Elk Rapids Township Hall · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0Nelson Township has 1,225 acres of parks, 248 for every 1,000 residents
8% of Nelson Township’s land is conserved, about 1,754 acres. 2.6 miles of mapped trail cross Nelson Township, 0.1 per square mile of land. 39% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns · #379 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Nelson Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Nelson Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Nelson Township is ahead of 58% of U.S. towns, #379 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Gordon Park, with 0.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Boomer Park
1,754 conserved acres
8% of Nelson Township’s land. Who manages Nelson Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 363 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Pine Trail State Park State Park | State natural resources | 1,083 | Open |
| Cedar Chase Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 184 | Restricted |
| Pine Ridge Bible Camp Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 75 | Open |
| Gordon Park Local Park | County | 26 | Open |
| Paradise Cove Resort Campground Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 19 | Open |
| Salisbury Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Little League Fields Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
3 places to go in Nelson Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
4 lakes & rivers
4.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Nelson Township: July 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 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 43 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Nelson Township →
Nelson Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson Township | 8% | 0.1 | 248 | 39% | B |
| Cedar Springs | 30% | 1.0 | 106 | 98% | A+ |
| Spencer Township | 3% | 0.2 | 170 | 29% | B− |
| Courtland Township | 3% | 0.1 | 17 | 23% | C |
| Pierson Township | 4% | 0.2 | 211 | 40% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Nelson Township
Where can I hike in Nelson Township?
The longest trail networks: Gordon Park, 0.2 miles; Boomer Park, 0.2 miles; Salisbury Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Nelson Township is conserved land?
8% 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 Nelson Township’s trails?
Gordon Park and Boomer Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Nelson Township?
4.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.9 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Nelson Township?
21,833 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Nelson Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,225 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Nelson Township have?
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #379 of 701 in Michigan. 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 Nelson Township neighbors.
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 →