer
7Volleyball
4Baseball
1Tennis
1Basketball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Bell Road BridgeStructure · listed 1996
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Dexter Township: July 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) | 31 | 34 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 61 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Dexter Township →
Next door
Dexter Township and its neighbors
Dexter Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lyndon Township78 miDexter Township62 miPutnam Township36 miWebster Township7.6 miLima Township5.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dexter Township | 27% | 2.1 | 808 | 51% | A |
| Webster Township | 17% | 0.2 | 198 | 25% | B+ |
| Lima Township | 8% | 0.1 | 180 | 21% | B |
| Lyndon Township | 52% | 2.4 | 3,830 | 90% | A+ |
| Putnam Township | 29% | 1.1 | 619 | 58% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dexter Township
Where can I hike in Dexter Township?
The longest trail networks: Pinckney State Recreation Area, 26.8 miles; Stinchfield Woods, 16.7 miles; Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park, 11.7 miles; West Lake Preserve, 4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dexter Township is conserved land?
27% 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 Dexter Township’s trails?
Pinckney State Recreation Area and Stinchfield Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dexter Township?
6.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.3 of off-road paths. Named routes: Potawatomi Trail (Bike), Crooked Lake Trail (Bike) and Silver Lake Trail (Bike).
Is there public land near Dexter Township?
47,062 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dexter Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,364 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Dexter Township have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #34 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 Dexter 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 →