Hofma Preserve
Nature preserve
452 acres12.3 mi of trail
Nature TrailPathwayBoardwalk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Gpwitteveen · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Grand Haven Township
Grand Haven Township has 1,627 acres of parks, 86 for every 1,000 residents
37 miles of mapped trail cross Grand Haven Township, 1.3 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Hofma Preserve (12.3 mi), Hiawatha Forest Open Space (4.8 mi), Hofma Park (3.2 mi). 9% of Grand Haven Township’s land is conserved, about 1,676 acres.
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #86 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,676 acres · of 28.7 sq mi of land
Trails
37 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,627 ac
86 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
74%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
29 mi
0.1 mi lanes · 28 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Grand Haven Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Grand Haven Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Grand Haven Township is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #86 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Grand Haven Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (37 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land86 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,627 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home74% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 88%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Hofma Preserve, with 12.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hiawatha Forest Open Space
Nature preserve
358 acres4.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hofma Park
Nature preserve
129 acres3.2 mi of trail
Nature TrailPathway
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rosy Mound Natural Area
Nature preserve
153 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pottawattomie Park
Park
21 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Palomita Reserve
Nature preserve
41 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 15 parks & preserves
Hofma Preserve452 acres · 12.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHiawatha Forest Open Space358 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHofma Park129 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRosy Mound Natural Area153 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSchmidt Heritage Park75 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsKirk Park69 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPottawattomie Park21 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Palomita Reserve41 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Mercury Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGrand Haven State Game Area196 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWest Michigan Underwater Preserve18 acres
Campers Paradise14 acres
DirectionsDePersia South Highlands Nature Preserve14 acres
Agnew Roadside Park4 acres
Odawa/Battle Point Boat Launch3 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,676 conserved acres
9% of Grand Haven Township’s land. Who manages Grand Haven Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city643 ac
County581 ac
Other state land157 ac
Private owners150 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits143 ac
Local Park · 807 acLocal Other or Unknown · 367 acPrivate Park · 150 acState Recreation Area · 100 acPrivate Conservation · 96 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 105 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hofma Park & Preserve Local Park | Town or city | 565 | Open |
| Hiawatha Forest Local Other or Unknown | County | 367 | Open |
| Rosy Mound Natural Area Local Park | County | 151 | Open |
| Grand Haven Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 150 | Restricted |
| Grand Haven State Game Area State Recreation Area | Other state land | 100 | Open |
| Kirk Park Local Park | County | 61 | Open |
| Kimball Wildlife Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Owashtanong Islands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 43 | Open |
| Palomita Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 40 | Open |
| Pottawattomie Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
17 places to go in Grand Haven Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Grand Haven Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Grand Haven Township
4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Grand Haven Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Grand Haven Township
10 scenic views without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.5 mi
Nature Trail9.3 mi
Pathway1.0 mi
Boardwalk0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
29 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
28 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
12Tennis
12Pickleball
10Baseball
9Soccer
3Basketball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Grand Haven 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 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 34 | 44 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 47 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 3.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Grand Haven Township →
Next door
Grand Haven Township and its neighbors
Grand Haven Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Spring Lake Township39 miGrand Haven Township37 miPort Sheldon Township18 miRobinson Township17 miGrand Haven16 miSpring Lake2.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Haven Township | 9% | 1.3 | 86 | 74% | A |
| Grand Haven | 11% | 2.7 | 40 | 95% | A+ |
| Spring Lake Township | 9% | 2.4 | 88 | 69% | A |
| Port Sheldon Township | 7% | 0.8 | 183 | 41% | A− |
| Robinson Township | 3% | 0.4 | 214 | 33% | B |
| Spring Lake | 5% | 1.8 | 21 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Grand Haven Township
Where can I hike in Grand Haven Township?
The longest trail networks: Hofma Preserve, 12.3 miles; Hiawatha Forest Open Space, 4.8 miles; Hofma Park, 3.2 miles; Rosy Mound Natural Area, 2.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Grand Haven Township is conserved land?
9% 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 Grand Haven Township’s trails?
Hofma Preserve and Hiawatha Forest Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Grand Haven Township?
29 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes and 28 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Grand Haven Township?
12,836 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Grand Haven Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,627 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Grand Haven Township have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #86 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 Grand Haven 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 →