Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
74 acres are parks and preserves, 63 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit (99.9 mi), Cherry Creek Farm (3 mi). 2% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 51% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Elmer Township is ahead of 51% of U.S. towns. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit, with 99.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
under 1% of Elmer Township’s land. Who manages Elmer Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 206 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kittle Hall Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Atlanta State Forest Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1 | Open |
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Plus 1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
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) | 26 | 29 | 39 | 52 | 66 | 75 | 79 | 77 | 70 | 56 | 42 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 3.2 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Elmer Township →
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmer Township | under 1% | 1.9 | 63 | 2% | B− |
| Comins Township | 21% | 1.2 | 378 | 26% | A |
| Clinton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Albert Township | 53% | 2.1 | 8,680 | 50% | A+ |
| Big Creek Township | 69% | 2.0 | 48 | 40% | A |
| Greenwood Township | 5% | 1.7 | under 1 | 1% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
The longest trail networks: Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit, 99.9 miles; Cherry Creek Farm, 3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
under 1% 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.
Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit and Cherry Creek Farm don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
154,093 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Elmer Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 74 of them inside the town line.
Ahead of 51% 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.
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Elmer Township neighbors.
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 →