Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Hancock Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Hancock, Michigan 2018Photo: Chris857 · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Outdoors in Hancock Township

Few parks or trails are on the map in Hancock Township

The biggest trail networks: Churning Rapids Conservation Easement (7.1 mi), McLain State Park (1.1 mi), Lily Creek Nature Area (0.7 mi). 4% of Hancock Township’s land is conserved, about 432 acres. 714 acres are parks and preserves, 1,042 per 1,000 residents.

Conserved land
4%
432 acres · of 15.7 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
2.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
714 ac
1,042 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
45%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
3
2 beaches · 3 boat launches
The map

Conserved land, trails & bike routes

Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.

1234
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 Churning Rapids Conservation Easement, with 7.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

Churning Rapids Conservation Easement

Managed by Keweenaw Land Trust
283 acres7.1 mi of trail
Great OaksJimmy DeanThoroughfareLower Pow Pow+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗

McLain State Park

Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
425 acres1.1 mi of trail
Bear Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗

Lily Creek Nature Area

Managed by Keweenaw Land Trust
39 acres0.7 mi of trail
Lily Creek Nature Area Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗

Keweenaw Underwater Preserve

Nature preserve
42 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it

432 conserved acres

4% of Hancock Township’s land. Water is left out: Hancock Township has 15.7 square miles of land and 1.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Hancock Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

State parks432 ac
State Park · 432 ac
The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
McLain State Park
State Park
State parks432Open
Things to do

7 places to go in Hancock Township

Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.

Boat launches in Hancock Township
Swedetown Creek Boat Launch
Directions

Plus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.

Trails & water

25 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers

Named trails
Open to bikes · 23.7 miUnpaved · 24.8 mi
Twisted Tree2.3 mi
Skyway1.6 mi
Jimmy Dean1.4 mi
Great Oaks1.2 mi
Bear Lake Trail1.1 mi
High Point1.1 mi
Bliss1.0 mi
Sunset1.0 mi
Brooks Gorge0.9 mi
Thoroughfare0.9 mi
15 more trails
Villi Maki
0.8 mi
Lower Pow Pow
0.8 mi
Field of Dreams
0.8 mi
Finni Creek
0.7 mi
High Point Pass (Summer Route)
0.7 mi
High Point Pass
0.7 mi
Lily Creek Nature Area Trail
0.7 mi
Maki Loop
0.7 mi
Upper Pow Pow
0.6 mi
Basswood Ridge
0.5 mi
Lake Annie
0.5 mi
High Point Pass (Winter Snow Bike Route)
0.5 mi
South Basswood
0.4 mi
Basswood Bottoms
0.4 mi
Basswood Highlands
0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bear LakeLake AnnielakeMud Lakelake
When to get out

May is the best month for walking in Hancock Township

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)8.910.211.813.515.115.915.614.212.510.89.28.5
High (°F)242737486171767568544029
Rain (in)2.01.21.42.22.93.13.23.03.43.32.21.7

February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 3.4 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Hancock Township →

Next door

Hancock Township and its neighbors

Tap a town to see its outdoors.

Stanton Township215 miPortage Township168 miAdams Township117 miCalumet Township70 miHancock Township31 miFranklin Township19 miQuincy Township16 miHancock12 mi
TownConserved
of land		Trail mi
per sq mi		Park acres
per 1,000		Near a park
½ mile		Outdoors
Hancock Township— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Hancock10%4.14099%+A+
Stanton Township1%1.83386%B
Quincy Township— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Calumet Township3%2.110690%A
Franklin Township5%1.038651%A−
Adams Township2%2.523868%A−
Portage Township18%1.53,53451%A

The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.

Questions about parks and trails in Hancock Township

Where can I hike in Hancock Township?

The longest trail networks: Churning Rapids Conservation Easement, 7.1 miles; McLain State Park, 1.1 miles; Lily Creek Nature Area, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

Are dogs allowed on Hancock Township’s trails?

Churning Rapids Conservation Easement and McLain State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.

Is there public land near Hancock Township?

10,010 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hancock Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 714 of them inside the town line.

Trail talk

Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Hancock Township neighbors.

Town Square →
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 →