Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area, Peterson Lake North Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
115 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Brighton Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Brighton Township
3% of Brighton Township’s land is conserved, about 341 acres. 0.4 miles of mapped trail cross Brighton Township.
Conserved land
3%
341 acres · of 17.5 sq mi of land
Trails
0.4 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area, Peterson Lake Central Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
86 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area, Courtland Bay Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
46 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area, Peterson Lake East Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
9 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
341 conserved acres
3% of Brighton Township’s land. Water is left out: Brighton Township has 17.5 square miles of land and 1.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Brighton Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife255 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)86 ac
State Conservation Area · 255 acConservation Easement · 86 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 86 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swan Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 255 | Restricted |
Trails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The walking year in Brighton 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 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 27 | 40 | 56 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 59 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Brighton Township →
Next door
Brighton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Courtland Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lafayette Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Granby 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 Brighton Township
Are dogs allowed on Brighton Township’s trails?
Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area, Peterson Lake North Unit and Swan Lake Wildlife Management Area, Peterson Lake Central Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Brighton Township?
1,226 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Brighton 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 Brighton 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 →