Independence Lake County Park
Managed by Washtenaw County
420 acres3.8 mi of trail
Blue Loop trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Dwight Burdette · CC BY 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Webster Township
Webster Township has 1,299 acres of parks, 198 for every 1,000 residents
17% of Webster Township’s land is conserved, about 3,806 acres. The biggest trail networks: Independence Lake County Park (3.8 mi). 25% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns · #305 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
3,806 acres · of 34.9 sq mi of land
Trails
7.6 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,299 ac
198 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
25%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.7 mi
1.7 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
3 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Webster Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Webster Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Webster Township is ahead of 68% of U.S. towns, #305 of 701 in Michigan. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Webster Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (8 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land198 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,299 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13AParks close to home25% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 68%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 57%
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 Independence Lake County Park, with 3.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park
Park
281 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mud Lake Bog
Managed by University of Michigan
240 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Baseline Lake Land Preserve
Managed by Webster Township
69 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Independence Lake County Park420 acres · 3.8 mi of trail · Washtenaw County
DirectionsHudson Mills Metropolitan Park281 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMud Lake Bog240 acres · University of Michigan
DirectionsBaseline Lake Land Preserve69 acres · Webster Township
Gosline Preserve41 acres · Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission
Woodland Preserve13 acres
Dexter Huron Metropolitan Park3 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,806 conserved acres
17% of Webster Township’s land. Who manages Webster Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
USDA easements (NRCS)1,866 ac
Town or city1,530 ac
Other state land499 ac
County483 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits430 ac
Regional agency274 ac
Private owners156 ac
Agricultural Easement · 3,524 acLocal Park · 757 acLocal Recreation Area · 270 acLocal Conservation Area · 253 acForest Stewardship Easement · 174 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,336 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Lake County Park Local Park | County | 443 | Open |
| Hudson Mills Metropark Local Park | Regional agency | 272 | Open |
| Mud Lake Bog Local Conservation Area | Other state land | 240 | Open |
| University Of Michigan Sailing Club Local Recreation Area | Other state land | 239 | Open |
| Ann Arbor Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 88 | Open |
| Becker's Land Preserve State Conservation Area | Private owners | 68 | Closed |
| Gosline Preserve Local Park | County | 40 | Open |
| Baseline Lake Land Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 34 | Open |
| Township Hall Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Woodland Preserve Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 13 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
9 places to go in Webster Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Webster Township
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Webster Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Webster Township
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Webster Township
Independence Lake Boat LaunchIn Independence Lake County Park
DirectionsKayak LaunchIn Dexter Huron Metropolitan Park
DirectionsScenic views in Webster Township
Marsh Overlook TowerIn Independence Lake County Park
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.5 miUnpaved · 1.1 mi
Blue Loop trail1.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
1.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.7 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
4Tennis
1Basketball
1Volleyball
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).
Gordon HallBuilding · listed 1972
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Webster Township: July to 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 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 61 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Webster Township →
Next door
Webster Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hamburg Township90 miDexter Township62 miScio Township25 miNorthfield Township8.0 miWebster Township7.6 miDexter0.4 miWhitmore Lake0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webster Township | 17% | 0.2 | 198 | 25% | B+ |
| Dexter | 7% | 0.2 | 26 | 98% | A− |
| Scio Township | 10% | 0.8 | 66 | 73% | A |
| Northfield Township | 7% | 0.2 | 14 | 29% | B− |
| Dexter Township | 27% | 2.1 | 808 | 51% | A |
| Hamburg Township | 29% | 2.8 | 222 | 54% | A |
| Whitmore Lake | — 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 Webster Township
Where can I hike in Webster Township?
The longest trail networks: Independence Lake County Park, 3.8 miles; Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Webster 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 Webster Township’s trails?
Independence Lake County Park and Hudson Mills Metropolitan Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Webster Township?
1.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Webster Township?
46,841 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Webster Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,299 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Webster Township have?
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #305 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 Webster 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 →