Chippewa National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
13,811 acres10.9 mi of trail
Trout Lake TrailSkeeter Lake Hunter Walking TrailFr 2369Trout Lake Trail Spur D+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Balsam Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Balsam Township
The biggest trail networks: Chippewa National Forest (10.9 mi). 37% of Balsam Township’s land is conserved, about 17,266 acres. 16 miles of mapped trail cross Balsam Township, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
37%
17,266 acres · of 72.5 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
58
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 Chippewa National Forest, with 10.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bowstring State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
62 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
George Washington State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
7 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Balsam Island Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
17,266 conserved acres
37% of Balsam Township’s land. Water is left out: Balsam Township has 72.5 square miles of land and 10.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Balsam Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service13,810 ac
State natural resources3,487 ac
State fish & wildlife4 ac
National Forest · 13,810 acState Resource Management Area · 3,487 acState Conservation Area · 4 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 13,810 | Open |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 3,480 | Open |
| George Washington State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 7 | Open |
| Sand Lake State Aquatic Management Area (Itasca) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 3 | Restricted |
| Balsam Island State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1 | Restricted |
Things to do
1 places to go in Balsam Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Balsam Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
11 named trails and 51 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.4 mi
Trout Lake Trail2.6 mi
Skeeter Lake Hunter Walking Trail1.5 mi
Fr 23690.8 mi
Trout Lake Trail Spur D0.8 mi
Fr 34940.7 mi
Forestry Rd 3519A0.6 mi
Trout Spur B0.6 mi
Taconite0.4 mi
Trout Lake Trail Spur C0.4 mi
Forest Rd 35200.3 mi
1 more trails
Trout Lake Trail Spur Ca
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Balsam LakeBeaver LakeBeavertail LakeBee Cee LakeBlack Island LakeBlind LakeBog LakeBray LakeBrown LakeBurnt Shanty LakeBurrows LakelakeCamerton LakeCharlie LakeChristmas LakeCutaway LakeDay LakeDuck LakeGrass LakeHaskell LakeHendrichs LakeHolmes LakeIsaac LakeJack LakeLittle Arm LakeLittle Burnt Shanty LakeLittle Island LakeLittle Ruby LakeLittle Sand LakeLittle Wolf ImpoundmentLittle Wolf LakeLost Moose LakeLower Balsam LakeLower Spring LakeMcAlpine LakeMoon LakeMoonshine LakeMoose LakeMoss LakeNose LakePickerel LakePlantation LakeRahkos LakeRuby LakeSand LakeScrapper LakeSkeeter LakeSnaptail LakeSnowshoe LakeSpring LakeSunrise LakePrairie River
When to get out
The walking year in Balsam 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 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 18 | 24 | 38 | 52 | 66 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 67 | 52 | 36 | 23 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
February is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Balsam Township →
Next door
Balsam Township and its neighbors
Balsam 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balsam Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wabana Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Nashwauk Township | 3% | 0.2 | 12 | 31% | C |
| Lawrence 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 Balsam Township
Where can I hike in Balsam Township?
The longest trail networks: Chippewa National Forest, 10.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Balsam Township’s trails?
Chippewa National Forest and Bowstring State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Balsam Township?
144,100 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Balsam Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 16,229 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Balsam 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 →