Stony Creek Metropark
Managed by Huron-Clinton Metroparks
3,080 acres35.1 mi of trail
Inwood Rustic Trails (Orange Trail)Trolly TrailsHabitat TrailOsprey Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Romeo Historic District · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Washington Township
Washington Township has 52 miles of mapped trails, 1.5 for every square mile of land
2,642 acres are parks and preserves, 92 per 1,000 residents. 17% of Washington Township’s land is conserved, about 3,766 acres. The biggest trail networks: Stony Creek Metropark (35.1 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #75 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
3,766 acres · of 35.6 sq mi of land
Trails
52 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,642 ac
92 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
59%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
28 mi
28 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
9
3 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Washington Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Washington Township is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #75 of 701 in Michigan. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Washington Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (52 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land92 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,642 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home59% 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 90%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 89%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Stony Creek Metropark, with 35.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Gilcher-Crissman Park
Park
43 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Aikman Park
Park
6 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 5 parks & preserves
Stony Creek Metropark3,080 acres · 35.1 mi of trail · Huron-Clinton Metroparks
DirectionsGilcher-Crissman Park43 acres
Washington Township Park15 acres
DirectionsAikman Park6 acres
Romeo Lions Field5 acres
Who protects it
3,766 conserved acres
17% of Washington Township’s land. Who manages Washington Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,525 ac
Private owners1,073 ac
Other state land188 ac
Local Park · 2,524 acPrivate Park · 1,073 acConservation Easement · 188 acLocal Recreation Area · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 167 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stony Creek Metropark Local Park | Town or city | 2,510 | Open |
| Romeo Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 279 | Restricted |
| Orchards Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 274 | Restricted |
| Glacier Club Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 261 | Restricted |
| Greystone Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 224 | Restricted |
| North Macomb Sprotsman's Club Private Park | Private owners | 35 | Open |
| Stratford Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Washington Township Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Stoney Creek Metropark Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 1 | Restricted |
Things to do
30 places to go in Washington Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Washington Township
Baypoint BeachIn Stony Creek Metropark
DirectionsEastwood BeachIn Stony Creek Metropark
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Washington Township
16 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Washington Township
Stony Creek Dog ParkIn Stony Creek Metropark
DirectionsBoat launches in Washington Township
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Washington Township
Wetland OutlookIn Stony Creek Metropark
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Washington Township
Southdale Picnic AreaIn Stony Creek Metropark
DirectionsCampgrounds in Washington Township
Ridgewood CampgroundIn Stony Creek Metropark · Huron-Clinton Metroparks
DirectionsDisc golf in Washington Township
The Buckhorn Disc Golf CourseIn Stony Creek Metropark
DirectionsTrails & water
24 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.4 miUnpaved · 4.7 mi
Inwood Rustic Trails (Orange Trail)2.7 mi
Trolly Trails2.6 mi
Habitat Trail2.1 mi
Osprey Trail1.9 mi
Landscape Trail1.6 mi
Inwood Rustic Trails (Blue Trail)1.4 mi
Lake Head Trail1.2 mi
East Lake Trails (A/B/C/D)0.9 mi
Inwood Hiking Trails0.7 mi
Inwood Rustic Trails (Pink Trail) Seasonal0.7 mi
14 more trails
Inwood Rustic Trails (Orange/Blue/Pink Trails)
0.6 miEast Lake Trails (C/D)
0.5 miEast Lake Trails (B/C/D)
0.5 miShortcut
0.4 miInwood Rustic Trails (Pink Trail)
0.4 miEast Lake Trail (D)
0.4 miStony Creek Metropark Trolly Trails
0.3 miReflection/Lanscape/Habitat Trails
0.2 miInwood Rustic Trails (Orange/Blue Trails)
0.2 miReflection Trail
0.2 miEast Lake Trail (B)
0.2 miLandscape/Habitat Trails
0.1 miEast Lake Trail (A)
0.1 miEast Lake Trail (C)
0.1 miBiking & sports
28 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
28 mi
off-road bike paths
Stony Creek Metropark Trolly TrailsBike route
2.9 miCourts & fields
12Tennis
9Soccer
5Baseball
5Softball
4Basketball
4Pickleball
4Tracks
3Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Washington Township: June, August 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 33 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 61 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.9 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Washington Township →
Next door
Washington Township and its neighbors
Washington Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Oakland Township72 miWashington Township52 miShelby Township39 miRay Township25 miBruce Township18 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township | 17% | 1.5 | 92 | 59% | A |
| Oakland Township | 15% | 2.0 | 121 | 77% | A |
| Bruce Township | 3% | 0.5 | 47 | 60% | B+ |
| Ray Township | 9% | 0.7 | 474 | 35% | A− |
| Shelby Township | 9% | 1.1 | 22 | 54% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Washington Township
Where can I hike in Washington Township?
The longest trail networks: Stony Creek Metropark, 35.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Washington Township is conserved land?
17% 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 Washington Township’s trails?
Stony Creek Metropark and Gilcher-Crissman Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Washington Township?
28 miles of bike routes are on the map: 28 of off-road paths. Named routes: Stony Creek Metropark Trolly Trails.
Is there public land near Washington Township?
18,704 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Washington Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,642 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #75 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 Washington 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 →