Independence Oaks County Park
Park
1,273 acres10.5 mi of trail
C - Springlake LoopD - Rockridge TrailE - Ted Gray TrailI - Oak Ridge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jordano53 · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Independence Township
14% of Independence Township’s land is conserved: 3,104 acres
2,001 acres are parks and preserves, 54 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Independence Oaks County Park (10.5 mi), Clintonwood Park (2.9 mi), Bay Court Park (0.6 mi). 19 miles of mapped trail cross Independence Township, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns · #212 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
3,104 acres · of 35.0 sq mi of land
Trails
19 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,001 ac
54 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
52%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
38 mi
38 mi paths
Highest peak
1,204 ft
Pine Knob
Lakes & rivers
22
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Independence Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Independence Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Independence Township is ahead of 78% of U.S. towns, #212 of 701 in Michigan. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Independence Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (19 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land54 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,001 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home52% 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 78%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 70%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Independence Oaks County Park, with 10.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 6 parks & preserves
Independence Oaks County Park1,273 acres · 10.5 mi of trail
DirectionsClintonwood Park121 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsBay Court Park43 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSashabaw Plains Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMcCord Park34 acres
Chippy Park1 acres
Who protects it
3,104 conserved acres
14% of Independence Township’s land. Who manages Independence Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners1,412 ac
County1,121 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits295 ac
Town or city275 ac
Other state land77 ac
Local Park · 1,328 acPrivate Park · 1,190 acUnknown Easement · 279 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 221 acConservation Easement · 94 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 295 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Oaks County Park Local Park | County | 1,121 | Open |
| Pine Knob Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 320 | Restricted |
| Oakhurst Golf and Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 312 | Restricted |
| Private Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 224 | Restricted |
| Oakland County Sportsman Club Private Park | Private owners | 181 | Open |
| Campfire Girls Campground Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 167 | Open |
| Clintonwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 120 | Open |
| Liberty Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 110 | Restricted |
| Land Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 69 | Open |
| Pine Knob Ski Area Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 55 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
20 places to go in Independence Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Independence Township
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Independence Township
Renee Przybylski Spray ParkIn Clintonwood Park
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Independence Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Independence Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Independence Township
Pine Knob1,204 ft elevation
DirectionsWaterford Hill1,122 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
9 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 0.7 miUnpaved · 4.5 mi
C - Springlake Loop1.5 mi
D - Rockridge Trail0.8 mi
E - Ted Gray Trail0.7 mi
I - Oak Ridge Trail0.7 mi
Trail Link0.7 mi
G- Habitat Trail0.5 mi
J - Byway Trail0.4 mi
Independence North0.3 mi
C - Springlake Trail0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Coulter LakelakeCranberry LakelakeCrooked LakelakeDark LakelakeDeer LakelakeDollar LakelakeEquestrian LakepondGreens LakelakeGulick LakeKnox LakelakeLester LakelakeLittle Walters LakeMiddle LakelakeMorgan LakeRound LakeSpring LakelakeTownsend LakelakeUpper Bushman LakeVan Norman LakelakeWalters LakelakeWhipple LakelakeClinton River
Biking & sports
38 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
38 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
23Tennis
18Baseball
8Beach volleyball
6Soccer
5Football
4Pickleball
3Basketball
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Sashabaw Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1980
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Independence Township: June, August and 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 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Independence Township →
Next door
Independence Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Orion Township64 miWaterford Township42 miSpringfield Township32 miAuburn Hills25 miIndependence Township19 miBrandon Township5.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Township | 14% | 0.5 | 54 | 52% | A− |
| Waterford Township | 8% | 1.4 | 21 | 85% | A |
| Springfield Township | 18% | 0.9 | 107 | 34% | A− |
| Orion Township | 10% | 1.9 | 39 | 61% | A |
| Brandon Township | 6% | 0.2 | 81 | 37% | B |
| Auburn Hills | 7% | 1.5 | 10 | 71% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Independence Township
Where can I hike in Independence Township?
The longest trail networks: Independence Oaks County Park, 10.5 miles; Clintonwood Park, 2.9 miles; Bay Court Park, 0.6 miles; Sashabaw Plains Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Independence Township is conserved land?
14% 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 Independence Township’s trails?
Independence Oaks County Park and Clintonwood Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Independence Township?
38 miles of bike routes are on the map: 38 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Independence Township?
33,520 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Independence Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,001 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Independence Township have?
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #212 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 Independence 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 →