Raymond Kestner Waterfront Park
Park
6 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Cityofhoughton1 · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Houghton
Houghton has 20 miles of mapped trails, 4.4 for every square mile of land
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 20% of Houghton’s land is conserved, about 560 acres. 552 acres are parks and preserves, 65 per 1,000 residents.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #4 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
20%
560 acres · of 4.5 sq mi of land
Trails
20 mi
4.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
552 ac
65 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
21 mi
2.4 mi lanes · 17 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
4 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Houghton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town4.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, among the top 1% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.Land that stays wild20% of the land is conserved; a typical Michigan town, 5%.History along the way8 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Houghton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Houghton is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #4 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Houghton’s overall grade.
Conserved land20% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails4.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (20 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land65 acres of park per 1,000 residents (552 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)#4 of 701
Water is 5% of Houghton’s area (0 of 5 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 19%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Raymond Kestner Waterfront Park, with 0.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Central Houghton Greenspace Park
Managed by City of Houghton
5 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Prince's Point
Park
2 acres0.1 mi of trail
Old Soo Line Railroad Grade
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 11 parks & preserves
Raymond Kestner Waterfront Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Houghton Greenspace Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Houghton
DirectionsPrince's Point2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Houghton Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
East Houghton Waterfront Park2 acres
DirectionsGarnet Street Park1 acres
DirectionsHoughton Waterfront Park1 acres
DirectionsMason Nature Area1 acres · Keweenaw Land Trust
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsBridgeview Park1 acres
DirectionsWoodhaven Park1 acres · City of Houghton
Who protects it
560 conserved acres
20% of Houghton’s land. Water is left out: Houghton has 4.5 square miles of land and 0.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Houghton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city324 ac
Other state land245 ac
National Park Service3 ac
Local Recreation Area · 281 acLocal Park · 233 acAccess Area · 28 acConservation Easement · 24 acLocal Conservation Area · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan Tech Trails And Nara Nature Park Local Recreation Area | Other state land | 221 | Open |
| City of Houghton Park Local Park | Town or city | 217 | Open |
| Nara Nature Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Nara Wetland Park Access Area | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Ball Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Raymond Kestner Waterfront Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Central Houghton Greenspace Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| East Houghton Waterfront Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Isle Royale National Park National Park | National Park Service | 3 | Open |
| Houghton Waterfront Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Houghton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Houghton
4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Houghton
Chutes and LaddersIn Raymond Kestner Waterfront Park
DirectionsTree House Indoor PlaygroundFee
DirectionsPlus 5 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Houghton
Houghton Downtown Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Houghton
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Houghton
10 scenic views without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Houghton
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Houghton
Pewabic Street Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.0 miUnpaved · 13.2 mi
Peepsock Trail1.3 mi
Isle Royale Loop1.0 mi
Troll Loop0.9 mi
Elf Loop0.9 mi
Littmann Gateway Loop0.7 mi
Ring Loop0.7 mi
Oak Loop0.7 mi
Birch Loop0.7 mi
Skidder Loop0.6 mi
Gnome Loop0.5 mi
15 more trails
Old Soo Line Railroad Grade
0.5 miHairpin Loop
0.5 miSuperior Loop
0.5 miPine Loop
0.5 miRiver Loop
0.5 miHobbit Loop
0.4 miNara Nature Park North Boardwalk
0.4 miEnt Loop
0.4 miNara Nature Park South Boardwalk
0.4 miHusky Trail
0.3 miBill Nicholls Trail
0.2 miBalsalm Finger
0.2 miMaple Loop
0.2 miLookout Loop (Sledding Hill Access)
0.2 miConnector
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
21 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
17 mi
off-road bike paths
1.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
MTU Summer TrailsBike route
4.1 miCourts & fields
6Baseball
5Basketball
4Tennis
3Football
3Soccer
2Beach volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 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.
Houghton County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itCollege Club House and GymnasiumBuilding · listed 1980
About itRansom B. Shelden HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itShelden-Dee BlockBuilding · listed 1982
About itDouglass HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itSaint Ignatius Loyola ChurchBuilding · listed 1987
About itShelden Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1987
About itJohn J. Michels HouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Houghton: May and August
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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 27 | 37 | 49 | 63 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 68 | 54 | 40 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 1.7 |
February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 3.4 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Houghton →
Next door
Houghton and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Stanton Township215 miPortage Township168 miAdams Township117 miHoughton20 miFranklin Township19 miDollar Bay4.1 miHurontown0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houghton | 20% | 4.4 | 65 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Portage Township | 18% | 1.5 | 3,534 | 51% | A |
| Stanton Township | 1% | 1.8 | 338 | 6% | B |
| Adams Township | 2% | 2.5 | 238 | 68% | A− |
| Hurontown | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Franklin Township | 5% | 1.0 | 386 | 51% | A− |
| Dollar Bay | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Houghton
Where can I hike in Houghton?
The longest trail networks: Raymond Kestner Waterfront Park, 0.1 miles; Central Houghton Greenspace Park, 0.1 miles; Prince's Point, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Houghton is conserved land?
20% 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 Houghton’s trails?
Raymond Kestner Waterfront Park and Central Houghton Greenspace Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Houghton?
21 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.4 of painted or protected lanes, 17 of off-road paths and 1.4 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: MTU Summer Trails.
Is there public land near Houghton?
12,541 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Houghton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 552 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Houghton have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #4 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 Houghton 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 →