Mississippi Headwaters State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1,252 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Itasca Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Itasca Township
The biggest trail networks: Mississippi Headwaters State Forest (2.8 mi), Itasca State Park (2.4 mi). 12% of Itasca Township’s land is conserved, about 2,582 acres. 765 acres are parks and preserves, 3,677 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
12%
2,582 acres · of 34.3 sq mi of land
Trails
20 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
765 ac
3,677 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
10%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.0 mi
2.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
3 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 Mississippi Headwaters State Forest, with 2.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Itasca State Park
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1,152 acres2.4 mi of trail
Sawmill TrailIndian Mounds TrailNo-Name Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Iron Springs Bog SNA
Nature preserve
206 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mallard Lake Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
45 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Mississippi Headwaters State Forest1,252 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Itasca State Park1,152 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsIron Springs Bog SNA206 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Mallard Lake Wildlife Management Area45 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Sucker Lake Wildlife Management Area40 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Robinson Lake Wildlife Management Area40 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Gill Lake Wildlife Management Area32 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Who protects it
2,582 conserved acres
12% of Itasca Township’s land. Who manages Itasca Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources1,624 ac
State parks783 ac
State fish & wildlife207 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,411 acState Park · 783 acState Conservation Area · 419 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Headwaters State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1,252 | Open |
| Itasca State Park State Park | State parks | 783 | Open |
| Iron Springs Bog State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 213 | Restricted |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 159 | Open |
| Sucker Brook State Aquatic Management Area (Clearwater) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 49 | Restricted |
| Mallard Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 45 | Restricted |
| Sucker Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 40 | Restricted |
| Robinson Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 40 | Restricted |
| Gill Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 32 | Restricted |
Things to do
6 places to go in Itasca Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Itasca Township
Gulsvig Landing
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Itasca Township
Mississippi River HeadwatersIn Itasca State Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Itasca Township
Wanagan Watercraft CampsiteIn Mississippi Headwaters State Forest · Minnesota DNR
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.3 mi
Mallard Grade Trail1.2 mi
Itasca Twp 1870.8 mi
Township Road 1910.7 mi
Sawmill Trail0.6 mi
Township Road 20.5 mi
Indian Mounds Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.0 mi
off-road bike paths
When to get out
The walking year in Itasca 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 | 13.5 | 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 | 52 | 35 | 22 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.9 |
January 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 Itasca Township →
Next door
Itasca Township and its neighbors
Itasca Township has the most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Itasca 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 | ||||
| Rice 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 | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Itasca Township
Where can I hike in Itasca Township?
The longest trail networks: Mississippi Headwaters State Forest, 2.8 miles; Itasca State Park, 2.4 miles; Iron Springs Bog SNA, 0.3 miles; Mallard Lake Wildlife Management Area, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Itasca Township’s trails?
Mississippi Headwaters State Forest and Itasca State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Itasca Township?
2.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Itasca Township?
67,012 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Itasca Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,188 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Itasca 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 →