Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
8,320 acres39.8 mi of trail
Sequoia TrailWindson Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Ellis Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Ellis Township
The biggest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit (39.8 mi), Reed's Pigeon River Nature Preserve (1.1 mi). 3% of Ellis Township’s land is conserved, about 767 acres. 540 acres are parks and preserves, 922 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
3%
767 acres · of 35.6 sq mi of land
Trails
54 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
540 ac
922 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
32%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.4 mi
0.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
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 Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, with 39.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Reed's Pigeon River Nature Preserve
Managed by Little Traverse Conservancy
108 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Michigan Wildlife Foundation Nature Preserve
Managed by Little Traverse Conservancy
28 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Jack and Tucker Harris Working Forest Reserve
Nature preserve
370 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 8 parks & preserves
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit8,320 acres · 39.8 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Reed's Pigeon River Nature Preserve108 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Little Traverse Conservancy
Michigan Wildlife Foundation Nature Preserve28 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Little Traverse Conservancy
DirectionsJack and Tucker Harris Working Forest Reserve370 acres
Helmer's Dam Robert D. VanCampen Nature Preserve191 acres · Little Traverse Conservancy
The Meadows Boating Access Site135 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsVivian VanCampen Memorial Nature Preserve59 acres · Little Traverse Conservancy
DirectionsPigeon River Country State Forest37 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Who protects it
767 conserved acres
3% of Ellis Township’s land. Who manages Ellis Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits758 ac
State natural resources10 ac
Private Conservation · 396 acPrivate Forest Stewardship · 361 acState Conservation Area · 10 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 6 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack and Tucker Harris Private Forest Stewardship | Land trusts & nonprofits | 361 | Open |
| Robert VanCampen - Helmers Dam Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 198 | Open |
| Reed Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 107 | Unknown |
| Vivian VanCampen Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 57 | Unknown |
| Michigan Wildlife Foundation Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 35 | Unknown |
| Pigeon River Country State Forest Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 10 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Ellis Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Campgrounds in Ellis Township
Michigan Oaks Camping Resort
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.1 mi
Sequoia Trail1.7 mi
Windson Trail1.0 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.4 mi
off-road bike paths
When to get out
The best walking months in Ellis 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 29 | 39 | 53 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 57 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 3.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Ellis Township →
Next door
Ellis Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Nunda Township124 miKoehler Township72 miMentor Township64 miEllis Township54 miTuscarora Township44 miWalker Township43 miIndian River15 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellis Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Walker Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Nunda Township | 51% | 1.8 | 23,280 | 24% | A |
| Mentor Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Koehler Township | 6% | 1.7 | 472 | 9% | B+ |
| Indian River | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Tuscarora Township | 2% | 1.5 | 100 | 55% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ellis Township
Where can I hike in Ellis Township?
The longest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, 39.8 miles; Reed's Pigeon River Nature Preserve, 1.1 miles; Michigan Wildlife Foundation Nature Preserve, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Ellis Township’s trails?
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit and Reed's Pigeon River Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Ellis Township?
0.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Ellis Township?
74,567 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ellis Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 540 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Ellis 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 →