Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
4,080 acres25.3 mi of trail
SMT LP7MCCCT & Fred Thomas TrailMCCCT TrailFred Thomas Trial
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Faunce-McMichael Farm · Photo: rossograph · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Tuscarora Township
Tuscarora Township has 44 miles of mapped trails, 1.5 for every square mile of land
312 acres are parks and preserves, 100 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit (25.3 mi), Seven Springs Nature Preserve (1.7 mi), Cooperation Park (0.8 mi). 2% of Tuscarora Township’s land is conserved, about 450 acres.
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns · #237 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
450 acres · of 29.4 sq mi of land
Trails
44 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
312 ac
100 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
55%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.4 mi
7.4 mi paths
Highest peak
883 ft
Griswold Mountain
Lakes & rivers
4
1 beach · 8 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Tuscarora Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Tuscarora Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Tuscarora Township is ahead of 75% of U.S. towns, #237 of 701 in Michigan. Trail miles hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Tuscarora Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%B−Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (44 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land100 acres of park per 1,000 residents (312 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home55% 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 75%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 66%
Water is 30% of Tuscarora Township’s area (13 of 42 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 2%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B 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 Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, with 25.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Seven Springs Nature Preserve
Managed by Little Traverse Conservancy
73 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Cooperation Park
Managed by Tuscarora Township
54 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Waubun Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
15 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hildner-Bearce Nature Preserve
Managed by Little Traverse Conservancy
11 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 11 parks & preserves
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit4,080 acres · 25.3 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsSeven Springs Nature Preserve73 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Little Traverse Conservancy
Cooperation Park54 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Tuscarora Township
DirectionsWaubun Nature Preserve15 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Hildner-Bearce Nature Preserve11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Little Traverse Conservancy
Harris-Melvin Family Nature Preserve7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Robert Fergus Memorial Nature Preserve19 acres · Little Traverse Conservancy
Marina Park4 acres · Tuscarora Township
DirectionsDeVoe Beach2 acres · Tuscarora Township
DirectionsTuscarora Township Boat Launch2 acres · Tuscarora Township
DirectionsBair Family Nature Preserve1 acres · Little Traverse Conservancy
Who protects it
450 conserved acres
2% of Tuscarora Township’s land. Water is left out: Tuscarora Township has 29.4 square miles of land and 12.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Tuscarora Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners166 ac
State parks124 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits122 ac
Town or city33 ac
State natural resources5 ac
Private Park · 166 acState Park · 129 acPrivate Conservation · 122 acLocal Park · 33 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 11 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian River Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 166 | Restricted |
| Burt Lake State Park State Park | State parks | 129 | Open |
| Seven Springs Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 74 | Unknown |
| Cooperation Park Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Fergus Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 16 | Closed |
| Waubun Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 14 | Unknown |
| Bearce Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 10 | Unknown |
| Harris-Melvin Family Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 7 | Open |
| DeVoe Beach Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Bair Family Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 1 | Open |
Things to do
18 places to go in Tuscarora Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Tuscarora Township
Devoe BeachIn DeVoe Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Tuscarora Township
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Tuscarora Township
Mack Avenue - Carry-In
DirectionsRotter Rd - Carry-In
DirectionsPlus 6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Tuscarora Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Tuscarora Township
Griswold Mountain883 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Tuscarora Township
Burt Lake State ParkMichigan Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMarriott Camper Rentals LLC
DirectionsOrganizational Camping
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.4 mi
SMT LP74.3 mi
MCCCT & Fred Thomas Trail1.1 mi
MCCCT Trail1.0 mi
Fred Thomas Trial0.3 mi
Alden Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
6Baseball
6Tennis
2Basketball
1Skate park
1Equestrian
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 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Faunce-McMichael FarmDistrict · listed 1990
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Tuscarora Township: May to August
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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 29 | 39 | 53 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 79 | 71 | 57 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 3.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Tuscarora Township →
Next door
Tuscarora Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Koehler Township72 miMentor Township64 miEllis Township54 miTuscarora Township44 miBurt Township30 miMullett Township18 miLittlefield Township16 miIndian River15 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscarora Township | 2% | 1.5 | 100 | 55% | A− |
| Indian River | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Koehler Township | 6% | 1.7 | 472 | 9% | B+ |
| Mentor Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Burt Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Littlefield Township | 8% | 0.7 | 100 | 48% | A− |
| Ellis Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mullett Township | under 1% | 0.9 | 233 | 34% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Tuscarora Township
Where can I hike in Tuscarora Township?
The longest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, 25.3 miles; Seven Springs Nature Preserve, 1.7 miles; Cooperation Park, 0.8 miles; Waubun Nature Preserve, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Tuscarora Township is conserved land?
2% 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 Tuscarora Township’s trails?
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit and Seven Springs Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Tuscarora Township?
7.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Tuscarora Township?
24,908 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Tuscarora Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 312 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Tuscarora Township have?
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #237 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 Tuscarora 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 →