Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South)
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
1,679 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Republic Township
Republic Township has 428 acres of parks, 403 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South) (0.6 mi). 77 miles of mapped trail cross Republic Township, 0.7 per square mile of land. 2% of Republic Township’s land is conserved, about 1,460 acres.
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
1,460 acres · of 111.4 sq mi of land
Trails
77 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
428 ac
403 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
53%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
48
1 beach · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Republic Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Republic Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Republic Township is ahead of 70% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Republic Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (77 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land403 acres of park per 1,000 residents (428 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home53% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 70%
LessMore
Water is 7% of Republic Township’s area (8 of 120 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 2%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to 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 Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South), with 0.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ford Eagle Preserve
Managed by Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
72 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Forests for the Future #17 Reserve
Managed by Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
41 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Gamber-Brisky Preserve
Managed by Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
25 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 10 parks & preserves
Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South)1,679 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsFord Eagle Preserve72 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
Forests for the Future #17 Reserve41 acres · Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
Gamber-Brisky Preserve25 acres · Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy
Copper Country State Forest - Crystal Falls Unit22 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Republic Beach Area10 acres
Squaw Creek Hunting Club5 acres
Perch Lake Public Access1 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMunson Park1 acres
Directionshorseshoe courts1 acres
Who protects it
1,460 conserved acres
2% of Republic Township’s land. Water is left out: Republic Township has 111.4 square miles of land and 8.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Republic Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,115 ac
Town or city263 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits71 ac
State natural resources11 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,115 acLocal Resource Management Area · 263 acPrivate Conservation · 71 acState Conservation Area · 11 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,115 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Township Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 263 | Open |
| Ford Eagle Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 71 | Restricted |
| Crystal Falls State Forest Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 11 | Open |
Things to do
10 places to go in Republic Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Republic Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Republic Township
Horseshoe Lake Boat LaunchIn Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South)
DirectionsPerch Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsSki-kwe zaag’igan Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsTwin Lake Boat LaunchIn Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South)
DirectionsWitch Lake Boat LaunchIn Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South)
DirectionsScenic views in Republic Township
Republic Mine Observation Deck
DirectionsCampgrounds in Republic Township
Moose Rapids Campground
DirectionsNorthern Lights Campground
DirectionsSki-kwe zaag’igan State Forest CampgroundFee
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 48 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Channing and Republic10.8 mi
Iron Ore Hertiage Trail1.5 mi
Iron Ore Heritage Trail0.5 mi
County Road FE0.1 mi
Tamarack0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bat LakeBed Spring LakeBengston LakelakeBerch LakeBoys LakeBullhead LakeButo LakeCamp Fifteen LakeChief LakelakeCranberry LakeDashwa LakeFence LakeGibson LakeGoose LakeGrant LakeHarris LakeHaywire LakelakeHeart LakeHorseshoe LakeHot Jack LakeIsland LakeJuncob LakeJust LakeLake ElizabethLily LakeLittle Chief LakeLotto LakeMilwaukee LakeMino-kwezenhs zaagiganlakeMud LakeNirish LakePenglase LakelakePerch LakePickerel LakeSaint Clair LakeSimons LakeSki-kwe zaag'iganlakeSpring LakeSpringhole LakelakeSundog LakelakeTwin LakeTwin LakeslakeWahlstrom LakeWitch LakelakeBlack RiverMichigamme RiverMitchigan RiverSpruce 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.
Iron Ore Heritage TrailBike route
2.1 miCourts & fields
1Baseball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Park Hotel and CabinsBuilding · listed 2013
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Republic 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 20 | 24 | 36 | 48 | 63 | 73 | 77 | 75 | 66 | 52 | 37 | 25 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.8 |
February is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 3.9 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Republic Township →
Next door
Republic Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Michigamme Township205 miSagola Township141 miSpurr Township129 miCrystal Falls Township89 miHumboldt Township87 miRepublic Township77 miMansfield Township71 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republic Township | 2% | 0.7 | 403 | 53% | B+ |
| Humboldt Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Michigamme Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Spurr Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Sagola Township | 38% | 0.9 | 42,894 | 66% | A |
| Mansfield Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Crystal Falls Township | 15% | 0.4 | 12,690 | 40% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Republic Township
Where can I hike in Republic Township?
The longest trail networks: Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South), 0.6 miles; Ford Eagle Preserve, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Republic Township is conserved land?
2% 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 Republic Township’s trails?
Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South) and Ford Eagle Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Republic Township?
112,296 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Republic Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 428 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Republic Township have?
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Republic 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 →