River Bends Park
Park
727 acres16.7 mi of trail
CK Canal LoopTwo TrackBetween The Trails TrailOriginal Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Packard Proving Grounds Gateway Complex · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Shelby Township
Shelby Township has 39 miles of mapped trails, 1.1 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: River Bends Park (16.7 mi), Holland Ponds (3.4 mi), Chief Gene Shepherd Park (2.9 mi). 9% of Shelby Township’s land is conserved, about 1,992 acres. 1,759 acres are parks and preserves, 22 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #228 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,992 acres · of 34.4 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,759 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
16 mi
16 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
47
2 beaches
What kind of outdoors town is Shelby Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Shelby Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Shelby Township is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #228 of 701 in Michigan. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Shelby Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,759 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home54% 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 76%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 68%
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 River Bends Park, with 16.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Chief Gene Shepherd Park
Park
78 acres2.9 mi of trail
Canal Ridge TrailShepherd Park TrailCrystal Lake Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Anna Wilcox and Harold Warnes Memorial Nature Sanctuary
Managed by Michigan Nature Association
44 acres1.1 mi of trail
Jane Kohring TrailMargie Watkins TrailPurple Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mae Stecker Park
Park
27 acres0.4 mi of trail
Onyx Tree Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 17 parks & preserves
River Bends Park727 acres · 16.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHolland Ponds192 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsChief Gene Shepherd Park78 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWhispering Woods Park48 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsAnna Wilcox and Harold Warnes Memorial Nature Sanctuary44 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Michigan Nature Association
DirectionsMae Stecker Park27 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodall Neighborhood Park60 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMacomb Orchard Trail30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStony Creek Metropark163 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Huron-Clinton Metroparks
Lombardo Park39 acres
DirectionsFord Field Central Park30 acres
Senior Citizen Park14 acres · Shelby Township
Franklin Meadows10 acres
Shelby Metro Bike Trail8 acres
Village Club at Rochester Hills Park & Playground2 acres
Manning Park1 acres
Gibbs Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,992 conserved acres
9% of Shelby Township’s land. Who manages Shelby Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources958 ac
Town or city538 ac
Other state land362 ac
Private owners142 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits45 ac
State Park · 958 acConservation Easement · 362 acLocal Recreation Area · 274 acLocal Park · 252 acPrivate Park · 142 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 309 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Bend Township Park State Park | State natural resources | 958 | Open |
| Cherry Creek Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 238 | Restricted |
| Stony Creek Metropark Local Park | Town or city | 165 | Open |
| Detroits Sportsman Congress Private Park | Private owners | 94 | Open |
| Detroit Sportsman Congress Private Park | Private owners | 48 | Open |
| Whispering Woods Park Local Park | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Wilcox Warnes Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 45 | Open |
| Lombardo Park Local Park | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Heritage Gardens Municipal Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Mae Stecker Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 12 | Open |
Things to do
29 places to go in Shelby Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Shelby Township
Secret BeachIn River Bends Park
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Shelby Township
Mae Stecker Playground 1In Mae Stecker Park
DirectionsMae Stecker Playground 2In Mae Stecker Park
DirectionsPlus 18 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Shelby Township
Biers OverlookIn River Bends Park
DirectionsBurgess OverlookIn River Bends Park
DirectionsOld FoundationIn Holland Ponds
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Shelby Township
River Bends Disc GolfIn River Bends Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Shelby Township
Shadbush Master GardensIn River Bends Park
DirectionsShadbush Master GardensIn River Bends Park
DirectionsTrails & water
19 named trails and 47 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 18.1 miUnpaved · 18.4 mi
CK Canal Loop2.6 mi
Two Track1.3 mi
Between The Trails Trail1.1 mi
Original Trail0.8 mi
Spring Hill0.8 mi
Robbins Ridge0.7 mi
Onyx Tree Trail0.7 mi
Jane Kohring Trail0.7 mi
Canal Ridge Trail0.6 mi
Entrance Trail0.4 mi
9 more trails
Lower Shadbush Trail
0.4 miShepherd Park Trail
0.3 miMargie Watkins Trail
0.3 miUpper Shadbush Trail
0.3 miDragstrip Bypass
0.2 miDragstrip
0.2 miLazy River
0.2 miPurple Trail
0.1 miSteep Grades, Loose Gravel
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Arrowhead LakeBanister LakeBelle LakeBurlington LakeCedar LakeCelestial LakeChestnut LakeClear Spring LakeComet LakeCone LakeCrystal LakepondDiegel PondDouble LakeForest LakeGemini LakeGolden PondpondHawkins LakeHeritage LakelakeHuntington LakeIroquois LakepondJewell LakepondLake ApolloLake CharmeLake Pointe PondpondLake RoyaleLake TaraLake Villa DiorolakeMark LakepondMiddle Golden LakepondMoonlight LakeNoc-Turne LakeNorth Golden LakepondPine LakeRoyal Forest LakepondRoyal LakeSherwood Forest LakepondSkyline LakeSomerset LakeSouth Golden LakeStarlite LakeStonewyck PondSunderland LakeTanglewood LakeTwilight LakeTwin LakeVista LakepondWatkins Lake
Biking & sports
16 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
16 mi
off-road bike paths
Snow Bike RouteBike route
6.6 miYellow (Main Loop)Bike route
3.7 miRed (CK Canal Loop)Bike route
2.6 miOther TrailsBike route
2.4 miGreen (Two Track)Bike route
1.3 miOrange (Spring Hill)Bike route
0.8 miBlue (South Loop)Bike route
0.8 miBlack (Robbins Ridge)Bike route
0.7 miCourts & fields
23Baseball
21Tennis
14Soccer
7Basketball
5Volleyball
3Softball
2Pickleball
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 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 Shelby Township: June, August and 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 34 | 44 | 57 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Shelby Township →
Next door
Shelby Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Rochester Hills59 miWashington Township52 miShelby Township39 miSterling Heights15 miMacomb Township13 miRochester12 miUtica1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby Township | 9% | 1.1 | 22 | 54% | A− |
| Utica | 3% | 0.7 | 11 | 64% | B |
| Rochester Hills | 9% | 1.8 | 13 | 73% | A− |
| Sterling Heights | 7% | 0.4 | 9 | 79% | B |
| Macomb Township | 7% | 0.4 | 4 | 14% | C+ |
| Washington Township | 17% | 1.5 | 92 | 59% | A |
| Rochester | 17% | 3.1 | 34 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Shelby Township
Where can I hike in Shelby Township?
The longest trail networks: River Bends Park, 16.7 miles; Holland Ponds, 3.4 miles; Chief Gene Shepherd Park, 2.9 miles; Whispering Woods Park, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Shelby Township is conserved land?
9% 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 Shelby Township’s trails?
River Bends Park and Holland Ponds don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Shelby Township?
16 miles of bike routes are on the map: 16 of off-road paths. Named routes: Snow Bike Route, Yellow (Main Loop) and Red (CK Canal Loop).
Is there public land near Shelby Township?
19,927 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Shelby Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,759 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Shelby Township have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #228 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 Shelby 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 →