Brighton State Recreation Area
Park
4,076 acres58.1 mi of trail
Torn Shirt TrailMurray Lake TrailChambers TrailLost Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
AOutdoors
Outdoors in Hamburg Township
Hamburg Township has 90 miles of mapped trails, 2.8 for every square mile of land
29% of Hamburg Township’s land is conserved, about 6,026 acres. 4,702 acres are parks and preserves, 222 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Brighton State Recreation Area (58.1 mi), Manly Bennett Memorial Park (1.9 mi), Chilson Pond Day Use Area (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #31 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
29%
6,026 acres · of 32.2 sq mi of land
Trails
90 mi
2.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,702 ac
222 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.9 mi
7.9 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
26
3 beaches · 13 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hamburg Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hamburg Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hamburg Township is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #31 of 701 in Michigan. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hamburg Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land29% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (90 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land222 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,702 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home54% 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 95%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 96%
Water is 10% of Hamburg Township’s area (4 of 36 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 26%.
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 Brighton State Recreation Area, with 58.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Manly Bennett Memorial Park
Park
272 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Chilson Pond Day Use Area
Park
35 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Huron Meadows Metropark
Park
5 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Brighton State Recreation Area4,076 acres · 58.1 mi of trail
DirectionsManly Bennett Memorial Park272 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsChilson Pond Day Use Area35 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHuron Meadows Metropark5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Livingston County Wildlife5 acres
DirectionsCocktail Cove1 acres
Who protects it
6,026 conserved acres
29% of Hamburg Township’s land. Water is left out: Hamburg Township has 32.2 square miles of land and 3.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Hamburg Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources4,112 ac
Private owners1,093 ac
Town or city545 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits192 ac
Other state land89 ac
State Recreation Area · 4,077 acPrivate Park · 1,093 acLocal Recreation Area · 424 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 162 acLocal Other or Unknown · 110 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 90 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 | 4,077 | Open |
| Rush Lake Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 473 | Restricted |
| Whispering Pines Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 282 | Restricted |
| Manly W. Bennett Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 253 | Open |
| White Lodge Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 205 | Restricted |
| Pine Hills Camp Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 171 | Open |
| Camp Talahi Retreat and Nature Center Private Recreation or Education | Land trusts & nonprofits | 162 | Restricted |
| Lakeland Golf and Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 133 | Restricted |
| City of Brighton Land Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 110 | Open |
| MNRTF Parcel 28 State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 35 | Restricted |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
29 places to go in Hamburg Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hamburg Township
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Hamburg Township
Swimming Area
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Hamburg Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Hamburg Township
Boating AccessIn Brighton State Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 12 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Hamburg Township
Rock Bath OverlookIn Brighton State Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Hamburg Township
Hippo Hill
DirectionsCampgrounds in Hamburg Township
Appleton Lake Rustic CampgroundIn Brighton State Recreation Area
DirectionsMurray Lake Rustic CampgroundIn Brighton State Recreation Area
DirectionsThree Fires Group CampIn Brighton State Recreation Area
DirectionsDisc golf in Hamburg Township
Chilson Woods Disc Golf CourseIn Brighton State Recreation Area
DirectionsThe Gulch Disc Golf CourseFee · In Manly Bennett Memorial Park
DirectionsTrails & water
22 named trails and 26 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 31.9 miHorses · 13.7 miUnpaved · 2.6 mi
Torn Shirt Trail6.4 mi
Murray Lake Trail6.0 mi
Chambers Trail2.2 mi
Lost Loop2.1 mi
Appleton Lake Loop2.0 mi
Outlaw Trail1.9 mi
Camp Trail1.7 mi
Appleton North1.6 mi
Stable Trail1.2 mi
Bishop Lake Hiking Trail0.9 mi
12 more trails
Richardson Trail
0.6 miAnderson Lake Loop Trail
0.6 miRacoon Swamp
0.5 miAppleton Extension
0.5 miRalph's Ride
0.4 miCampers Meadow Trail
0.4 miFound Loop
0.4 miTorn Shirt & Murray Lake Trails
0.2 miBrady Trail
0.1 miAdventure Course Trail
0.1 miHard
0.1 miGrand Trunk Western
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Appleton LakelakeBass LakelakeBishop LakeBuck LakeCaroga LakelakeChenango LakelakeCordley LakelakeGallagher LakelakeGut LakeHamburg LakelakeLake MohicanLittle Appleton LakeLoon LakelakeMurray LakeOneida LakeOre LakeReed LakeRush LakelakeStrawberry LakelakeTamarack LakeTioga LakelakeWhitewood LakeslakeWinans LakeWolf LakeZukey LakelakeHuron River
Biking & sports
7.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.9 mi
off-road bike paths
Murray LakeBike route
6.9 miTorn ShirtBike route
6.6 miLost LoopBike route
2.1 miAppleton Lake LoopBike route
2 miAppleton NorthBike route
1.6 miAppleton ExtensionBike route
0.5 miOther TrailsBike route
0.4 miFound LoopBike route
0.4 miCourts & fields
16Soccer
8Baseball
8Tennis
5Volleyball
4Basketball
3Beach volleyball
2Football
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hamburg 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) | 31 | 34 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 61 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Hamburg Township →
Next door
Hamburg Township and its neighbors
Hamburg Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Green Oak Township105 miHamburg Township90 miPutnam Township36 miGenoa Township23 miWebster Township7.6 miBrighton1.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburg Township | 29% | 2.8 | 222 | 54% | A |
| Green Oak Township | 29% | 3.1 | 293 | 53% | A |
| Genoa Township | 10% | 0.7 | 59 | 42% | A− |
| Putnam Township | 29% | 1.1 | 619 | 58% | A |
| Webster Township | 17% | 0.2 | 198 | 25% | B+ |
| Brighton | 1% | 0.3 | 3 | 62% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hamburg Township
Where can I hike in Hamburg Township?
The longest trail networks: Brighton State Recreation Area, 58.1 miles; Manly Bennett Memorial Park, 1.9 miles; Chilson Pond Day Use Area, 0.6 miles; Huron Meadows Metropark, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hamburg Township is conserved land?
29% 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 Hamburg Township’s trails?
Brighton State Recreation Area and Manly Bennett Memorial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hamburg Township?
7.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.9 of off-road paths. Named routes: Murray Lake, Torn Shirt and Lost Loop.
Is there public land near Hamburg Township?
43,708 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hamburg Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,702 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hamburg Township have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 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 Hamburg 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 →