Wm. C. Sterling State Park
Park
846 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Edward Loranger House · Photo: Notorious4life at en.wikipedia · Public domainB−Outdoors
Outdoors in Frenchtown Township
Frenchtown Township has 1,283 acres of parks, 59 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Wm. C. Sterling State Park (2.3 mi), Pointe Aux Peaux State Wildlife Area (0.8 mi). 3.6 miles of mapped trail cross Frenchtown Township, 0.1 per square mile of land. 5% of Frenchtown Township’s land is conserved, about 1,233 acres.
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns · #415 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
1,233 acres · of 41.7 sq mi of land
Trails
3.6 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,283 ac
59 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
52%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
11 mi
4.4 mi lanes · 6.4 mi paths
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Frenchtown Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Frenchtown Township is ahead of 54% of U.S. towns, #415 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Frenchtown Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4CPark land59 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,283 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home52% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 54%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 41%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ 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 Wm. C. Sterling State Park, with 2.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pointe Aux Peaux State Wildlife Area
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
175 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Frenchtown Park 3
Managed by Frenchtown Charter Township
16 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 9 parks & preserves
Wm. C. Sterling State Park846 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPointe Aux Peaux State Wildlife Area175 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Nike Park72 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFrenchtown Park 316 acres · Frenchtown Charter Township
DirectionsCaptain Norman Heck Park14 acres
DirectionsFrenchtown Kiwani's Park10 acres
DirectionsWoodland Park8 acres · Woodland Beach Association
Frenchtown Township Hall Park7 acres · Frenchtown Charter Township
DirectionsSwan Creek Plant Preserve5 acres · Michigan Nature Association
Who protects it
1,233 conserved acres
5% of Frenchtown Township’s land. Who manages Frenchtown Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners698 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service196 ac
State fish & wildlife179 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government105 ac
Town or city88 ac
County78 ac
Other state land34 ac
Private Park · 644 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 189 acState Conservation Area · 179 acLocal Park · 174 acConservation Easement · 146 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 66 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 34 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raisin River Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 253 | Restricted |
| Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 189 | Restricted |
| Monroe Golf Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 185 | Restricted |
| Pointe Aux Peaux State Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 179 | Open |
| Sandy Creek Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 158 | Restricted |
| Nike Park Local Park | County | 78 | Open |
| Camp Lord Willing RV Park & Campground Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 46 | Open |
| Sterling State Park State Park | State natural resources | 32 | Open |
| Old Town Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 32 | Restricted |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Frenchtown Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Frenchtown Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Frenchtown Township
17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Frenchtown Township
Jerry C Bartnik Memorial Boating Access SiteIn Wm. C. Sterling State Park
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Frenchtown Township
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Biking & sports
11 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
15Baseball
7Tennis
7Basketball
4Soccer
1Volleyball
1Football
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). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Edward Loranger HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Frenchtown 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 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 36 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Frenchtown Township →
Next door
Frenchtown Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Berlin Township25 miMonroe12 miRaisinville Township6.6 miMonroe Township5.1 miFrenchtown Township3.6 miStony Point0.9 miWoodland Beach0.0 miDetroit Beach0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frenchtown Township | 5% | 0.1 | 59 | 52% | B− |
| Monroe | 10% | 1.4 | 43 | 94% | A |
| Stony Point | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Monroe Township | 6% | 0.3 | 5 | 44% | C+ |
| Berlin Township | 24% | 0.8 | 290 | 53% | A |
| Raisinville Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 3 | 5% | D |
| Woodland Beach | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Detroit Beach | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Frenchtown Township
Where can I hike in Frenchtown Township?
The longest trail networks: Wm. Sterling State Park, 2.3 miles; Pointe Aux Peaux State Wildlife Area, 0.8 miles; Nike Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Frenchtown 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 Frenchtown Township’s trails?
Wm. Sterling State Park and Pointe Aux Peaux State Wildlife Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Frenchtown Township?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.4 of painted or protected lanes and 6.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Frenchtown Township?
14,361 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Frenchtown Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,283 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Frenchtown Township have?
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #415 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 Frenchtown 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 →