Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
4,223 acres2.9 mi of trail
State Line Pond TrailForest Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Marais des Cygnes Massacre Site · Photo: Hog Farm · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Valley Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Valley Township
The biggest trail networks: Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge (2.9 mi), Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area (2.8 mi). 42% of Valley Township’s land is conserved, about 9,930 acres. 9.3 miles of mapped trail cross Valley Township, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
42%
9,930 acres · of 36.9 sq mi of land
Trails
9.3 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
945 ft
Graveyard Mound
Lakes & rivers
1
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 Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge, with 2.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area
Managed by Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks
5,234 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
9,930 conserved acres
42% of Valley Township’s land. Who manages Valley Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service8,545 ac
State parks5,359 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)300 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 8,545 acState Conservation Area · 5,359 acConservation Easement · 300 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 300 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marais Des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 8,545 | Restricted |
| Marais Des Cygne Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State parks | 5,359 | Restricted |
Things to do
1 places to go in Valley Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Valley Township
Graveyard Mound945 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
State Line Pond Trail1.0 mi
Forest Trail0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The walking year in Valley 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) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 41 | 47 | 57 | 67 | 76 | 85 | 90 | 89 | 81 | 69 | 56 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1.9 |
January is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Valley Township →
Next door
Valley Township and its neighbors
Valley Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lincoln Township13 miValley Township9.3 miHomer Township7.9 miScott Township7.5 miParis Township6.3 miPotosi Township2.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Potosi Township | 16% | under 0.1 | 131 | 43% | B |
| Lincoln Township | 23% | 0.3 | 486 | 58% | A− |
| Paris Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Scott 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 Valley Township
Where can I hike in Valley Township?
The longest trail networks: Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge, 2.9 miles; Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area, 2.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Valley Township’s trails?
Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge and Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Valley Township?
1,904 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Valley 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 Valley 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 →