Dousman's Mill State Historic Site
Nature preserve
587 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Dousman's Mill Parking Area
Mackinac Point Lighthouse · Photo: James Marvin Phelps · CC BY 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Mackinaw Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Mackinaw Township
The biggest trail networks: Dousman's Mill State Historic Site (3 mi), Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit (0.7 mi), Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park (0.6 mi). 9% of Mackinaw Township’s land is conserved, about 672 acres. 680 acres are parks and preserves, 1,699 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
9%
672 acres · of 11.4 sq mi of land
Trails
8.1 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
680 ac
1,699 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
63%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.1 mi
7.8 mi paths
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 Dousman's Mill State Historic Site, with 3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
2,474 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park
Park
14 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve
Nature preserve
624 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
Dousman's Mill State Historic Site587 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsMackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit2,474 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park14 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsStraits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve624 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsConkling Heritage Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsVillage Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMackinaw City Trailhead (NCST)2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
672 conserved acres
9% of Mackinaw Township’s land. Water is left out: Mackinaw Township has 11.4 square miles of land and 1.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Mackinaw Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land569 ac
State natural resources94 ac
Town or city6 ac
State fish & wildlife4 ac
State Historic or Cultural Area · 663 acLocal Park · 6 acState Conservation Area · 4 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Mill Historic Park State Historic or Cultural Area | Other state land | 569 | Open |
| Fort Michilimackinac State Park State Historic or Cultural Area | State natural resources | 94 | Open |
| Dingman Marsh Flooding State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 4 | Open |
| City Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Alexander Henry Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Wawatam Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
13 places to go in Mackinaw Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Mackinaw Township
4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Mackinaw Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Mackinaw Township
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Mackinaw Township
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Mackinaw Township
Mackinaw City Camping
DirectionsMackinaw Mill Creek Camping
DirectionsBiking & sports
9.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.8 mi
off-road bike paths
1.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
2Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Mackinaw 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 28 | 37 | 48 | 61 | 71 | 76 | 75 | 68 | 55 | 42 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 4.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Mackinaw Township →
Next door
Mackinaw Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Wawatam Township33 miHebron Township13 miMackinaw City8.2 miMackinaw Township8.1 miBeaugrand Township4.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackinaw Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mackinaw City | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hebron Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wawatam Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Beaugrand Township | 4% | 0.2 | 487 | 4% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Mackinaw Township
Where can I hike in Mackinaw Township?
The longest trail networks: Dousman's Mill State Historic Site, 3 miles; Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, 0.7 miles; Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park, 0.6 miles; Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Mackinaw Township’s trails?
Dousman's Mill State Historic Site and Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Mackinaw Township?
9.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.8 of off-road paths and 1.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Mackinaw Township?
30,136 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Mackinaw Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 680 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Mackinaw 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 →