Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Nature preserve
4,564 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Shelby Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Shelby Township
The biggest trail networks: Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge (0.5 mi). 38% of Shelby Township’s land is conserved, about 11,932 acres. 9.7 miles of mapped trail cross Shelby Township, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
38%
11,932 acres · of 48.8 sq mi of land
Trails
9.7 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
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 Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
11,932 conserved acres
38% of Shelby Township’s land. Water is left out: Shelby Township has 48.8 square miles of land and 3.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Shelby Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service15,964 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)562 ac
State fish & wildlife545 ac
Conservation Easement · 8,630 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 7,897 acState Conservation Area · 545 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 7,437 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 7,897 | Restricted |
| Putney #3 State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 545 | Restricted |
When to get out
The best walking months in Shelby Township: 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 21 | 26 | 39 | 55 | 68 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 73 | 57 | 40 | 26 |
| Rain (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
January is the driest month (0.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Shelby Township →
Next door
Shelby Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
South Detroit Township20 miBrainard Township10 miShelby Township9.7 miColumbia Township4.2 miLansing Township2.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Brainard Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| South Detroit Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Columbia Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lansing 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 Shelby Township
Where can I hike in Shelby Township?
The longest trail networks: Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Shelby Township’s trails?
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Shelby Township?
334 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Shelby Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Shelby 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 →