Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0The biggest trail networks: Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit (169.8 mi), South Branch Nature Preserve (0.5 mi). 3% of Union Township’s land is conserved, about 738 acres. 47 acres are parks and preserves, 84 per 1,000 residents.
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit, with 169.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
3% of Union Township’s land. Who manages Union Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 691 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Branch Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 48 | Open |
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 4 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 1 campground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
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.
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 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 31 | 41 | 54 | 67 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 71 | 57 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 2.7 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Union Township →
Union Township has the most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Boardman Township | 1% | 1.4 | 57 | 19% | B |
| Whitewater Township | 1% | 3.0 | 84 | 28% | B+ |
| East Bay Township | 5% | 3.6 | 212 | 64% | A |
| Fife Lake Township | 2% | 4.0 | 331 | 43% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
The longest trail networks: Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit, 169.8 miles; South Branch Nature Preserve, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit and South Branch Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
38,523 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Union Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 47 of them inside the town line.
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Union Township neighbors.
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 →