North Ottawa Dunes County Park
Park
514 acres16.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Spring Lake Township
Spring Lake Township has 39 miles of mapped trails, 2.4 for every square mile of land
1,361 acres are parks and preserves, 88 per 1,000 residents. 9% of Spring Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 989 acres. The biggest trail networks: North Ottawa Dunes County Park (16.9 mi), P.J. Hoffmaster State Park (9.8 mi), Minnie Skwarek Nature Preserve (0.7 mi).
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #67 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
989 acres · of 16.5 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
2.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,361 ac
88 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
69%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
28 mi
26 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
2 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Spring Lake Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Spring Lake Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Spring Lake Township is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #67 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Spring Lake Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (39 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land88 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,361 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home69% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 91%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 91%
Water is 12% of Spring Lake Township’s area (2 of 19 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 range from A− 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 North Ottawa Dunes County Park, with 16.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
P.J. Hoffmaster State Park
Park
332 acres9.8 mi of trail
Segment 1 to 2
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Minnie Skwarek Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
28 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Coast Guard Park
Park
9 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Water Tower Park
Park
23 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 17 parks & preserves
North Ottawa Dunes County Park514 acres · 16.9 mi of trail
DirectionsP.J. Hoffmaster State Park332 acres · 9.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMinnie Skwarek Nature Preserve28 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Coast Guard Park9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Park10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWater Tower Park23 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Tanglefoot Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMill Point Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFerrysburg Nature Preserve5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Grand Haven State Game Area346 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Owashtanong Islands Sanctuary20 acres · Michigan Audubon Society
West Michigan Underwater Preserve10 acres
River Run Park9 acres
Lloyd's Bayou Public Access5 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsPetty's Bayou Public Access2 acres · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMike Herman Memorial Field1 acres
DirectionsWhistlestop Playground1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
989 conserved acres
9% of Spring Lake Township’s land. Water is left out: Spring Lake Township has 16.5 square miles of land and 2.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Spring Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land747 ac
Private owners149 ac
Town or city52 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits45 ac
County5 ac
State Park · 338 acState Recreation Area · 326 acPrivate Park · 149 acConservation Easement · 96 acLocal Park · 55 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 87 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoffmaster State Park (P.J. Hoffmaster) State Park | Other state land | 338 | Open |
| Grand Haven State Game Area State Recreation Area | Other state land | 319 | Open |
| Spring Lake Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 149 | Restricted |
| Minnie Skwarek Nature Reserve Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 21 | Open |
| Rycenga Recreation Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Mill Point Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Owashtanong Islands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 12 | Open |
| Central Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Van Wagoner Park Local Park | County | 5 | Open |
| Mclean Boat Launch State Recreation Area | Other state land | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
16 places to go in Spring Lake Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Spring Lake Township
Lakeside Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Spring Lake Township
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Spring Lake Township
Lloyd's Bayou Boat Launch
DirectionsPetty's Bayou Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Spring Lake Township
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 12.8 mi
Segment 1 to 20.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
28 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
26 mi
off-road bike paths
1.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
26Tennis
5Baseball
5Pickleball
2Basketball
2Soccer
1Beach volleyball
1Hockey rinks
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).
When to get out
The best walking months in Spring Lake Township: July 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 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 34 | 44 | 57 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 2.3 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.9 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Spring Lake Township →
Next door
Spring Lake Township and its neighbors
Spring Lake Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Spring Lake Township39 miNorton Shores38 miGrand Haven Township37 miGrand Haven16 miFerrysburg9.6 miFruitport Township7.0 miCrockery Township2.4 miSpring Lake2.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Lake Township | 9% | 2.4 | 88 | 69% | A |
| Ferrysburg | 20% | 3.2 | 178 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Spring Lake | 5% | 1.8 | 21 | 99%+ | A |
| Grand Haven Township | 9% | 1.3 | 86 | 74% | A |
| Crockery Township | 4% | 0.1 | 133 | 13% | C+ |
| Grand Haven | 11% | 2.7 | 40 | 95% | A+ |
| Fruitport Township | 1% | 0.2 | 26 | 37% | C+ |
| Norton Shores | 9% | 1.6 | 66 | 63% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Spring Lake Township
Where can I hike in Spring Lake Township?
The longest trail networks: North Ottawa Dunes County Park, 16.9 miles; P.J. Hoffmaster State Park, 9.8 miles; Minnie Skwarek Nature Preserve, 0.7 miles; Coast Guard Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Spring Lake 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 Spring Lake Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Minnie Skwarek Nature Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Spring Lake Township?
28 miles of bike routes are on the map: 26 of off-road paths and 1.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Spring Lake Township?
14,130 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Spring Lake Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,361 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Spring Lake Township have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #67 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 Spring Lake 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 →