Lake Superior State Forest - Sault Ste. Marie Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
459 acres5.9 mi of trail
Algonquin Cross Country Ski Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Sault Ste. Marie
10% of Sault Ste. Marie’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
820 acres are parks and preserves, 61 per 1,000 residents. 10% of Sault Ste. Marie’s land is conserved, about 971 acres. The biggest trail networks: Lake Superior State Forest - Sault Ste. Marie Unit (5.9 mi), Ashmun Creek Trails (0.8 mi), Sault Seal Recreation Area (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #53 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
971 acres · of 14.8 sq mi of land
Trails
11 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
820 ac
61 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.9 mi
8.9 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
1 beach · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Sault Ste. Marie?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sault Ste. Marie have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sault Ste. Marie is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #53 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Sault Ste. Marie’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (11 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land61 acres of park per 1,000 residents (820 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 93%
Water is 26% of Sault Ste. Marie’s area (5 of 20 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
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 Lake Superior State Forest - Sault Ste. Marie Unit, with 5.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ashmun Creek Trails
Managed by City of Sault Ste. Marie
273 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Sault Seal Recreation Area
Managed by City of Sault Ste. Marie
34 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Sault Locks Park
Managed by United States Army Corps of Engineers
9 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Water Street Historic Martime Park
Park
11 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sherman Park
Managed by City of Sault Ste. Marie
60 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rotary Park
Managed by Sault Ste. Marie Rotary Club
4 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 27 parks & preserves
Lake Superior State Forest - Sault Ste. Marie Unit459 acres · 5.9 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsAshmun Creek Trails273 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Seal Recreation Area34 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Sault Ste. Marie
DirectionsSault Locks Park9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsWater Street Historic Martime Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSherman Park60 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Sault Ste. Marie
DirectionsRotary Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Sault Ste. Marie Rotary Club
DirectionsMalcolm Park88 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Sault Ste. Marie
DirectionsAshmun Bay Park57 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Sault Ste. Marie
DirectionsJames Donaldson Moore Nature Preserve36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMethodist Mission Reserve463 acres · Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
DirectionsHobbins-Meyer Nature Preserve214 acres
Island Number Two58 acres
DirectionsIsland Number One49 acres
Alford Park17 acres · City of Sault Ste. Marie
Aune-Osborn Park12 acres
DirectionsBrady Park12 acres
DirectionsAlgonquin Park9 acres · City of Sault Ste. Marie
Moloney Park8 acres
DirectionsSteers Island6 acres
DirectionsMission Street Boat Launch3 acres · City of Sault Ste. Marie
DirectionsLakeshore Park3 acres · City of Sault Ste. Marie
St. Mary's Park2 acres · City of Sault Ste. Marie
DirectionsRavine Park1 acres · City of Sault Ste. Marie
Lower Coast Guard Park1 acres · City of Sault Ste. Marie
DirectionsChandler Park1 acres · City of Sault Ste. Marie
Weber Park1 acres · City of Sault Ste. Marie
DirectionsWho protects it
971 conserved acres
Marie’s land. Water is left out: Sault Ste. Marie has 14.8 square miles of land and 5.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Sault Ste. Marie’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city563 ac
Private owners263 ac
Other state land143 ac
Local Conservation Area · 289 acPrivate Park · 263 acLocal Park · 242 acConservation Easement · 143 acLocal Recreation Area · 33 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 143 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Traverse Conservancy Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 227 | Open |
| Tanglewood Marsh Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 158 | Restricted |
| Mission Point Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 104 | Restricted |
| Lower River Islands Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 61 | Open |
| Ashmun Bay Park Local Park | Town or city | 57 | Open |
| Sherman Park Local Park | Town or city | 52 | Open |
| I-500 Track Local Park | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Minneapolis Woods Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 33 | Open |
| Anne Osborn Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Sault Ste. Marie
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Sault Ste. Marie
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Sault Ste. Marie
Project PlaygroundIn Malcolm Park
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Sault Ste. Marie
Ashmun Bay Park Boat Launch
DirectionsMission Street Boat Launch
DirectionsSault Ste Marie Boat Launch
DirectionsWilliam Gregory Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Sault Ste. Marie
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Sault Ste. Marie
Kewadin RV ParkKewadin Casino
DirectionsSherman Park CampgroundIn Sherman Park · City of Sault Ste. Marie
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Sault Ste. Marie
Peck St. Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Algonquin Cross Country Ski Trail4.1 mi
18th Avenue East0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.9 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
15Tennis
12Baseball
8Basketball
2Beach volleyball
2Soccer
1Skate park
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →16 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
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.
John Johnston HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itOld Fort BradySite · listed 1971
About itNew Fort BradyDistrict · listed 1972
About itS.s. Valley CampStructure · listed 1972
About itElmwoodBuilding · listed 1974
About itFederal BuildingBuilding · listed 1977
About itChippewa County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itCentral Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1984
About itFirst United Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1984
About itSt. Mary's Pro-CathedralBuilding · listed 1984
About itSaint James' Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1998
About it4 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Sault Ste. Marie: 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 25 | 35 | 47 | 62 | 71 | 76 | 75 | 67 | 53 | 40 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 4.6 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Sault Ste. Marie →
Next door
Sault Ste. Marie 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sault Ste. Marie | 10% | 0.8 | 61 | 97% | A |
| Soo Township | 3% | 0.4 | 167 | 8% | B− |
| Sugar Island Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sault Ste. Marie
Where can I hike in Sault Ste. Marie?
The longest trail networks: Lake Superior State Forest - Sault Ste. Marie Unit, 5.9 miles; Ashmun Creek Trails, 0.8 miles; Sault Seal Recreation Area, 0.6 miles; Sault Locks Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sault Ste. Marie is conserved land?
10% 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 Sault Ste. Marie’s trails?
Lake Superior State Forest - Sault Ste. Marie Unit and Ashmun Creek Trails don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Sault Ste. Marie?
8.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.9 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Sault Ste. Marie?
9,243 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sault Ste. Marie or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 820 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Sault Ste. Marie have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #53 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 Sault Ste. Marie 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 →