Brighton State Recreation Area
Park
803 acres8.7 mi of trail
Brady TrailFound LoopRalph's Ride
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Dwight Burdette · CC BY 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Genoa Township
Genoa Township has 1,222 acres of parks, 59 for every 1,000 residents
10% of Genoa Township’s land is conserved, about 2,188 acres. The biggest trail networks: Brighton State Recreation Area (8.7 mi), Fillmore County Park (3.5 mi). 23 miles of mapped trail cross Genoa Township, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #233 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
2,188 acres · of 33.8 sq mi of land
Trails
23 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,222 ac
59 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
42%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.5 mi
9.5 mi paths
Highest peak
1,329 ft
Mt. Brighton Main Peak (South)
Lakes & rivers
16
2 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Genoa Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Genoa Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Genoa Township is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #233 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Genoa Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (23 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land59 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,222 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A−Parks 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 76%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 67%
Water is 6% of Genoa Township’s area (2 of 36 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 10%.
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 Brighton State Recreation Area, with 8.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lake Chemung Boating Access Site
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
5 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
Brighton State Recreation Area803 acres · 8.7 mi of trail
DirectionsFillmore County Park119 acres · 3.5 mi of trail
DirectionsGenoa Charter Township Park43 acres
DirectionsLake Chemung Boating Access Site5 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsEast Crooked Lake Boating Access Site4 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsLake Chemung Park2 acres · Livingson County Road Commission
DirectionsWestbury Common Area1 acres
Who protects it
2,188 conserved acres
10% of Genoa Township’s land. Water is left out: Genoa Township has 33.8 square miles of land and 2.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Genoa Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners916 ac
State natural resources802 ac
Town or city267 ac
Other state land166 ac
County35 ac
State Recreation Area · 802 acPrivate Park · 750 acConservation Easement · 166 acLocal Recreation Area · 156 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 104 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 168 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton State Recreation Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 802 | Open |
| Oakpointe Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 320 | Restricted |
| Faulkwood Shores Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 210 | Restricted |
| Camp Luther Vista Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 156 | Open |
| The Jackal Golf Club at Mt. Brighton Private Park | Private owners | 141 | Restricted |
| Utility Corridor Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 104 | Open |
| Woodland Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 79 | Restricted |
| Mount Brighton Ski Area Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 62 | Restricted |
| Township of Genoa Park Local Park | Town or city | 53 | Open |
| City of Detroit Park Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Genoa Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Genoa Township
Pine Creek Ridge Lodge Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Genoa Township
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Genoa Township
Brighton Lake Boat Ramp
DirectionsEast Crooked Lake Boat LaunchIn East Crooked Lake Boating Access Site
DirectionsLake Chemung Boat Launch
DirectionsPeaks in Genoa Township
Mt. Brighton Main Peak (South)1,329 ft elevation
DirectionsMt. Brighton SubPeak (North)1,309 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Genoa Township
Camp Chaldean
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 16 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.2 miHorses · 2.5 miUnpaved · 4.3 mi
Brady Trail2.0 mi
Found Loop0.9 mi
Ralph's Ride0.7 mi
Biking & sports
9.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Found LoopBike route
0.9 miRalph's RideBike route
0.7 miCourts & fields
7Tennis
3Soccer
3Basketball
2Pickleball
2Multi-sport
2Baseball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Genoa 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 44 | 58 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 61 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Genoa Township →
Next door
Genoa Township and its neighbors
Genoa Township has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hamburg Township90 miGenoa Township23 miBrighton Township16 miOceola Township10 miMarion Township3.6 miHowell1.4 miBrighton1.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genoa Township | 10% | 0.7 | 59 | 42% | A− |
| Brighton | 1% | 0.3 | 3 | 62% | C |
| Hamburg Township | 29% | 2.8 | 222 | 54% | A |
| Marion Township | 4% | 0.1 | 59 | 48% | B− |
| Oceola Township | 3% | 0.3 | 9 | 53% | C+ |
| Brighton Township | 6% | 0.5 | 33 | 27% | B |
| Howell | 3% | 0.3 | 9 | 93% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Genoa Township
Where can I hike in Genoa Township?
The longest trail networks: Brighton State Recreation Area, 8.7 miles; Fillmore County Park, 3.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Genoa Township is conserved land?
10% 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 Genoa Township’s trails?
Brighton State Recreation Area and Fillmore County Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Genoa Township?
9.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.5 of off-road paths. Named routes: Found Loop and Ralph's Ride.
Is there public land near Genoa Township?
37,273 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Genoa Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,222 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Genoa Township have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #233 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 Genoa 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 →