Genessee County Recreational Area
Park
1,863 acres6.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
House at 6112 Carpenter Road · Photo: Matthew Lampe · Public domainB+Outdoors
Outdoors in Genesee Township
Genesee Township has 3,433 acres of parks, 168 for every 1,000 residents
19% of Genesee Township’s land is conserved, about 3,586 acres. The biggest trail networks: Genessee County Recreational Area (6.7 mi). 42% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #248 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
19%
3,586 acres · of 29.1 sq mi of land
Trails
7.3 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,433 ac
168 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
42%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.1 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 8.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Genesee Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Genesee Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Genesee Township is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #248 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Genesee Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land19% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land168 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,433 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home42% 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 74%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 65%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. 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 Genessee County Recreational Area, with 6.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mounds Recreation Area
Managed by Genesee County Parks
450 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Huckleberry Railroad & Crossroads Village
Park
729 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 5 parks & preserves
Genessee County Recreational Area1,863 acres · 6.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMounds Recreation Area450 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Genesee County Parks
DirectionsBluebell Beach77 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHuckleberry Railroad & Crossroads Village729 acres
DirectionsBranch-Carr Park3 acres
Who protects it
3,586 conserved acres
19% of Genesee Township’s land. Who manages Genesee Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County3,349 ac
Private owners227 ac
Town or city208 ac
Other state land47 ac
Local Park · 3,484 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 227 acLocal Resource Management Area · 62 acState Conservation Area · 40 acLocal Recreation Area · 11 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genessee Recreation Area Local Park | County | 3,287 | Open |
| Utility Corridor Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 227 | Open |
| City of Flint Park Local Park | Town or city | 138 | Open |
| Local Forest Local Resource Management Area | County | 62 | Open |
| State Forest State Conservation Area | Other state land | 40 | Open |
| Land Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Township of Genesee Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Kearsley Lake Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 11 | Restricted |
| Branch-Carr Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
Things to do
6 places to go in Genesee Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Genesee Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Genesee Township
Bluegill Boat LaunchIn Genessee County Recreational Area
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Genesee Township
Stepping Stone FallsIn Genessee County Recreational Area
DirectionsTrails & water
3 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
9.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
8.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
15Baseball
1Soccer
1Football
1Basketball
1Equestrian
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).
House at 6112 Carpenter RoadBuilding · listed 1982
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Genesee Township: July to 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 | 14.6 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 43 | 57 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 60 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.7 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Genesee Township →
Next door
Genesee Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Richfield Township24 miFlint14 miBurton12 miGenesee Township7.3 miMount Morris Township1.1 miThetford Township0.2 miMount Morris0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee Township | 19% | 0.3 | 168 | 42% | B+ |
| Flint | 9% | 0.4 | 25 | 96% | A− |
| Mount Morris | 9% | under 0.1 | 19 | 99%+ | B |
| Richfield Township | 11% | 0.7 | 344 | 42% | A− |
| Burton | 8% | 0.5 | 23 | 53% | B+ |
| Thetford Township | 6% | under 0.1 | 101 | 9% | C+ |
| Mount Morris Township | 3% | under 0.1 | 13 | 26% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Genesee Township
Where can I hike in Genesee Township?
The longest trail networks: Genessee County Recreational Area, 6.7 miles; Mounds Recreation Area, 0.4 miles; Bluebell Beach, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Genesee Township is conserved land?
19% 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 Genesee Township’s trails?
Genessee County Recreational Area and Mounds Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Genesee Township?
9.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 8.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Genesee Township?
17,966 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Genesee Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,433 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Genesee Township have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #248 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 Genesee 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 →