Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South)
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
30,267 acres26.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
County Road 557-West Branch Escanaba River Bridge · Photo: Yooperann · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Wells Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Wells Township
The biggest trail networks: Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South) (26.3 mi), Escanaba River State Forest - Escanaba Unit (2.7 mi). 162 acres are parks and preserves, 826 per 1,000 residents. 119 miles of mapped trail cross Wells Township, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
under 1%
154 acres · of 154.3 sq mi of land
Trails
119 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
162 ac
826 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
4%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
7
1 boat launch
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 Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South), with 26.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Escanaba River State Forest - Escanaba Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
1,219 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Copper Country State Forest - Crystal Falls Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
1 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
154 conserved acres
under 1% of Wells Township’s land. Who manages Wells Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners149 ac
State natural resources5 ac
Private Park · 112 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 37 acState Conservation Area · 5 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunters Creek Club Private Park | Private owners | 112 | Open |
| Ten Bucks Inc. Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 37 | Open |
| Crystal Falls State Forest Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 5 | Open |
Things to do
3 places to go in Wells Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Wells Township
Wells Township Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Wells Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Wells Township
Boney Falls Basin Boat Launch
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
County Road SAD2.0 mi
County Road SI1.4 mi
County Road 4260.2 mi
County Road Nt0.1 mi
County Road Shopping Plaza0.1 mi
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Tennis
1Basketball
1Baseball
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).
County Road 557-West Branch Escanaba River BridgeStructure · listed 1999
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Wells Township: May and 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 28 | 38 | 51 | 66 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 69 | 55 | 40 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 3.6 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Wells Township →
Next door
Wells Township and its neighbors
Wells Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Forsyth Township186 miWells Township119 miSpalding Township97 miWest Branch Township75 miHarris Township71 miEwing Township69 miBreen Township65 miCornell Township50 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ewing Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Forsyth Township | 1% | 1.0 | 323 | 54% | B+ |
| Harris Township | 1% | 0.5 | 565 | 8% | B− |
| Breen Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Spalding Township | 1% | 0.6 | 371 | 26% | B− |
| West Branch Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cornell Township | — 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 Wells Township
Where can I hike in Wells Township?
The longest trail networks: Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South), 26.3 miles; Escanaba River State Forest - Escanaba Unit, 2.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Wells Township’s trails?
Escanaba River State Forest - Gwinn Unit (South) and Escanaba River State Forest - Escanaba Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Wells Township?
82,866 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wells Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 162 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Wells 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 →