Thomas Township has 419 acres of parks, 35 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Roethke Park (2.1 mi). 5% of Thomas Township’s land is conserved, about 1,078 acres. 30% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 52% of U.S. towns · #430 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
How much outdoors does Thomas Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Thomas Township is ahead of 52% of U.S. towns, #430 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
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 Roethke Park, with 2.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Roberts Park
Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge
1,078 conserved acres
5% of Thomas Township’s land. Who manages Thomas Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 467 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saginaw Field and Stream Club Private Park | Private owners | 155 | Open |
| Valley View Farm Golf Private Park | Private owners | 103 | Restricted |
| Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 90 | Restricted |
| Roethke Park Local Park | Town or city | 71 | Open |
| Utility Corridor Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 67 | Open |
| Hemlock Unknown | State Department of Land | 60 | Open |
| Roberts Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 55 | Open |
| Saginaw Gun Club Private Park | Private owners | 53 | Open |
| Day Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
5 places to go in Thomas Township
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 disc golf course without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
0.1 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 Thomas Township: July 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 43 | 57 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 60 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
February is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.6 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Thomas Township →
Thomas Township 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Township | 5% | 0.2 | 35 | 30% | B− |
| Saginaw Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Shields | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Swan Creek Township | 31% | 0.4 | 1,814 | 32% | A− |
| Tittabawassee Township | 2% | 0.2 | 32 | 55% | B− |
| James Township | 52% | 1.4 | 1,912 | 14% | A |
| Richland Township | 3% | under 0.1 | 38 | 37% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Thomas Township
Where can I hike in Thomas Township?
The longest trail networks: Roethke Park, 2.1 miles; Roberts Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Thomas Township 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 Thomas Township’s trails?
Roethke Park and Roberts Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Thomas Township?
0.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Thomas Township?
20,167 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Thomas Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 419 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Thomas Township have?
Ahead of 52% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #430 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 Thomas Township 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 →