Hogbacks Area
Managed by Genesee County
439 acres6.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
John Van Buskirk Farm House · Photo: Matthew Lampe · Public domainA−Outdoors
Outdoors in Richfield Township
Richfield Township has 3,087 acres of parks, 344 for every 1,000 residents
11% of Richfield Township’s land is conserved, about 2,524 acres. The biggest trail networks: Hogbacks Area (6.8 mi), Richfield County Park (6.1 mi), Genessee County Recreational Area (5.5 mi). 24 miles of mapped trail cross Richfield Township, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #186 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
2,524 acres · of 35.1 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,087 ac
344 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
42%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.7 mi
2.7 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
5 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Richfield Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Richfield Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Richfield Township is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #186 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Richfield Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (24 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land344 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,087 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home42% 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 81%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 74%
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 Hogbacks Area, with 6.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Richfield County Park
Park
869 acres6.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Genessee County Recreational Area
Park
430 acres5.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Holloway Reservoir Regional Park
Managed by Genesee County
704 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Goldenrod Disc Course
Park
241 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 9 parks & preserves
Hogbacks Area439 acres · 6.8 mi of trail · Genesee County
DirectionsRichfield County Park869 acres · 6.1 mi of trail
Genessee County Recreational Area430 acres · 5.5 mi of trail
Holloway Reservoir Regional Park704 acres · 2 mi of trail · Genesee County
DirectionsGoldenrod Disc Course241 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
White Cedar Swamps Sanctuary26 acres · Michigan Nature Association
Richfield Township Park25 acres
M-15 Fishing Site and Canoe Launch18 acres · Genesee County
DirectionsFOE Field8 acres
Who protects it
2,524 conserved acres
11% of Richfield Township’s land. Who manages Richfield Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County1,972 ac
Private owners354 ac
Town or city207 ac
State natural resources38 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits27 ac
Other state land12 ac
Local Park · 2,081 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 354 acLocal Resource Management Area · 98 acUnknown · 38 acPrivate Conservation · 27 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holloway Reservoir Regional Park Local Park | County | 1,143 | Open |
| Genessee Recreation Area Local Park | County | 728 | Open |
| Utility Corridor Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 354 | Open |
| City of Flint Park Local Park | Town or city | 181 | Open |
| Local Forest Local Resource Management Area | County | 98 | Open |
| Michigan Natural Resource Trust Fund Parcel Unknown | State natural resources | 38 | Open |
| White Cedar Swamp Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 27 | Open |
| Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Genesee Parks and Recreation Local Park | County | 3 | Open |
Things to do
15 places to go in Richfield Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Richfield Township
Buttercup BeachIn Holloway Reservoir Regional Park
DirectionsNorth Shore Beach
DirectionsSouth Shore Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Richfield Township
4 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Richfield Township
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Richfield Township
Holloway Reservoir Boat LaunchIn Holloway Reservoir Regional Park
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Richfield Township
Wooden Platform Overlook
DirectionsPicnic areas in Richfield Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Richfield Township
Outdoor Adventures Lake Shore Resort
DirectionsTrails & water
3 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.7 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
10Baseball
2Basketball
1Beach volleyball
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).
John Van Buskirk Farm HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Richfield Township: June 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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 43 | 57 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 60 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Richfield Township →
Next door
Richfield Township and its neighbors
Richfield Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Oregon Township25 miRichfield Township24 miDavison Township12 miGenesee Township7.3 miForest Township2.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richfield Township | 11% | 0.7 | 344 | 42% | A− |
| Genesee Township | 19% | 0.3 | 168 | 42% | B+ |
| Davison Township | 8% | 0.4 | 38 | 53% | B+ |
| Forest Township | 5% | 0.1 | 140 | 35% | B− |
| Oregon Township | 19% | 0.8 | 703 | 70% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Richfield Township
Where can I hike in Richfield Township?
The longest trail networks: Hogbacks Area, 6.8 miles; Richfield County Park, 6.1 miles; Genessee County Recreational Area, 5.5 miles; Holloway Reservoir Regional Park, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Richfield Township is conserved land?
11% 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 Richfield Township’s trails?
Hogbacks Area and Richfield County Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Richfield Township?
2.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Richfield Township?
26,480 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Richfield Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,125 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Richfield Township have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #186 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 Richfield 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 →