Jerusalem Hills
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
9,634 acres4.5 mi of trail
Butterfield Overland Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Elkader Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Elkader Township
The biggest trail networks: Jerusalem Hills (4.5 mi), Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park (1.4 mi). 16% of Elkader Township’s land is conserved, about 10,838 acres. 37 miles of mapped trail cross Elkader Township, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
16%
10,838 acres · of 107.5 sq mi of land
Trails
37 mi
0.3 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 Jerusalem Hills, with 4.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park
Managed by Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
214 acres1.4 mi of trail
Life on the Rocks TrailOverlook Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
10,838 conserved acres
16% of Elkader Township’s land. Who manages Elkader Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits10,840 ac
Private Conservation · 10,840 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 3 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerusalem Hills Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 9,670 | Unknown |
| Smoky Valley Ranch Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 843 | Unknown |
| Chalk Bluffs Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 327 | Unknown |
Trails & water
7 named trails
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.3 mi
Butterfield Overland Trail3.7 mi
Mustang3.3 mi
Life on the Rocks Trail1.1 mi
Jayhawk1.1 mi
Rawhide0.7 mi
Indian0.3 mi
Overlook Trail0.2 mi
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Elkader Township
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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 44 | 47 | 58 | 66 | 76 | 87 | 92 | 89 | 82 | 69 | 55 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.5 |
January is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 3.2 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Elkader Township →
Next door
Elkader Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lewis Township151 miGaeland Township68 miOakley Township59 miLogansport Township55 miLees Township51 miElkader Township37 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkader Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lewis Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Logansport Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lees Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Gaeland Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Oakley 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 Elkader Township
Where can I hike in Elkader Township?
The longest trail networks: Jerusalem Hills, 4.5 miles; Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Elkader Township’s trails?
Jerusalem Hills and Little Jerusalem Badlands State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Elkader Township?
1,122 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Elkader 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 Elkader 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 →