Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
5,753 acres83.3 mi of trail
Vasa (25k)Vasa (10k/25k)Riley's Trail (8k)Vasa (10k)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
AOutdoors
Outdoors in East Bay Township
East Bay Township has 143 miles of mapped trails, 3.6 for every square mile of land
2,482 acres are parks and preserves, 212 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit (83.3 mi), Brown Bridge Quiet Area (15.8 mi), Camp Greilick County Park (3.9 mi). 5% of East Bay Township’s land is conserved, about 1,266 acres.
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #93 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
1,266 acres · of 40.0 sq mi of land
Trails
143 mi
3.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,482 ac
212 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
64%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
50 mi
50 mi paths
Highest peak
879 ft
Observation Hill
Lakes & rivers
17
8 beaches · 7 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is East Bay Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does East Bay Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, East Bay Township is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #93 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of East Bay Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%BTrails3.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (143 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land212 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,482 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home64% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 87%
Water is 6% of East Bay Township’s area (2 of 42 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 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 Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit, with 83.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Brown Bridge Quiet Area
Managed by City of Traverse City
1,772 acres15.8 mi of trail
Boardman/Ottaway River Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Camp Greilick County Park
Managed by Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation
192 acres3.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pines Park
Managed by East Bay Charter Township
78 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Turtle Cove Nature Preserve
Managed by Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
120 acres2.1 mi of trail
Beverly & Spencer Silk Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
George & Ada Reffitt Nature Preserve
Managed by Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
110 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Holiday Woodlands Preserve
Managed by East Bay Charter Township
147 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Killingsworth Park
Managed by East Bay Charter Township
69 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 20 parks & preserves
Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit5,753 acres · 83.3 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsBrown Bridge Quiet Area1,772 acres · 15.8 mi of trail · City of Traverse City
DirectionsCamp Greilick County Park192 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsPines Park78 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · East Bay Charter Township
Turtle Cove Nature Preserve120 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsGeorge & Ada Reffitt Nature Preserve110 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsHoliday Woodlands Preserve147 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · East Bay Charter Township
Killingsworth Park69 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · East Bay Charter Township
DirectionsMitchell Creek Meadows: The Don & Jerry Oleson Nature Preserve222 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Grand Travserse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsGrace Macdonald Park42 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · East Bay Charter Township
DirectionsKeith J. Charters Traverse City State Park73 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Ridge Nature Preserve306 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsHoward and Mary Dunn Edwards Nature Sanctuary72 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsMnaadendan-Shkaakimiikwe Nature Sanctuary25 acres · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
Northwood Acres Park14 acres
Arbutus Lake No. 5 Park12 acres · East Bay Charter Township
DirectionsKelly Park4 acres · East Bay Charter Township
DirectionsGrand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve3 acres
DirectionsFritts Park2 acres
Gazebo Rose Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,266 conserved acres
5% of East Bay Township’s land. Water is left out: East Bay Township has 40.0 square miles of land and 2.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages East Bay Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits775 ac
Private owners345 ac
State natural resources77 ac
Other state land69 ac
U.S. Forest Service1 ac
Unknown Easement · 619 acPrivate Park · 345 acPrivate Conservation · 156 acState Park · 77 acConservation Easement · 69 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 687 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Creek Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 222 | Restricted |
| Elmbrook Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 123 | Restricted |
| George & Ada Reffitt Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 84 | Open |
| Charters Traverse City State Park State Park | State natural resources | 77 | Open |
| Howard & Mary Dunn Edwards Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 72 | Open |
| Manistee National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 1 | Open |
Things to do
34 places to go in East Bay Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in East Bay Township
8 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in East Bay Township
7 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in East Bay Township
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in East Bay Township
7 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in East Bay Township
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in East Bay Township
Observation Hill879 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 2 peaks without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in East Bay Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in East Bay Township
Arbutus Number Four State Forest CampgroundIn Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit
DirectionsScheck's Place State Forest CampgroundIn Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit
DirectionsTraverse City State Park CampgroundIn Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsTrails & water
19 named trails and 17 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 30.4 miHorses · 0.5 miUnpaved · 93.5 mi
Vasa (25k)4.7 mi
Vasa (10k/25k)2.4 mi
Riley's Trail (8k)2.3 mi
Vasa (10k)2.0 mi
Beverly & Spencer Silk Nature Trail1.9 mi
Boardman/Ottaway River Trail1.6 mi
Headwaters1.1 mi
Special "K" Connector0.8 mi
Timber Ridge Connector0.8 mi
Vandervoight Lake Trail0.6 mi
9 more trails
Shore to Shore Horse Trail
0.5 miVasa (5k/10k/25k)
0.4 miRough Bark Trail
0.4 miVasa (25k) The Wall Bypass
0.3 miFalling Leaf Trail
0.2 miValley Trail
0.2 miLooyenga Family Universally Accesible Trail
0.2 miTimber Ridge Access
0.1 miNorth Country National Scenic Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
50 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
50 mi
off-road bike paths
Vasa PathwayBike route
9.6 miIceman08Bike route
7.3 miCourts & fields
24Tennis
9Baseball
8Basketball
6Equestrian
6Pickleball
3Soccer
3Football
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in East Bay 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 | 15.6 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 31 | 41 | 53 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 57 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 3.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in East Bay Township →
Next door
East Bay Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Union Township189 miWhitewater Township145 miEast Bay Township143 miParadise Township69 miGarfield Township63 miAcme Township43 miBlair Township39 miTraverse City12 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Bay Township | 5% | 3.6 | 212 | 64% | A |
| Traverse City | 3% | 1.4 | 13 | 99% | A− |
| Union Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Blair Township | 5% | 1.1 | 51 | 59% | A− |
| Whitewater Township | 1% | 3.0 | 84 | 28% | B+ |
| Paradise Township | 4% | 1.3 | 35 | 40% | B+ |
| Acme Township | 13% | 1.7 | 159 | 51% | A |
| Garfield Township | 5% | 2.4 | 50 | 83% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in East Bay Township
Where can I hike in East Bay Township?
The longest trail networks: Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit, 83.3 miles; Brown Bridge Quiet Area, 15.8 miles; Camp Greilick County Park, 3.9 miles; Pines Park, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of East Bay Township is conserved land?
5% 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 East Bay Township’s trails?
Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit and Brown Bridge Quiet Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in East Bay Township?
50 miles of bike routes are on the map: 50 of off-road paths. Named routes: Vasa Pathway and Iceman08.
Is there public land near East Bay Township?
13,409 acres of parks and open public land lie inside East Bay Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,483 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does East Bay Township have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #93 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 East Bay 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 →