Mahoney's Marsh Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
321 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Belle Plaine Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Belle Plaine Township
3% of Belle Plaine Township’s land is conserved, about 785 acres. 7 acres are parks and preserves, 6.2 per 1,000 residents. 0.8 miles of mapped trail cross Belle Plaine Township.
Conserved land
3%
785 acres · of 37.8 sq mi of land
Trails
0.8 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
7 ac
6.2 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.8 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 0.3 mi paths
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Karnitz Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
188 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Michel Marsh Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
138 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Raven Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
77 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
Mahoney's Marsh Wildlife Management Area321 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsKarnitz Wildlife Management Area188 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMichel Marsh Wildlife Management Area138 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsRaven Wildlife Management Area77 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsPheasants Forever Module # 3 Wildlife Management Area29 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsO'Brien Wildlife Management Area24 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsUnion Hill Baseball Park6 acres
Who protects it
785 conserved acres
3% of Belle Plaine Township’s land. Who manages Belle Plaine Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife774 ac
Other state land11 ac
State Conservation Area · 774 acConservation Easement · 11 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahoney's Marsh State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 324 | Restricted |
| Karnitz State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 186 | Restricted |
| Michel Marsh State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 138 | Restricted |
| Raven State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 73 | Restricted |
| Pheasants Forever #3 State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 29 | Restricted |
| O'Brien State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 24 | Restricted |
Trails & water
1 named trail
Named trails
260th Street West0.4 mi
Biking & sports
0.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The walking year in Belle Plaine 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 58 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Belle Plaine Township →
Next door
Belle Plaine Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
St. Lawrence Township15 miHelena Township4.5 miBelle Plaine3.2 miBlakeley Township2.4 miBelle Plaine Township0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belle Plaine Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Belle Plaine | 1% | 0.5 | 8 | 90% | B− |
| St. Lawrence Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Helena Township | 1% | 0.1 | 152 | 32% | C+ |
| Blakeley 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 Belle Plaine Township
Are dogs allowed on Belle Plaine Township’s trails?
Mahoney's Marsh Wildlife Management Area and Karnitz Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Belle Plaine Township?
0.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 0.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Belle Plaine Township?
3,893 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Belle Plaine Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Belle Plaine 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 →