Superior National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
8,526 acres6.6 mi of trail
Forest Rt 1842Forest Rt 285Forest Rt 288Forest Rt 1840
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Bruce Mine Headframe · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Balkan Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Balkan Township
The biggest trail networks: Superior National Forest (6.6 mi). 26% of Balkan Township’s land is conserved, about 11,014 acres. 76 acres are parks and preserves, 90 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
26%
11,014 acres · of 65.2 sq mi of land
Trails
31 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
76 ac
90 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
10 mi
10 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
11
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 Superior National Forest, with 6.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Redhead Mountain Bike Park
Park
74 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
11,014 conserved acres
26% of Balkan Township’s land. Who manages Balkan Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service8,525 ac
State natural resources2,485 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service41 ac
State fish & wildlife7 ac
National Forest · 8,525 acState Resource Management Area · 2,485 acConservation Easement · 41 acState Conservation Area · 7 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 41 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 8,525 | Open |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 2,485 | Open |
| Sturgeon River State Aquatic Management Area (St. Louis) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 7 | Restricted |
Things to do
3 places to go in Balkan Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Balkan Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Balkan Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.0 miUnpaved · 4.7 mi
Forest Rt 2852.6 mi
Forest Rt 18421.6 mi
Forest Rt 18400.8 mi
Forest Rt 2880.5 mi
Old County Highway 50.2 mi
Biking & sports
10 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
10 mi
off-road bike paths
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Bruce Mine HeadframeStructure · listed 1978
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Balkan 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) | 8.8 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 15.9 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 17 | 24 | 37 | 51 | 65 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 67 | 52 | 35 | 22 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
February is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Balkan Township →
Next door
Balkan Township and its neighbors
Balkan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balkan Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chisholm | 1% | 2.1 | 91 | 90% | A− |
| Great Scott Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hibbing | 3% | 0.4 | 84 | 72% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Balkan Township
Where can I hike in Balkan Township?
The longest trail networks: Superior National Forest, 6.6 miles; Redhead Mountain Bike Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Balkan Township’s trails?
Superior National Forest and Redhead Mountain Bike Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Balkan Township?
10 miles of bike routes are on the map: 10 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Balkan Township?
123,433 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Balkan Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 11,102 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Balkan 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 →