Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The biggest trail networks: Prairie Wolf Park (1.6 mi), Earle Brewer Park (0.7 mi), Creekside Park (0.7 mi). 45% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 235 acres are parks and preserves, 8.0 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 36% of U.S. towns · #549 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Gaines Township is ahead of 36% of U.S. towns, #549 of 701 in Michigan. Conserved land holds 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 Prairie Wolf Park, with 1.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
3% of Gaines Township’s land. Who manages Gaines Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 205 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Springs Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 200 | Restricted |
| Briarwood Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 160 | Restricted |
| Earle Brewer County Park Local Park | County | 95 | Open |
| Creekside County Park Local Park | County | 31 | Open |
| Dutton Shadyside County Park Local Park | County | 16 | Open |
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
19 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 picnic areas 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 45 | 58 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Gaines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaines Township | 3% | 0.2 | 8 | 45% | C+ |
| Byron Township | 4% | 0.2 | 9 | 45% | C+ |
| Kentwood | 4% | 0.8 | 8 | 90% | B+ |
| Leighton Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 2 | 25% | D |
| Caledonia Township | 4% | 0.3 | 41 | 29% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
The longest trail networks: Prairie Wolf Park, 1.6 miles; Earle Brewer Park, 0.7 miles; Creekside Park, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
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.
Prairie Wolf Park and Earle Brewer Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 10 of off-road paths and 0.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
19,190 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gaines Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 235 of them inside the town line.
Ahead of 36% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #549 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.
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Gaines 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 →