Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
12,379 acres56.3 mi of trail
Shore-to-Shore Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Platte Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Platte Township
The biggest trail networks: Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit (56.3 mi), Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (1.8 mi), Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness (0.8 mi). 8% of Platte Township’s land is conserved, about 1,902 acres. 982 acres are parks and preserves, 2,728 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
8%
1,902 acres · of 36.3 sq mi of land
Trails
69 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
982 ac
2,728 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
26%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
1 boat launch
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 Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit, with 56.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Managed by National Park Service
1,412 acres1.8 mi of trail
Ski Access TrailOtter Creek Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness
Managed by National Park Service
417 acres0.8 mi of trail
Otter Creek Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lot
Medenbrook Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
47 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
1,902 conserved acres
8% of Platte Township’s land. Who manages Platte Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
National Park Service1,538 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits365 ac
National Lakeshore or Seashore · 1,364 acUnknown Easement · 333 acConservation Easement · 174 acPrivate Conservation · 31 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 507 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore National Lakeshore or Seashore | National Park Service | 1,364 | Open |
| Medenbrook Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 31 | Open |
Things to do
3 places to go in Platte Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Platte Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Platte Township
Garey Lake State Forest CampgroundFee · In Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsGarey Lake Trail CampIn Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.5 miHorses · 8.9 miUnpaved · 63.5 mi
Shore-to-Shore Trail3.2 mi
Otter Creek Trail1.0 mi
Ski Access Trail0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Platte 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 30 | 40 | 52 | 65 | 75 | 79 | 77 | 70 | 56 | 43 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Platte Township →
Next door
Platte Township and its neighbors
Platte Township has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Platte Township69 miInland Township61 miAlmira Township50 miLake Township42 miEmpire Township34 miHomestead Township18 miBenzonia Township9.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platte Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Homestead Township | 2% | 0.6 | 34 | 21% | B− |
| Almira Township | 2% | 1.5 | 59 | 31% | B+ |
| Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Empire Township | 41% | 1.0 | 6,042 | 64% | A |
| Benzonia Township | 7% | 0.3 | 249 | 65% | A− |
| Inland Township | 2% | 1.7 | 169 | 15% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Platte Township
Where can I hike in Platte Township?
The longest trail networks: Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit, 56.3 miles; Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 1.8 miles; Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Platte Township’s trails?
Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Platte Township?
24,668 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Platte Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 982 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Platte 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 →