Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
48,334 acres184.1 mi of trail
Highlander TrailCobb TrailMiddle BridgeShupac Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Douglas House · Photo: North Branch Outing Club · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Lovells Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Lovells Township
The biggest trail networks: Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit (184.1 mi). 23% of Lovells Township’s land is conserved, about 15,015 acres. 13,114 acres are parks and preserves, 19,515 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
23%
15,015 acres · of 100.6 sq mi of land
Trails
220 mi
2.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
13,114 ac
19,515 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
46%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
17
4 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 Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit, with 184.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
12 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
15,015 conserved acres
23% of Lovells Township’s land. Who manages Lovells Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources12,426 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits903 ac
State fish & wildlife778 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land681 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service458 ac
State Conservation Area · 13,204 acConservation Easement · 903 acState Other or Unknown · 681 acConservation Area · 458 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 901 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirtland Warbler Unit Lovells State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 9,849 | Open |
| Kirtland Warbler Unit N Branch State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 2,577 | Open |
| Conners Marsh Flooding State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 778 | Open |
| Camp Grayling Military Reservation State Other or Unknown | Other or Unknown Federal Land | 681 | Open |
| Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area Conservation Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 458 | Restricted |
Things to do
6 places to go in Lovells Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Lovells Township
Jones Lake SFCG Boat LaunchIn Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit
DirectionsKP Lake Boat LaunchIn Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit
DirectionsShupac Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Lovells Township
Jones Lake State Forest CampgroundIn Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit
DirectionsShupac Lake State Forest CampgroundIn Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 17 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.7 mi
North Conners Marsh Trail2.7 mi
Highlander Trail2.1 mi
Cobb Trail2.0 mi
Middle Bridge1.8 mi
Shupac Trail1.8 mi
Porter Trail1.5 mi
Witte Trail1.3 mi
Bucks East & West Truck Trail1.3 mi
Spencer Trail0.9 mi
County Line Trail0.9 mi
15 more trails
Smith Trail
0.8 miLint Trail
0.8 miIndian Trail
0.7 miErmine Trail
0.6 miLong Trail
0.6 miWendland Trail
0.6 miChief's Trail
0.5 miSpud Farm Trail
0.5 miKey Phyve Trail
0.5 miTatum Trail
0.4 miGarber Trail
0.4 miEast County Road 612
0.4 miGorski Trail
0.3 miShore to Shore Trail - North Spur
0.2 miConnors Marsh Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Douglas HouseBuilding · listed 2001
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Lovells Township: May to 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 29 | 40 | 53 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 70 | 56 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 3.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Lovells Township →
Next door
Lovells Township and its neighbors
Lovells Township has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Grayling Township503 miLovells Township220 miSouth Branch Township209 miGreenwood Township122 miCharlton Township120 miChester Township100 miMaple Forest Township78 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lovells Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Grayling Township | 21% | 2.9 | 2,255 | 25% | A |
| Maple Forest Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Greenwood Township | 5% | 1.7 | under 1 | 1% | C+ |
| Charlton Township | 23% | 1.2 | 9,149 | 23% | A |
| South Branch Township | 51% | 2.0 | 1,751 | 28% | A |
| Chester Township | 1% | 1.5 | 1 | 11% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lovells Township
Where can I hike in Lovells Township?
The longest trail networks: Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit, 184.1 miles; Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Lovells Township’s trails?
Au Sable State Forest - Grayling Unit and Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Lovells Township?
109,755 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lovells Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 13,718 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Lovells 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 →