Slate River Forest
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
3,467 acres15.7 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in L'Anse Township
L'Anse Township has 7,156 acres of parks, 1,986 for every 1,000 residents
531 miles of mapped trail cross L'Anse Township, 2.1 per square mile of land. 11% of L'Anse Township’s land is conserved, about 17,365 acres. The biggest trail networks: Slate River Forest (15.7 mi), Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit (3.1 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #49 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
17,365 acres · of 247.4 sq mi of land
Trails
531 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
7,156 ac
1,986 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
58%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,972 ft
Mount Arvon
Lakes & rivers
39
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is L'Anse Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Room to roam1,986 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 94% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild11% of the land is conserved; a typical Michigan town, 5%.History along the way3 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does L'Anse Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, L'Anse Township is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #49 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of L'Anse Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (531 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land1,986 acres of park per 1,000 residents (7,156 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home58% 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 93%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 93%
Water is 8% of L'Anse Township’s area (22 of 269 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 10%.
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 Slate River Forest, with 15.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
6,616 acres3.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District
Managed by United States Forest Service
5,050 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
McCormick Wilderness
Managed by United States Forest Service
5,050 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 7 parks & preserves
Slate River Forest3,467 acres · 15.7 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit6,616 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsSecond Sand Beach Park51 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Canyon Falls State Roadside Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Transportation
DirectionsOttawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District5,050 acres · United States Forest Service
McCormick Wilderness5,050 acres · United States Forest Service
L'Anse Township Park91 acres · L'Anse Township
Who protects it
17,365 conserved acres
11% of L'Anse Township’s land. Water is left out: L'Anse Township has 247.4 square miles of land and 21.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages L'Anse Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources6,615 ac
U.S. Forest Service4,944 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits4,185 ac
Other state land1,472 ac
Town or city318 ac
Private owners84 ac
State Conservation Area · 6,615 acPrivate Conservation · 5,646 acNational Forest · 4,944 acLocal Resource Management Area · 207 acLocal Park · 111 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baraga State Forest Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 6,615 | Open |
| Ottawa National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 4,944 | Open |
| Wilderness Lakes Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 2,741 | Restricted |
| State Forest Private Conservation | Other state land | 1,460 | Open |
| Slate River Forest Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1,445 | Restricted |
| Local Forest Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 207 | Open |
| L'Anse Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 84 | Restricted |
| L'Anse Township Park Local Park | Town or city | 57 | Open |
| Second Sand Beach Park Local Park | Town or city | 54 | Open |
Things to do
23 places to go in L'Anse Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in L'Anse Township
First Sand Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in L'Anse Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in L'Anse Township
L'Anse Village Dock Boat Launch
DirectionsLower Silver River TakeoutIn Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit
DirectionsSilver River Falls Boat LaunchIn Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit
DirectionsWaterfalls in L'Anse Township
Canyon Falls
DirectionsMiddle Falls River Falls
DirectionsPower House Falls
DirectionsSilver River FallsIn Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit
DirectionsTioga Falls
DirectionsPlus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in L'Anse Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in L'Anse Township
Mount Arvon1,972 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Curwood1,969 ft elevation
DirectionsPikes Peak1,135 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Mountain1,102 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in L'Anse Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in L'Anse Township
L'Anse Township Park CampgroundFee · In L'Anse Township Park · L'Anse Township
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 39 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.2 miHorses · 5.3 miUnpaved · 51.0 mi
North Country Trail12.8 mi
Old US-415.7 mi
Huron Bay-Peshekee Grade5.3 mi
Mount Arvon Summit Trail1.1 mi
Keranen0.3 mi
Second Sand Beach Access0.2 mi
Spur to Manger-Lynch Shelter0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Camp Ten LakelakeCedar LakelakeCharles LakelakeClear LakeCorner LakeDirkman LakeDommer LakelakeEvergreen LakeFord LakeHigh LakelakeIsland LakeJackson LakesKontio LakelakeKortio LakelakeLake AlicelakeLake DortaylakeLake GordonlakeLake PhillipslakeLittle Spruce LakeLittle Summit LakelakeLost LakeNorr LakelakePinery LakeslakeRound LakelakeSummit LakelakeThird LakeTrout LakeEast Branch Huron RiverEast Branch Silver RiverFalls RiverLittle Carp RiverLittle East Branch Huron RiverLittle West Branch Huron RiverPeshekee RiverRavine RiverSilver RiverSlate RiverSturgeon RiverWest Branch Huron River
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
6Baseball
4Basketball
3Football
2Beach volleyball
1Volleyball
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in L'Anse Township: 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 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 21 | 25 | 36 | 48 | 63 | 73 | 77 | 75 | 67 | 53 | 38 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.0 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in L'Anse Township →
Next door
L'Anse Township and its neighbors
L'Anse Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
L'Anse Township531 miArvon Township276 miBaraga Township255 miMichigamme Township205 miCovington Township142 miSpurr Township129 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L'Anse Township | 11% | 2.1 | 1,986 | 58% | A |
| Baraga Township | 27% | 1.4 | 2,748 | 50% | A |
| Arvon Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Michigamme Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Spurr Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Covington Township | — 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 L'Anse Township
Where can I hike in L'Anse Township?
The longest trail networks: Slate River Forest, 15.7 miles; Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit, 3.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of L'Anse Township is conserved land?
11% 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 L'Anse Township’s trails?
Slate River Forest and Copper Country State Forest- Baraga Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near L'Anse Township?
97,067 acres of parks and open public land lie inside L'Anse Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,157 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does L'Anse Township have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #49 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 L'Anse 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 →