Gladwin County is built for the outdoors

If you’re moving to Gladwin County, there’s a good chance the outdoors is part of the draw. Nearly a quarter of the county is state forest — the Gladwin Unit of the Au Sable State Forest — which means a lot of public land for hunting, hiking, and riding. The county is laced with marked ORV and snowmobile trails, and there’s a big game refuge (around 35,000 acres) up north, so deer, turkey, and small-game hunting are a way of life here.

Add in the rivers — the Cedar, Tobacco, Tittabawassee, and Sugar — for fishing and paddling, plus all the lakes, and you’ve got four-season recreation close to home. Right in town, Gladwin has a paved riverside walking trail along the Cedar River, and the county recreation area has its own hiking and mountain-bike loop.

For a lot of buyers here, a place isn’t just a house — it’s a base camp. If that’s you, it’s worth checking how close a property is to trailheads, state-forest access, and the water.