Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
5,008 acres13.5 mi of trail
Indian Gardens ORV ROUTE & SMT LP710
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Indian Gardens ORV RouteWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Friendship Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Friendship Township
The biggest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit (13.5 mi), Hoogland Family Nature Preserve (1.3 mi). 1% of Friendship Township’s land is conserved, about 282 acres. 196 acres are parks and preserves, 231 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
1%
282 acres · of 31.4 sq mi of land
Trails
32 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
196 ac
231 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
27%
of residents within ½ mile
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 13.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hoogland Family Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
97 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Stutsmanville Bog Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
63 acres0.2 mi of trail
Stutsmanville Bog Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
C Beach Day & Family Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
29 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit5,008 acres · 13.5 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsHoogland Family Nature Preserve97 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsStutsmanville Bog Nature Preserve63 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
C Beach Day & Family Nature Preserve29 acres
Petersen Nature Preserve10 acres
John Nature Preserve10 acres
Who protects it
282 conserved acres
1% of Friendship Township’s land. Who manages Friendship Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits282 ac
Private Conservation · 203 acPrivate Forest Stewardship · 79 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 7 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoogland Family Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 92 | Open |
| Stutsmanville Bog Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 66 | Open |
| Emmet 8 Private Forest Stewardship | Land trusts & nonprofits | 40 | Closed |
| Emmet 6 Private Forest Stewardship | Land trusts & nonprofits | 39 | Open |
| C Beach Day & Family Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 29 | Open |
| Petersen Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 9 | Unknown |
| John Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 7 | Open |
Trails & water
2 named trails
Named trails
Unpaved · 8.0 mi
Indian Gardens ORV ROUTE & SMT LP7100.9 mi
Stutsmanville Bog Nature Trail0.2 mi
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
3Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Friendship 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 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 28 | 38 | 50 | 64 | 73 | 77 | 75 | 68 | 55 | 42 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Friendship Township →
Next door
Friendship Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Pleasantview Township125 miReadmond Township65 miFriendship Township32 miWest Traverse Township21 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendship Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pleasantview Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Readmond Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| West Traverse Township | 10% | 1.6 | 172 | 63% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Friendship Township
Where can I hike in Friendship Township?
The longest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, 13.5 miles; Hoogland Family Nature Preserve, 1.3 miles; Stutsmanville Bog Nature Preserve, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Friendship Township’s trails?
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit and Hoogland Family Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Friendship Township?
4,234 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Friendship Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 196 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Friendship 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 →