Manchester Woods
Nature preserve
140 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Tim Kiser (TimK MSI) · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Grosse Ile Township
Grosse Ile Township has 12 miles of mapped trails, 1.3 for every square mile of land
12% of Grosse Ile Township’s land is conserved, about 672 acres. The biggest trail networks: Manchester Woods (1.3 mi), Centennial Farm Open Space (1.2 mi), Island Ave Woods (0.7 mi). 237 acres are parks and preserves, 23 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns · #118 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
672 acres · of 9.0 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
237 ac
23 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
79%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.5 mi
7.5 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Grosse Ile Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Grosse Ile Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Grosse Ile Township is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns, #118 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Grosse Ile Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (12 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land23 acres of park per 1,000 residents (237 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home79% 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 87%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 83%
Water is more than half of Grosse Ile Township’s area (9 of 18 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
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 Manchester Woods, with 1.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Centennial Farm Open Space
Nature preserve
74 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Island Ave Woods
Nature preserve
69 acres0.7 mi of trail
Ferry Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Gibraltar Bay Nature Area
Nature preserve
30 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Recreation Area
Park
69 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Wright Woods
Nature preserve
37 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
The Wildlife Sanctuary
Nature preserve
12 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 25 parks & preserves
Manchester Woods140 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Centennial Farm Open Space74 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsIsland Ave Woods69 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Gibraltar Bay Nature Area30 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsRecreation Area69 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Wright Woods37 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
The Wildlife Sanctuary12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Parkway Woods36 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsManor Woods11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pointe Mouillee State Game Area1,232 acres
Hennepin Marsh Preserve71 acres
Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge63 acres
Horsemill Open Space33 acres
East of the Wildlife Sanctuary31 acres
Wendell Court12 acres
Marion Park11 acres
Parke Lane Open Space10 acres
Stout Woods Open Space8 acres
Grays Drive Open Space4 acres
Finazzo Preserve3 acres
Bike Path Park2 acres
Hennepin Marsh Gateway1 acres
Bertha Park1 acres
Lowrie Greenway Park1 acres
Community Playscape1 acres
Who protects it
672 conserved acres
12% of Grosse Ile Township’s land. Water is left out: Grosse Ile Township has 9.0 square miles of land and 9.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Grosse Ile Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service440 ac
Private owners332 ac
Town or city116 ac
Other state land1 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 440 acPrivate Park · 328 acLocal Other or Unknown · 81 acLocal Park · 33 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 440 | Restricted |
| Water's Edge Golf Course Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 217 | Open |
| Westshore Golf & Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 114 | Restricted |
| Centennial Farm and Woods Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 81 | Open |
| Airport Recreation Area Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Wyandotte Shores Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2 | Restricted |
| Marion Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
Things to do
14 places to go in Grosse Ile Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Grosse Ile Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Grosse Ile Township
9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Grosse Ile Township
Grosse Ile Dog ParkIn Centennial Farm Open Space
DirectionsBoat launches in Grosse Ile Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Grosse Ile Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.7 mi
Ferry Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
13Tennis
4Baseball
4Pickleball
1Hockey rinks
1Beach volleyball
1Basketball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
St. James Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1971
About itEast River Road Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1974
About itEast River Road-North Hickory Canal BridgeStructure · listed 2000
About itParke Lane Road-Thorofare Canal BridgeStructure · listed 2000
About itFerry Stree-Thorofare Canal BridgeStructure · listed 2000
About itSouth Pointe Drive-Frenchman's Creek BridgeStructure · listed 2000
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Grosse Ile Township: June 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 45 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Grosse Ile Township →
Next door
Grosse Ile Township and its neighbors
Grosse Ile Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Brownstown Township18 miGrosse Ile Township12 miGibraltar8.2 miTrenton6.3 miRiverview1.6 miWyandotte0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grosse Ile Township | 12% | 1.3 | 23 | 79% | A |
| Trenton | 9% | 0.9 | 23 | 99%+ | A |
| Wyandotte | 17% | under 0.1 | 6 | 99%+ | B |
| Brownstown Township | 12% | 0.8 | 52 | 83% | A |
| Gibraltar | 31% | 2.2 | 12 | 99% | A |
| Riverview | 17% | 0.3 | 12 | 99%+ | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Grosse Ile Township
Where can I hike in Grosse Ile Township?
The longest trail networks: Manchester Woods, 1.3 miles; Centennial Farm Open Space, 1.2 miles; Island Ave Woods, 0.7 miles; Gibraltar Bay Nature Area, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Grosse Ile Township is conserved land?
12% 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 Grosse Ile Township’s trails?
Manchester Woods and Centennial Farm Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Grosse Ile Township?
7.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Grosse Ile Township?
13,262 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Grosse Ile Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 237 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Grosse Ile Township have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #118 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 Grosse Ile 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 →