Witkowsky State Wildlife Area
Nature preserve
1,028 acres8.5 mi of trail
Walnut TrailCedar TrailOak TrailHickory Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Rice Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Rice Township
The biggest trail networks: Witkowsky State Wildlife Area (8.5 mi), Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve (3.5 mi), Winston Tunnel State Natural Area (1.4 mi). 38% of Rice Township’s land is conserved, about 5,922 acres. 1,372 acres are parks and preserves, 2,650 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
38%
5,922 acres · of 24.4 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,372 ac
2,650 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
56%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.1 mi
2.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
1 beach · 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 Witkowsky State Wildlife Area, with 8.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve
Managed by Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation
83 acres3.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Casper Bluff Land and Water ReserveWebsite ↗
Winston Tunnel State Natural Area
Nature preserve
227 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
11 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
5,922 conserved acres
38% of Rice Township’s land. Water is left out: Rice Township has 24.4 square miles of land and 5.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Rice Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Army Corps of Engineers3,031 ac
State natural resources1,280 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,249 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service429 ac
Private owners220 ac
State conservation89 ac
Recreation Management Area · 3,031 acState Conservation Area · 1,280 acConservation Easement · 1,234 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 429 acPrivate Conservation · 285 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,102 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms Rv Pools 11-22 Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 3,031 | Open |
| Witkowsky State Fish and Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1,054 | Open |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 429 | Restricted |
| Apple River Canyon State Park State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 226 | Open |
| Princess Mine Algific Slope Private Conservation | Private owners | 155 | Restricted |
| Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 84 | Open |
| Rice Algific Slope Private Conservation | Private owners | 46 | Restricted |
| Asgard Natural Heritage Landmark Private Historic or Cultural | Private owners | 18 | Closed |
| Princess Mine Algific Slopes Natural Heritage Landmark Private Historic or Cultural | Private owners | 1 | Closed |
Things to do
3 places to go in Rice Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Rice Township
Bellevue Beach
DirectionsBoat launches in Rice Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Rice Township
Prairie PointIn Witkowsky State Wildlife Area
DirectionsTrails & water
6 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 13.7 mi
Walnut Trail3.9 mi
Cedar Trail1.9 mi
Oak Trail1.3 mi
Hickory Trail0.8 mi
Alpine Slide0.4 mi
Earth Station Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.1 mi
off-road bike paths
When to get out
The best walking months in Rice Township: April 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 33 | 46 | 60 | 71 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 47 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.6 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
January is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Rice Township →
Next door
Rice Township and its neighbors
Rice Township has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| East Galena Township | 3% | 0.4 | 296 | 43% | B |
| Elizabeth Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hanover Township | 32% | 0.6 | 195 | 64% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rice Township
Where can I hike in Rice Township?
The longest trail networks: Witkowsky State Wildlife Area, 8.5 miles; Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve, 3.5 miles; Winston Tunnel State Natural Area, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Rice Township’s trails?
Witkowsky State Wildlife Area and Casper Bluff Land and Water Reserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Rice Township?
2.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Rice Township?
16,304 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rice Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,423 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Rice 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 →