Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
1,012 acres13.6 mi of trail
St. Helen ORV RouteFire Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in St. Helen
Few parks or trails are on the map in St. Helen
The biggest trail networks: Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit (13.6 mi). 3% of St. Helen’s land is conserved, about 92 acres. 109 acres are parks and preserves, 37 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
3%
92 acres · of 5.7 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
2.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
109 ac
37 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
53%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
2
1 beach · 2 boat launches
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 Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit, with 13.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Richfield Township Park
Park
15 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Richfiled Township Park and Boat Launch
Park
13 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Saint Helen Community Garden Park
Park
3 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 5 parks & preserves
Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit1,012 acres · 13.6 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsRichfield Township Park15 acres
Richfiled Township Park and Boat Launch13 acres
DirectionsSaint Helen Community Garden Park3 acres
Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area1 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Who protects it
92 conserved acres
3% of St. Helen’s land. Water is left out: St. Helen has 5.7 square miles of land and 0.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages St. Helen’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners77 ac
Other state land14 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service2 ac
Private Park · 77 acConservation Easement · 14 acConservation Area · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Helen Shooting Club Private Park | Private owners | 77 | Open |
| Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area Conservation Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 2 | Restricted |
Things to do
7 places to go in St. Helen
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in St. Helen
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in St. Helen
Richfield Little Kids ParkIn Richfield Township Park
DirectionsRichfield PlaygroundIn Richfield Township Park
Directionscove parkIn Richfiled Township Park and Boat Launch
DirectionsBoat launches in St. Helen
canoe launchIn Richfiled Township Park and Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in St. Helen
Richfield campcround
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
St. Helen ORV Route1.0 mi
Fire Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Basketball
2Baseball
2Tennis
1Beach volleyball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in St. Helen: May and 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 30 | 41 | 54 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 57 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 3.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in St. Helen →
Questions about parks and trails in St. Helen
Where can I hike in St. Helen?
The longest trail networks: Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit, 13.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on St. Helen’s trails?
Au Sable State Forest - Roscommon Unit and Richfield Township Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near St. Helen?
26,266 acres of parks and open public land lie inside St. Helen or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 109 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from St. Helen 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 →