McCormick Wilderness
Managed by United States Forest Service
12,043 acres14.2 mi of trail
North Country TrailWhite Deer Lake TrailYellow Dog Falls TrailLower Baraga Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Cohodas, Sam, Lodge · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Michigamme Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Michigamme Township
The biggest trail networks: McCormick Wilderness (14.2 mi), Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (6.3 mi), Van Riper State Park (3.7 mi). 18% of Michigamme Township’s land is conserved, about 15,138 acres. 921 acres are parks and preserves, 3,288 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
18%
15,138 acres · of 133.3 sq mi of land
Trails
205 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
921 ac
3,288 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
44%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
43
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 McCormick Wilderness, with 14.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
5,357 acres6.3 mi of trail
County Road IO
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Van Riper State Park
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
794 acres3.7 mi of trail
River TrailOld Wagon Road TrailMain Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Craig Lake State Park
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
1,570 acres3.6 mi of trail
Indian Lake Connector Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District
Managed by United States Forest Service
12,272 acres1 mi of trail
North Country Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 9 parks & preserves
McCormick Wilderness12,043 acres · 14.2 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsEscanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit5,357 acres · 6.3 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Van Riper State Park794 acres · 3.7 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsCraig Lake State Park1,570 acres · 3.6 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Ottawa National Forest - Kenton Ranger District12,272 acres · 1 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsEscanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (North)5,357 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve82 acres · Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve
Mulligan Creek Highlands Reserve20 acres · The Nature Conservancy
Michigamme State Roadside Park4 acres · Michigan Department of Transportation
DirectionsWho protects it
15,138 conserved acres
18% of Michigamme Township’s land. Water is left out: Michigamme Township has 133.3 square miles of land and 8.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Michigamme Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service12,015 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,291 ac
State parks789 ac
Town or city40 ac
Other state land2 ac
National Forest · 12,015 acConservation Easement · 2,192 acState Park · 789 acPrivate Conservation · 101 acLocal Conservation Area · 40 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,192 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 12,015 | Open |
| Van Riper State Park State Park | State parks | 789 | Open |
| Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 82 | Open |
| Michigamme Township Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Mulligan Creek Highlands Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 20 | Restricted |
Things to do
3 places to go in Michigamme Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Michigamme Township
Arfelin Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsLake Michigamme Boat LaunchIn Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit
DirectionsVan Riper State Park Boat LaunchIn Van Riper State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
11 named trails and 43 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 2.1 miUnpaved · 23.9 mi
North Country Trail13.2 mi
White Deer Lake Trail3.3 mi
County Road IAA2.1 mi
Yellow Dog Falls Trail1.8 mi
Indian Lake Connector Trail1.4 mi
River Trail1.4 mi
County Road IO1.3 mi
Old Wagon Road Trail0.9 mi
Lower Baraga Lake Trail0.8 mi
Old US-410.4 mi
1 more trails
Main Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Arsenault LakelakeBeaver PondlakeBentley LakelakeBentley PondslakeBig Bear LakeBulldog LakeCamp Eleven LakeDishno LakeFour Island LakeGravel LakeHasscib LakeHebert LakelakeHilltop LakeIndian LakelakeLake ArfelinLake ElinorLake MargaretlakeLake MichigammelakeLake RaymondlakeLake Sally LouLake SixteenLake VedderLittle Bear LakeLittle Dishno LakelakeLittle Michigamme LakeLittle White Goat LakelakeLong LakeLost LakelakeLower Baraga LakeMud LakeNorthwestern LakeSection Thirteen LakeSection Twenty-Eight LakeThomas LakelakeVan Riper LakesWhite Deer LakeCliff RiverDead RiverEast Branch Huron RiverPeshekee RiverSalmon Trout RiverWest Branch Peshekee RiverYellow Dog River
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
4Tennis
1Baseball
1Basketball
1Volleyball
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).
When to get out
The best walking months in Michigamme Township: May 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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 19 | 24 | 35 | 47 | 62 | 71 | 76 | 74 | 65 | 51 | 36 | 24 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 3.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Michigamme Township →
Next door
Michigamme Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
L'Anse Township531 miArvon Township276 miPowell Township253 miMichigamme Township205 miChampion Township164 miSpurr Township129 miRepublic Township77 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigamme Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Champion Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Powell Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| L'Anse Township | 11% | 2.1 | 1,986 | 58% | A |
| Spurr Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Republic Township | 2% | 0.7 | 403 | 53% | B+ |
| Arvon 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 Michigamme Township
Where can I hike in Michigamme Township?
The longest trail networks: McCormick Wilderness, 14.2 miles; Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit, 6.3 miles; Van Riper State Park, 3.7 miles; Craig Lake State Park, 3.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Michigamme Township’s trails?
McCormick Wilderness and Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Michigamme Township?
30,416 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Michigamme Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,195 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Michigamme 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 →