Guest, Sign inJoin

Post to Wawatam Township

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in
Fort MichilimackinacFort Michilimackinac · Photo: WMrapids · CC BY-SA 4.0
–Not graded
Outdoors in Wawatam Township

31% of Wawatam Township’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park

Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit (17.5 mi), The Headlands (7.5 mi), Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park (1 mi). 31% of Wawatam Township’s land is conserved, about 3,156 acres.

Conserved land
31%
3,156 acres · of 15.7 sq mi of land
Trails
33 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,597 ac
7,251 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
14 mi
0.8 mi lanes · 4.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
2 boat launches
The map

Conserved land, trails & bike routes

Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.

123456
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 17.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit

Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
5,315 acres17.5 mi of trail
North Country National Scenic Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Trailhead -Cecil Bay RdWebsite ↗

The Headlands

Park
573 acres7.5 mi of trail
Ridgeline TrailTreetops TrailFrog Pond TrailOverlook Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗

Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park

Park
18 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Hathaway Family's Regina Caeli Nature Preserve

Nature preserve
83 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet

Cecil Bay Park

Park
948 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗

McGulpin Point County Park

Park
11 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 8 parks & preserves
Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit5,315 acres · 17.5 mi of trail · Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Directions
The Headlands573 acres · 7.5 mi of trail
Directions
Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park18 acres · 1 mi of trail
Directions
Hathaway Family's Regina Caeli Nature Preserve83 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Cecil Bay Park948 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Directions
McGulpin Point County Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Directions
Straits of Mackinac Underwater Preserve2,336 acres
Directions
Wilderness State Park180 acres
Who protects it

3,156 conserved acres

31% of Wawatam Township’s land. Water is left out: Wawatam Township has 15.7 square miles of land and 4.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Wawatam Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

State fish & wildlife2,924 ac
State natural resources139 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits87 ac
Private owners6 ac
State Conservation Area · 2,924 acState Park · 128 acPrivate Conservation · 87 acState Historic or Cultural Area · 11 acPrivate Park · 6 ac
The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
French Farm Flooding State Wildlife Management Area
State Conservation Area
State fish & wildlife2,924Open
Wilderness State Park
State Park
State natural resources128Open
Hathaway Family's Regina Caeli
Private Conservation
Land trusts & nonprofits87Closed
Fort Michilimackinac State Park
State Historic or Cultural Area
State natural resources11Open
Mackinac Club
Private Park
Private owners6Restricted
Things to do

10 places to go in Wawatam Township

Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.

Scenic views in Wawatam Township
Dark Sky Viewing AreaIn The Headlands
Directions

Plus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.

Trails & water

10 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers

Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.9 miUnpaved · 19.9 mi
North Country National Scenic Trail6.1 mi
Ridgeline Trail1.6 mi
Treetops Trail1.4 mi
Frog Pond Trail1.1 mi
Overlook Trail0.8 mi
Old Orchard Trail0.8 mi
Coastal Trail0.7 mi
Ford Martin Boulevard0.3 mi
Deer Run Trail0.2 mi
May Woods Trail Connector0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
French Farm LakelakeCarp Lake River
Biking & sports

14 miles of bike routes

Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.

0.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.2 mi
off-road bike paths
9.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
4Tennis
3Baseball
3Pickleball
1Basketball
1Hockey rinks

Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.

History along the way

1 place on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark

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.

History →
★
Fort MichilimackinacNational Historic Landmark · Site · listed 1966
About it
When to get out

The best walking months in Wawatam 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)9.010.311.813.514.915.715.414.112.510.89.48.7
High (°F)262837486271767568554332
Rain (in)1.81.21.72.62.93.03.03.13.54.12.62.2

February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 4.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Wawatam Township →

Next door

Wawatam Township and its neighbors

Wawatam Township has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.

Wawatam Township33 miCarp Lake Township13 miMackinaw City8.2 miMackinaw Township8.1 mi
TownConserved
of land		Trail mi
per sq mi		Park acres
per 1,000		Near a park
½ mile		Outdoors
Wawatam Township— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Carp Lake Township— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Mackinaw Township— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Mackinaw City— 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 Wawatam Township

Where can I hike in Wawatam Township?

The longest trail networks: Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit, 17.5 miles; The Headlands, 7.5 miles; Fort Michilimackinac State Historic Park, 1 miles; Hathaway Family's Regina Caeli Nature Preserve, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

Are dogs allowed on Wawatam Township’s trails?

Mackinaw State Forest - Gaylord Unit and The Headlands don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.

Where can I bike in Wawatam Township?

14 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes, 4.2 of off-road paths and 9.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.

Is there public land near Wawatam Township?

32,273 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wawatam Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,597 of them inside the town line.

Trail talk

Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Wawatam Township neighbors.

Town Square →
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 →