Manistee National Forest - Baldwin Ranger District
Managed by United States Forest Service
15 acres0.1 mi of trail
North Country National Scenic Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Merrill Township
More than half of Merrill Township’s land is conserved: 61%
61% of Merrill Township’s land is conserved, about 13,562 acres. 2 acres are parks and preserves, 3.6 per 1,000 residents. 81 miles of mapped trail cross Merrill Township, 2.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
61%
13,562 acres · of 34.8 sq mi of land
Trails
81 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
2 ac
3.6 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
16%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
988 ft
Skidder Hill
Lakes & rivers
19
2 beaches · 3 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 Manistee National Forest - Baldwin Ranger District, with 0.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
13,562 conserved acres
61% of Merrill Township’s land. Who manages Merrill Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service13,562 ac
National Forest · 13,562 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manistee National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 13,562 | Open |
Things to do
10 places to go in Merrill Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Merrill Township
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Merrill Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Peaks in Merrill Township
Skidder Hill988 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Merrill Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Merrill Township
Benton Lake CampgroundHours: May 03-Sep 09: 00:00-24:00 · American Land and Leisure
DirectionsIndian Lake CampgroundHours: Open 24 hours · Fee · United States Forest Service
DirectionsShelley Lake CampgroundHours: Open 24 hours · Fee · United States Forest Service
DirectionsTrails & water
20 named trails and 19 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.5 miUnpaved · 21.1 mi
North Country National Scenic Trail10.7 mi
MCCCT Trail8.0 mi
Mccct 7 Mile Atv Loop5.0 mi
White Cloud ORV Loop2.9 mi
NFS 96921.7 mi
NFS 96971.6 mi
NFS 53681.5 mi
SMT LP31.1 mi
NFS 55251.0 mi
NFS 97100.9 mi
10 more trails
Birchgrove Trail
0.8 miNFS 9687
0.6 miNFS 9698
0.6 miNFS 9699
0.3 miBirch Grove Trail
0.3 miNFS 7991
0.2 miLoda Lake Trail / Birch Grove Trail
0.2 miNFS 7989
0.1 miNFS 9937
0.1 miLoda Lake 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
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Merrill Township: June 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 43 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 59 | 45 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Merrill Township →
Next door
Merrill Township and its neighbors
Merrill Township has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Merrill Township81 miLincoln Township58 miLilley Township39 miMonroe Township14 miBeaver Township4.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrill Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lincoln Township | 40% | 1.6 | 106 | 36% | A |
| Lilley Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Monroe Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Beaver Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Merrill Township
Where can I hike in Merrill Township?
The longest trail networks: Manistee National Forest - Baldwin Ranger District, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Merrill Township’s trails?
Manistee National Forest - Baldwin Ranger District doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Merrill Township?
122,811 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Merrill Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 13,593 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Merrill 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 →