Alexander McClew Farm House · Photo: Matthew Lampe · Public domainForest Township has 617 acres of parks, 140 for every 1,000 residents
2.7 miles of mapped trail cross Forest Township, 0.1 per square mile of land. 35% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 5% of Forest Township’s land is conserved, about 1,053 acres.
Ahead of 51% of U.S. towns · #436 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Forest Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Forest Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Forest Township is ahead of 51% of U.S. towns, #436 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Murphy Lake State Game Area
1,053 conserved acres
5% of Forest Township’s land. Who manages Forest Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utility Corridor Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 299 | Open |
| East Michign Conf. F.M. Church Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 257 | Open |
| Otter Lake Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 186 | Open |
| Gravel Pit Local Other or Unknown | County | 157 | Closed |
| Township of Forest Park Local Park | Town or city | 77 | Open |
| Great Lakes Beagle Club Private Park | Private owners | 69 | Open |
| Michigan Natural Resource Trust Fund Parcel Unknown | State natural resources | 7 | Open |
| White Cedar Swamp Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 2 | Open |
2 places to go in Forest Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
8 lakes & rivers
0.9 miles of bike routes
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.
3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Forest Township: June, August 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 43 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Forest Township →
Forest Township and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest Township | 5% | 0.1 | 140 | 35% | B− |
| Thetford Township | 6% | under 0.1 | 101 | 9% | C+ |
| Marathon Township | 10% | 0.1 | 470 | 53% | B+ |
| Richfield Township | 11% | 0.7 | 344 | 42% | A− |
| Millington Township | 5% | 0.3 | 210 | 17% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Forest Township
Where can I hike in Forest Township?
The longest trail networks: Griswold Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Forest 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 Forest Township’s trails?
Pettit Park and Griswold Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Forest Township?
0.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.9 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Forest Township?
24,165 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Forest Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 624 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Forest Township have?
Ahead of 51% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #436 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 Forest Township neighbors.
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 →