Nelson Lake WPA
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
944 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Gilchrist Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Gilchrist Township
36% of Gilchrist Township’s land is conserved, about 7,386 acres. 1.9 miles of mapped trail cross Gilchrist Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
36%
7,386 acres · of 32.0 sq mi of land
Trails
1.9 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
9
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.
Who protects it
7,386 conserved acres
36% of Gilchrist Township’s land. Water is left out: Gilchrist Township has 32.0 square miles of land and 3.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Gilchrist Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service7,770 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits727 ac
Other state land596 ac
State fish & wildlife413 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)294 ac
Conservation Easement · 5,591 acResource Management Area · 3,088 acPrivate Conservation · 708 acState Conservation Area · 413 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,719 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 58 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pope County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 3,086 | Restricted |
| Ordway/Glacial Lakes Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 708 | Unknown |
| Simon Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 413 | Restricted |
| Swift County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 2 | Restricted |
Trails & water
1 named trail and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Township Road T-3180.5 mi
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Urjans Iverson HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Gilchrist 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 20 | 25 | 38 | 54 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 56 | 39 | 25 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.8 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Gilchrist Township →
Next door
Gilchrist Township and its neighbors
Gilchrist Township has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lake Johanna Township3.6 miGilchrist Township1.9 miKerkhoven Township1.6 miChippewa Falls Township1.6 miRolling Forks Township1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilchrist Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rolling Forks Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lake Johanna Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Kerkhoven Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chippewa Falls 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 Gilchrist Township
Are dogs allowed on Gilchrist Township’s trails?
Nelson Lake WPA doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Gilchrist Township?
2,447 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gilchrist 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 Gilchrist 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 →