George Washington State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
16,287 acres11.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Sts. Peter and Paul Russian Orthodox Church · Photo: Foreverwiser · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Carpenter Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Carpenter Township
The biggest trail networks: George Washington State Forest (11.8 mi). 27% of Carpenter Township’s land is conserved, about 17,482 acres. 37 miles of mapped trail cross Carpenter Township, 0.4 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
27%
17,482 acres · of 100.8 sq mi of land
Trails
37 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
35
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 George Washington State Forest, with 11.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
17,482 conserved acres
27% of Carpenter Township’s land. Who manages Carpenter Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources17,424 ac
State fish & wildlife56 ac
Bureau of Land Management2 ac
State Resource Management Area · 17,338 acState Conservation Area · 143 acNational Public Lands · 2 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Washington State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 16,299 | Open |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1,027 | Open |
| Potato Lake State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 86 | Restricted |
| Valley River State Aquatic Management Area (Itasca) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 56 | Restricted |
| Koochiching State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 11 | Open |
| Northeastern States District Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 2 | Open |
| Sturgeon River State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Carpenter Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Campgrounds in Carpenter Township
Buttonbox Lake CampgroundFee · In George Washington State Forest · MN Dept of Natural Resources
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 35 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 22.4 mi
County Road 5481.2 mi
County Road 5280.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Battle LakeBeaver LakeBuck LakeButtonbox LakeCandy LakeCoppersmith LakeCrum LakeDeer LakeElbow LakeFive Island LakeHarrigan LakeHope LakeIsland LakeJoy LakeLittle Bass LakeLittle Horseshoe LakeLittle Island LakeLorraine LakeLost LakeMead LakeOtter LakePickerel LakePopple LakePotato LakePughole LakeRed LakeRum LakeRyan LakeSpring LakeSun LakeTank LakeTownline LakeTrible LakeDeer CreekValley River
When to get out
The walking year in Carpenter 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 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 16.0 | 15.6 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| High (°F) | 17 | 24 | 37 | 52 | 65 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 67 | 52 | 35 | 22 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
February is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Carpenter Township →
Next door
Carpenter Township and its neighbors
Carpenter Township has the most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenter Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bearville 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 Carpenter Township
Where can I hike in Carpenter Township?
The longest trail networks: George Washington State Forest, 11.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Carpenter Township’s trails?
George Washington State Forest and Koochiching State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Carpenter Township?
173,131 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Carpenter Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 17,458 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Carpenter 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 →