Old Mission State Park
Managed by Peninsula Township
667 acres13.2 mi of trail
Old Mission LoopInner TrailAccess TrailConnector Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: User: (WT-shared) Haem85 at wts wikivoyage · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Peninsula Township
Peninsula Township has 1,158 acres of parks, 190 for every 1,000 residents
18% of Peninsula Township’s land is conserved, about 3,243 acres. 33 miles of mapped trail cross Peninsula Township, 1.2 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Old Mission State Park (13.2 mi), Power Island Wilderness Park (5.8 mi), Pelizzari Natural Area (2.8 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #58 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
18%
3,243 acres · of 27.9 sq mi of land
Trails
33 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,158 ac
190 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
65%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
840 ft
Carpenter Hill
Lakes & rivers
3
9 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Peninsula Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Peninsula Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Peninsula Township is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #58 of 701 in Michigan. 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 Peninsula Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land18% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (33 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land190 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,158 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home65% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 92%
Water is 13% of Peninsula Township’s area (4 of 32 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 16%.
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.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Old Mission State Park, with 13.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Power Island Wilderness Park
Managed by Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation
202 acres5.8 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Pelizzari Natural Area
Managed by Penninsula Township
63 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Pyatt Lake: The Bill Carls Nature Preserve
Managed by Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
176 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bowers Harbor Park
Managed by Peninsula Township
77 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
The Bluffs Common Area
Managed by Bluffs Association Inc.
36 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Dougherty Mission House Historic Site
Managed by Penninsula Township
17 acres0.6 mi of trail
Heritage Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Mission Point Lighthouse Park
Park
7 acres0.6 mi of trail
Old Mission Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 31 parks & preserves
Old Mission State Park667 acres · 13.2 mi of trail · Peninsula Township
DirectionsPower Island Wilderness Park202 acres · 5.8 mi of trail · Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation
Pelizzari Natural Area63 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Penninsula Township
DirectionsPyatt Lake: The Bill Carls Nature Preserve176 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsBowers Harbor Park77 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Peninsula Township
DirectionsThe Bluffs Common Area36 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Bluffs Association Inc.
DirectionsDougherty Mission House Historic Site17 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Penninsula Township
DirectionsMission Point Lighthouse Park7 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLeffingwell Forest Preserve86 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Grand Traverse Bay Underwater Preserve2,699 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Mission Estates Common Area14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Brinkman Bog Nature Sanctuary55 acres · Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy
DirectionsKelley Park8 acres
Bowers Harbor Boating Access Site6 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsStickney Estates Common Area5 acres
DirectionsFranklin Woods Park3 acres
Eagle's Landing Common Area2 acres · Eagle's Landing Development
DirectionsHarbor Park2 acres
Horizon Park2 acres
East Grand Traverse Bay Access Site2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsHaserot Park2 acres
DirectionsPeninsula Knolls Common Area2 acres
Lin-Dale Estates Park1 acres
Archie Park1 acres · Peninsula Township
DirectionsEagle's Landing Beach1 acres
DirectionsIsland Park1 acres
Aledco Park1 acres
Bluewater Bluffs Common Area1 acres
Island View Park1 acres
DirectionsOld Mission Estates Beach1 acres
DirectionsBayside Woods Beach1 acres
Who protects it
3,243 conserved acres
18% of Peninsula Township’s land. Water is left out: Peninsula Township has 27.9 square miles of land and 4.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Peninsula Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,851 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)795 ac
State parks679 ac
Town or city97 ac
Joint74 ac
Unknown Easement · 1,396 acAgricultural Easement · 1,053 acState Park · 679 acPrivate Conservation · 191 acOther Easement · 80 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,276 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Mission Peninsula State Park State Park | State parks | 679 | Open |
| Pyatt Lake Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 153 | Open |
| Leffingwell forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 78 | Open |
| Brinkman Bog Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 38 | Open |
| Bowers Harbor Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Hasarot Beach Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Archie Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
Things to do
29 places to go in Peninsula Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Peninsula Township
Haserot BeachIn Haserot Park
DirectionsPlus 8 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Peninsula Township
9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Peninsula Township
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Peninsula Township
Center Road Scenic Overlook
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Peninsula Township
Carpenter Hill840 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Peninsula Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Peninsula Township
Bassett Island CampgroundFee · In Power Island Wilderness Park · Grand Traverse County
DirectionsSouth Beach CampgroundFee · In Power Island Wilderness Park · Grand Traverse County
DirectionsTrails & water
6 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.6 miHorses · 2.6 miUnpaved · 25.9 mi
Old Mission Loop3.6 mi
Inner Trail2.6 mi
Access Trail1.2 mi
Connector Trail0.8 mi
Old Murray Road Trail0.6 mi
Heritage Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
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
25Tennis
3Baseball
3Basketball
1Pickleball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Peninsula 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) | 9.1 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 30 | 40 | 52 | 65 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 57 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 3.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Peninsula Township →
Next door
Peninsula Township and its neighbors
Peninsula Township has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peninsula Township | 18% | 1.2 | 190 | 65% | A |
| Traverse City | 3% | 1.4 | 13 | 99% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Peninsula Township
Where can I hike in Peninsula Township?
The longest trail networks: Old Mission State Park, 13.2 miles; Power Island Wilderness Park, 5.8 miles; Pelizzari Natural Area, 2.8 miles; Pyatt Lake: The Bill Carls Nature Preserve, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Peninsula Township is conserved land?
18% 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 Peninsula Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Power Island Wilderness Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Peninsula Township?
9,253 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Peninsula Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,158 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Peninsula Township have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #58 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 Peninsula 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 →