More than half of McMillan Township’s land is conserved: 72%
72% of McMillan Township’s land is conserved, about 270,614 acres. 229,438 acres are parks and preserves, 98,176 per 1,000 residents. 836 miles of mapped trail cross McMillan Township, 1.4 per square mile of land.
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, McMillan Township is among the top 1% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of McMillan Township’s overall grade.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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.
Little Lake Public Access4 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Who protects it
270,614 conserved acres
72% of McMillan Township’s land. Who manages McMillan Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources188,025 ac
Other state land36,233 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits29,450 ac
State parks14,374 ac
State fish & wildlife7,493 ac
Town or city9 ac
State Conservation Area · 194,635 acForest Stewardship Easement · 36,222 acPrivate Conservation · 29,334 acState Park · 15,293 acConservation Easement · 91 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 36,031 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
Newberry State Forest Area
State Conservation Area
State natural resources
185,961
Open
Two Hearted River Forest Reserve
Private Conservation
Land trusts & nonprofits
23,294
Open
Tahquamenon Falls State Park
State Park
State parks
15,062
Open
Blind Sucker River Flooding State Wildlife Management Area
State Conservation Area
State fish & wildlife
5,044
Open
Mcmahon Lake
Private Conservation
Land trusts & nonprofits
4,002
Open
Dollarville Flooding State Wildlife Management Area
State Conservation Area
State fish & wildlife
2,450
Open
Natural Area McMahon Lake Strangmoor
State Conservation Area
State natural resources
1,097
Open
Little Two Hearted Lakes
Private Conservation
Land trusts & nonprofits
812
Restricted
Swamp Lakes
Private Conservation
Land trusts & nonprofits
574
Restricted
Gillette Sleeper Lake Sanctuary
Private Conservation
Land trusts & nonprofits
236
Open
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
40 places to go in McMillan Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in McMillan Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in McMillan Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in McMillan Township
Blind Sucker #1 Sfcg Boat LaunchIn Lake Superior State Forest - Newberry Unit
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
5Baseball
3Basketball
2Tennis
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
1 place 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.
The best walking months in McMillan Township: May, June 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)
9.0
10.2
11.8
13.5
15.0
15.8
15.5
14.2
12.5
10.8
9.3
8.6
High (°F)
23
26
35
48
62
72
76
75
67
53
39
29
Rain (in)
2.5
1.8
1.9
2.3
2.6
2.9
3.4
2.8
3.8
4.2
2.9
2.6
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 4.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in McMillan Township →
Next door
McMillan Township and its neighbors
McMillan Township has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in McMillan Township
Where can I hike in McMillan Township?
The longest trail networks: Lake Superior State Forest - Newberry Unit, 487.1 miles; Two-Hearted River Forest Reserve, 39.6 miles; Tahquemenon Falls State Park, 18.6 miles; Muskallonge Lake State Park, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of McMillan Township is conserved land?
72% 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 McMillan Township’s trails?
Lake Superior State Forest - Newberry Unit and Two-Hearted River Forest Reserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in McMillan Township?
1.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near McMillan Township?
486,348 acres of parks and open public land lie inside McMillan Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 229,438 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does McMillan Township have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 McMillan Township neighbors.
Luce County Sheriff's House and Jail · Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0