Ott Biological Preserve
Managed by Calhoun County
290 acres5.1 mi of trail
Calhoun County TrailwayNorth Country Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Ott Biological Preserve Northwest ParkingWebsite ↗
12 Mile road-Kalamazoo River Bridge · Photo: kennethaw88 · CC BY 4.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Emmett Township
Emmett Township has 562 acres of parks, 48 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Ott Biological Preserve (5.1 mi), Kimball Pines Park (1.3 mi), Historic Bridge Park (0.8 mi). 13 miles of mapped trail cross Emmett Township, 0.4 per square mile of land. 3% of Emmett Township’s land is conserved, about 577 acres.
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns · #349 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
577 acres · of 32.1 sq mi of land
Trails
13 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
562 ac
48 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
59%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.2 mi
6.0 mi lanes · 0.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
1 beach
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Emmett Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Emmett Township is ahead of 63% of U.S. towns, #349 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Emmett Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (13 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land48 acres of park per 1,000 residents (562 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home59% 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 63%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 50%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B+. 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 Ott Biological Preserve, with 5.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Kimball Pines Park
Managed by Calhoun County
104 acres1.3 mi of trail
Calhoun County TrailwayNorth Country Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Historic Bridge Park
Managed by Calhoun County
28 acres0.8 mi of trail
North Country Trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Riverside Park
Managed by Calhoun County
73 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 6 parks & preserves
Ott Biological Preserve290 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · Calhoun County
DirectionsKimball Pines Park104 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Calhoun County
DirectionsHistoric Bridge Park28 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Calhoun County
DirectionsRiverside Park73 acres · Calhoun County
DirectionsPaddlers Grove Park33 acres · Calhoun County Conservation District
DirectionsBarnes Park1 acres
Who protects it
577 conserved acres
3% of Emmett Township’s land. Who manages Emmett Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County332 ac
Private owners137 ac
Town or city108 ac
Local Conservation Area · 308 acPrivate Park · 137 acLocal Park · 132 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ott Biological Preserve Local Conservation Area | County | 308 | Open |
| Oakland Hills Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 136 | Restricted |
| Kimball Pines Park Local Park | Town or city | 104 | Open |
| Historic Bridge Park Local Park | County | 24 | Open |
| Barnes Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Riverside Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 1 | Restricted |
Things to do
12 places to go in Emmett Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Emmett Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Emmett Township
10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Community gardens in Emmett Township
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.4 miHorses · 0.5 miUnpaved · 5.1 mi
Calhoun County Trailway4.4 mi
North Country Trail2.6 mi
Horse Track0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Calhoun County TrailwayBike route
4.4 miCourts & fields
12Tennis
12Baseball
11Soccer
7Basketball
5Tracks
4Football
1Softball
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).
12 Mile road-Kalamazoo River BridgeStructure · listed 1999
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Emmett Township: July and 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 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.2 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Emmett Township →
Next door
Emmett Township and its neighbors
Emmett Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Battle Creek30 miEmmett Township13 miMarshall Township2.8 miBrownlee Park2.6 miPennfield Township1.8 miNewton Township1.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmett Township | 3% | 0.4 | 48 | 59% | B |
| Battle Creek | 4% | 0.7 | 20 | 74% | B+ |
| Brownlee Park | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Newton Township | 2% | under 0.1 | under 1 | 8% | D |
| Pennfield Township | 1% | 0.1 | 9 | 36% | C− |
| Marshall Township | 1% | 0.1 | 28 | 17% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Emmett Township
Where can I hike in Emmett Township?
The longest trail networks: Ott Biological Preserve, 5.1 miles; Kimball Pines Park, 1.3 miles; Historic Bridge Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Emmett Township is conserved land?
3% 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 Emmett Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Historic Bridge Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Emmett Township?
6.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.0 of painted or protected lanes and 0.2 of off-road paths. Named routes: Calhoun County Trailway.
Is there public land near Emmett Township?
4,958 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Emmett Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 562 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Emmett Township have?
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #349 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 Emmett 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 →