James Willey Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
140 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Bigelow Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Bigelow Township
5% of Bigelow Township’s land is conserved, about 1,129 acres. 55 acres are parks and preserves, 140 per 1,000 residents. 0.4 miles of mapped trail cross Bigelow Township.
Conserved land
5%
1,129 acres · of 34.6 sq mi of land
Trails
0.4 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
55 ac
140 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
4%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
3
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.
John Erickson State Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
121 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Peterson Wildlife Management Area, Southeast Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
111 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Peterson Wildlife Management Area, West Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
107 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 10 parks & preserves
James Willey Wildlife Management Area140 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
John Erickson State Wildlife Management Area121 acres
DirectionsPeterson Wildlife Management Area, Southeast Unit111 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsPeterson Wildlife Management Area, West Unit107 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsLake Bella Wildlife Management Area, Southeast Unit89 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWachter Wildlife Management Area86 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsSportsman County Park47 acres
Peterson State Wildlife Management Area21 acres
Lake Bella Wildlife Management Area, Northwest Unit19 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsPickeral County Park8 acres
Who protects it
1,129 conserved acres
5% of Bigelow Township’s land. Who manages Bigelow Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife1,028 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service150 ac
Other state land25 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,028 acResource Management Area · 150 acConservation Easement · 25 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peterson State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 306 | Restricted |
| Wachter State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 286 | Restricted |
| Lake Bella State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 176 | Restricted |
| Nobles County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 150 | Restricted |
| James Willey State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 140 | Restricted |
| John Erickson State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 120 | Restricted |
Things to do
2 places to go in Bigelow Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Bigelow Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Dog parks in Bigelow Township
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Bigelow 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 59 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Bigelow Township →
Next door
Bigelow Township and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bigelow Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Indian Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Worthington Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Ransom 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 Bigelow Township
Are dogs allowed on Bigelow Township’s trails?
James Willey Wildlife Management Area and John Erickson State Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Bigelow Township?
2,581 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bigelow Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 55 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bigelow 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 →