La Salle Lake State Recreation Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1,197 acres8.3 mi of trail
Challenge TrailHunter Walking TrailRiver Overlook TrailCampground Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Fern Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Fern Township
The biggest trail networks: La Salle Lake State Recreation Area (8.3 mi), Mississippi Headwaters State Forest (2.7 mi). 11% of Fern Township’s land is conserved, about 2,492 acres. 1,219 acres are parks and preserves, 3,184 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
11%
2,492 acres · of 35.4 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,219 ac
3,184 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
5
2 boat launches
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 La Salle Lake State Recreation Area, with 8.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mississippi Headwaters State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1,040 acres2.7 mi of trail
Fern Twp 901
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
2,492 conserved acres
11% of Fern Township’s land. Who manages Fern Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources1,515 ac
State parks978 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,515 acState Recreation Area · 978 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Headwaters State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1,040 | Open |
| La Salle Lake State Recreation Area | State parks | 978 | Open |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 475 | Open |
Things to do
5 places to go in Fern Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Fern Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Fern Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Campgrounds in Fern Township
Brownie Watercraft CampsiteMinnesota DNR
DirectionsLa Salle Lake State Recreation Area CampgroundFee · In La Salle Lake State Recreation Area
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 16.2 mi
Challenge Trail5.2 mi
Hunter Walking Trail2.1 mi
Fern Twp 9011.8 mi
River Overlook Trail1.0 mi
Campground Trail0.8 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The walking year in Fern 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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 15.9 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 17 | 23 | 36 | 51 | 65 | 74 | 79 | 77 | 68 | 53 | 35 | 22 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
February is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Fern Township →
Next door
Fern Township and its neighbors
Fern Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Fern Township35 miRockwood Township30 miJones Township17 miGrant Valley Township11 miBear Creek Township10 miLake Hattie Township7.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fern Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rockwood Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bear Creek Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lake Hattie Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Jones Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Grant Valley Township | 11% | 0.3 | 2 | 2% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Fern Township
Where can I hike in Fern Township?
The longest trail networks: La Salle Lake State Recreation Area, 8.3 miles; Mississippi Headwaters State Forest, 2.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Fern Township’s trails?
La Salle Lake State Recreation Area and Mississippi Headwaters State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Fern Township?
45,634 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Fern Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,745 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Fern 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 →