Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 3.05% of Spring Lake’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 2.2 miles of mapped trail cross Spring Lake, 1.8 per square mile of land. 52 acres are parks and preserves, 21 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #60 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Spring Lake?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Spring Lake have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Spring Lake is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #60 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, conserved land lowest.
Water is 35% of Spring Lake’s area (1 of 2 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 3%.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Central Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Owashtanong Islands Sanctuary
41 conserved acres
5% of Spring Lake’s land. Water is left out: Spring Lake has 1.2 square miles of land and 0.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Spring Lake’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mill Point Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Owashtanong Islands Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 11 | Open |
| Central Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Tanglefoot Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
6 places to go in Spring Lake
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
3.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
The best walking months in Spring Lake: 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 →
Spring Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Lake | 5% | 1.8 | 21 | 99%+ | A |
| Spring Lake Township | 9% | 2.4 | 88 | 69% | A |
| Ferrysburg | 20% | 3.2 | 178 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Grand Haven | 11% | 2.7 | 40 | 95% | A+ |
| Grand Haven Township | 9% | 1.3 | 86 | 74% | 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
Where can I hike in Spring Lake?
The longest trail networks: Central Park, 0.3 miles; Mill Point Park, 0.1 miles; Tanglefoot Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Spring Lake is conserved land?
5% 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’s trails?
Central Park and Owashtanong Islands Sanctuary don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Spring Lake?
3.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Spring Lake?
9,924 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Spring Lake or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 52 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Spring Lake have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #60 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 neighbors.
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 →