Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
11,186 acres16 mi of trail
Corn Stalk
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Charles W. Bash · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in St. James Township
More than half of St. James Township’s land is conserved: 82%
82% of St. James Township’s land is conserved, about 10,661 acres. The biggest trail networks: Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area (16 mi). 9,855 acres are parks and preserves, 26,422 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
82%
10,661 acres · of 20.3 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
9,855 ac
26,422 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
81%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.8 mi
0.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
45 beaches · 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 Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area, with 16 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
282 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
George and Althea Petritz Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
28 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Stanhope Family Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
13 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area11,186 acres · 16 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
George and Althea Petritz Nature Preserve28 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Stanhope Family Nature Preserve13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge282 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Michigan Islands Wilderness3 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Jewell Gillespie Park & Beach1 acres
DirectionsGus Schmidt North Shore Park1 acres
Who protects it
10,661 conserved acres
82% of St. James Township’s land. Water is left out: St. James Township has 20.3 square miles of land and 295.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages St. James Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife10,298 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service518 ac
Town or city73 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits31 ac
State Conservation Area · 10,298 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 518 acLocal Park · 43 acPrivate Conservation · 31 acLocal Conservation Area · 30 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 9 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 4,486 | Open |
| Natural Area High Island State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 3,555 | Open |
| Natural Area Hog Island State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 2,257 | Open |
| Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 518 | Restricted |
| St. James Township Park Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| George & Althea Petritz Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 31 | Unknown |
| Gull Harbor Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 30 | Open |
Things to do
50 places to go in St. James Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in St. James Township
Jewell Gillespie Park BeachIn Jewell Gillespie Park & Beach
Directions45 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in St. James Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in St. James Township
Jewell Gillespie ParkIn Jewell Gillespie Park & Beach
DirectionsCampgrounds in St. James Township
St. James Township Campground
DirectionsStable CampgroundThe Port of St. James Association
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 15.1 mi
Corn Stalk3.8 mi
Hidden Valley Trail0.7 mi
Font Lake Trail0.5 mi
Coggins Trail0.3 mi
Little Font Lake Trail0.3 mi
White Birch Trail0.2 mi
Bella's Roost Trail0.2 mi
Katherine's Climb Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
2Tennis
1Beach volleyball
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Mormon Print ShopBuilding · listed 1971
About itNext door
St. James Township and its neighbors
St. James Township has the second most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. James Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Peaine 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 St. James Township
Where can I hike in St. James Township?
The longest trail networks: Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area, 16 miles; George and Althea Petritz Nature Preserve, 0.2 miles; Stanhope Family Nature Preserve, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on St. James Township’s trails?
Beaver Islands State Wildlife Research Area and Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in St. James Township?
0.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near St. James Township?
23,537 acres of parks and open public land lie inside St. James Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 9,855 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from St. James 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 →