Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Managed by National Park Service
9,979 acres19.9 mi of trail
Railroad Grade TrailAral LodgePlatte Plains TrailBass Lake Loop+1
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Myron Reynard · CC BY-SA 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Lake Township
More than half of Lake Township’s land is conserved: 67%
67% of Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 10,014 acres. The biggest trail networks: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (19.9 mi), Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness (14.7 mi), Embayment Lakes Nature Preserve (1.7 mi). 4,368 acres are parks and preserves, 5,501 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
67%
10,014 acres · of 23.4 sq mi of land
Trails
42 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,368 ac
5,501 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
50%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
13
8 beaches · 11 boat launches
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 Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, with 19.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness
Managed by National Park Service
5,618 acres14.7 mi of trail
Otter Creek TrailBass Lake LoopOld Indian TrailBlack Arrow Trail+1
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailhead
Embayment Lakes Nature Preserve
Managed by Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
165 acres1.7 mi of trail
Anishinaabe Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mt. Minnie Nature Preserve
Managed by Grand Traveres Regional Land Conservancy
70 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Birch Point Nature Preserve
Managed by Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
109 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 10 parks & preserves
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore9,979 acres · 19.9 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsSleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness5,618 acres · 14.7 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsEmbayment Lakes Nature Preserve165 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsMt. Minnie Nature Preserve70 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Grand Traveres Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsBirch Point Nature Preserve109 acres · 1 mi of trail · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsZetterberg Preserve153 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · The Nature Convervancy
DirectionsLittle Platte Lake Boating Access Site70 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsManitou Passage Underwater Preserve4 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Lake Township Park2 acres
DirectionsPlatte Lake Public Access1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWho protects it
10,014 conserved acres
67% of Lake Township’s land. Water is left out: Lake Township has 23.4 square miles of land and 11.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service9,657 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits212 ac
Private owners144 ac
Other state land1 ac
National Lakeshore or Seashore · 9,614 acPrivate Conservation · 161 acPrivate Park · 144 acUnknown Easement · 51 acConservation Easement · 44 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 95 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore National Lakeshore or Seashore | National Park Service | 9,614 | Open |
| Zetterberg Preserve @ Point Betsie Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 161 | Closed |
| Crystal Downs Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 144 | Restricted |
Things to do
35 places to go in Lake Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Lake Township
Chimney Corners Resort Beach
DirectionsPlus 7 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Lake Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Lake Township
Little Platte Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsPlatte Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 9 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Lake Township
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Lake Township
9 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Lake Township
Platte River CampgroundIn Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
DirectionsSleeping Bear National Lake Shore - White Pine CampgroundIn Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness
DirectionsTrails & water
14 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 37.4 mi
Otter Creek Trail2.0 mi
Bass Lake Loop1.9 mi
Anishinaabe Trail1.5 mi
Old Indian Trail1.2 mi
Aral Lodge1.0 mi
Black Arrow Trail1.0 mi
Green Arrow trail0.9 mi
Beach Connector0.9 mi
Railroad Grade Trail0.9 mi
Penny's Trail0.8 mi
4 more trails
Platte Plains Trail
0.4 miSki Access Trail
0.3 miLake Michigan Spur
0.3 miWhitepine Camp trail
0.1 miBiking & 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
11Tennis
4Pickleball
1Basketball
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). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Point Betsie Light StationBuilding · listed 1984
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Lake Township: May to 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 30 | 39 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 77 | 76 | 69 | 56 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Lake Township →
Next door
Lake Township and its neighbors
Lake Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Platte Township69 miLake Township42 miBenzonia Township9.2 miCrystal Lake Township3.9 miCrystal Downs Country Club0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Crystal Downs Country Club | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Benzonia Township | 7% | 0.3 | 249 | 65% | A− |
| Platte Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Crystal Lake Township | 6% | 0.3 | 511 | 52% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lake Township
Where can I hike in Lake Township?
The longest trail networks: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 19.9 miles; Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, 14.7 miles; Embayment Lakes Nature Preserve, 1.7 miles; Mt. Minnie Nature Preserve, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Lake Township’s trails?
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Lake Township?
19,218 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lake Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,368 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Lake 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 →