Lake Superior State Forest - Shingleton Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
16,111 acres20.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto truck parking
Photo: Rklawton · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Garden Township
More than half of Garden Township’s land is conserved: 78%
78% of Garden Township’s land is conserved, about 79,386 acres. The biggest trail networks: Lake Superior State Forest - Shingleton Unit (20.8 mi). 17,235 acres are parks and preserves, 27,664 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
78%
79,386 acres · of 159.8 sq mi of land
Trails
246 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
17,235 ac
27,664 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
33%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
50
10 boat launches
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 Lake Superior State Forest - Shingleton Unit, with 20.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Forests for the Future #6 Reserve
Managed by Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
40 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
79,386 conserved acres
78% of Garden Township’s land. Water is left out: Garden Township has 159.8 square miles of land and 24.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Garden Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service62,287 ac
State natural resources16,975 ac
Town or city111 ac
Other state land52 ac
National Forest · 62,287 acState Conservation Area · 16,975 acLocal Conservation Area · 111 acConservation Easement · 52 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 50 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiawatha National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 62,287 | Open |
| Shingleton State Foreset Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 16,975 | Open |
| Fishdam Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 111 | Open |
Things to do
15 places to go in Garden Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Garden Township
Camp 7 Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsChicago Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsCorner Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsGarden.bay Boat Launch
DirectionsGooseneck Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsJackpine Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsLittle Fishdam River Boat Launch
DirectionsLyman Lake Boat Launch
Directions1 more boat launch
Portage Bay Sfcg Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Garden Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Garden Township
Bayridge RV Park & Campground
DirectionsCamp 7 Lake Campground
DirectionsCorner Lake CampgroundUnited States Forest Service
DirectionsPortage Bay State Forest CampgroundIn Lake Superior State Forest - Shingleton Unit
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 50 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.5 mi
2722A0.8 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Back LakeBear LakeBog LakeBuck Fever LakeCamp 41 LakelakeCamp 7 LakelakeCarr LakeCarr PondsChamberlain LakelakeCharboneau LakeChicago LakelakeCousineau LakeEva LakelakeFern LakelakeFishery LakeFoote LakelakeForty PondFrying Pan LakeGanamush LakeGooseneck LakelakeHalfmoon LakeHalfway LakelakeHighbridge LakeHugoboom LakelakeJackpine LakeJug LakelakeLake ThirteenlakeLake TwentythreelakeLittle Stevens LakelakeLyman LakeMolly LakeMowe LakelakeNo Name LakeNorway LakePike LakePot LakeShoe Pac LakeSpring LakeSquare LakeStevens LakelakeSwamp LakelakeVan Winkle LakelakeVista LakelakeWarner LakeWest Branch LakeslakeWest LakeWolf LakelakeFishdam RiverLittle Fishdam RiverSouthwest Branch Fishdam River
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
1Tennis
1Baseball
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).
Camp Delta-Delta ResortDistrict · listed 2017
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Garden Township: May, June and 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 28 | 37 | 48 | 62 | 72 | 77 | 76 | 67 | 55 | 41 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 3.7 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Garden Township →
Next door
Garden Township and its neighbors
Garden Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Nahma Township260 miGarden Township246 miInwood Township219 miThompson Township156 miFairbanks Township25 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garden Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Inwood Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Nahma Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Thompson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Fairbanks Township | — 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 Garden Township
Where can I hike in Garden Township?
The longest trail networks: Lake Superior State Forest - Shingleton Unit, 20.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Garden Township’s trails?
Lake Superior State Forest - Shingleton Unit and Forests for the Future #6 Reserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Garden Township?
339,676 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Garden Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 79,832 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Garden 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 →