MacCready Nature Reserve
Nature preserve
397 acres5.8 mi of trail
BlueYellowRedRed Connector+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto McCready Nature Reserve Trailhead
BOutdoors
Outdoors in Liberty Township
Liberty Township has 1,009 acres of parks, 329 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: MacCready Nature Reserve (5.8 mi), Grand River Fen Preserve (2.4 mi). 29% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Liberty Township’s land is conserved, about 923 acres.
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns · #371 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
923 acres · of 34.3 sq mi of land
Trails
9.5 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,009 ac
329 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
29%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,142 ft
Hatt Hill
Lakes & rivers
10
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Liberty Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Liberty Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Liberty Township is ahead of 60% of U.S. towns, #371 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Liberty Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (10 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land329 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,009 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home29% 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 60%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 47%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. 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 MacCready Nature Reserve, with 5.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Grand River Fen Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
403 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Burns Property
Managed by Jackson County
89 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Crispell Lake Public Access
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
17 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
MacCready Nature Reserve397 acres · 5.8 mi of trail
DirectionsGrand River Fen Preserve403 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsBurns Property89 acres · Jackson County
Crispell Lake Public Access17 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Austin Blair Roadside Park4 acres
DirectionsPine Hills Lake Public Access2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsRound Lake County Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
923 conserved acres
4% of Liberty Township’s land. Who manages Liberty Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits498 ac
Other state land257 ac
Town or city86 ac
Private owners81 ac
County2 ac
Private Conservation · 498 acConservation Easement · 257 acLocal Recreation Area · 86 acPrivate Park · 81 acLocal Park · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 257 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand River Fen Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 498 | Open |
| 4-H Camp McGregor Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 86 | Open |
| Deer Run Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 81 | Restricted |
| Round Lake Park Local Park | County | 2 | Open |
Things to do
7 places to go in Liberty Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Liberty Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Liberty Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Liberty Township
Crispell Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Peaks in Liberty Township
Hatt Hill1,142 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Liberty Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Blue1.5 mi
Yellow1.2 mi
Red1.0 mi
Red Connector0.6 mi
Blue Access0.2 mi
Red Access0.1 mi
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
2Equestrian
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Liberty Township: July 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 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 45 | 58 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 61 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.0 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Liberty Township →
Next door
Liberty Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Somerset Township9.8 miSummit Township9.6 miLiberty Township9.5 miHanover Township3.9 miColumbia Township2.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty Township | 4% | 0.3 | 329 | 29% | B |
| Hanover Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 4 | 14% | D |
| Somerset Township | 5% | 0.3 | 206 | 38% | B |
| Summit Township | 6% | 0.3 | 16 | 42% | B− |
| Columbia Township | 2% | 0.1 | 39 | 33% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Liberty Township
Where can I hike in Liberty Township?
The longest trail networks: MacCready Nature Reserve, 5.8 miles; Grand River Fen Preserve, 2.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Liberty Township is conserved land?
4% 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 Liberty Township’s trails?
MacCready Nature Reserve and Grand River Fen Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Liberty Township?
7,054 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Liberty Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,009 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Liberty Township have?
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #371 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 Liberty 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 →