Bowstring State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
6,609 acres3.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Leech Lake Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Leech Lake Township
The biggest trail networks: Bowstring State Forest (3.5 mi). 36% of Leech Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 5,409 acres. 3.7 miles of mapped trail cross Leech Lake Township, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
36%
5,409 acres · of 23.6 sq mi of land
Trails
3.7 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.0 mi
7.0 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
6 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 Bowstring State Forest, with 3.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Chippewa National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
3,519 acres0.2 mi of trail
45th Ave Northwest
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Welsh Lake State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
2,262 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
5,409 conserved acres
36% of Leech Lake Township’s land. Water is left out: Leech Lake Township has 23.6 square miles of land and 11.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Leech Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources3,179 ac
U.S. Forest Service2,235 ac
State Resource Management Area · 3,179 acNational Forest · 2,235 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welsh Lake State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 2,272 | Open |
| Chippewa National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 2,235 | Open |
| Bowstring State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 873 | Open |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 34 | Open |
Things to do
6 places to go in Leech Lake Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Leech Lake Township
6 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
45th Ave Northwest0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The walking year in Leech Lake 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 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 18 | 24 | 37 | 52 | 66 | 75 | 79 | 77 | 68 | 53 | 36 | 23 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 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 Leech Lake Township →
Next door
Leech Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leech Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wilkinson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lakeport Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Shingobee Township | 51% | 1.1 | under 1 | 1% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Leech Lake Township
Where can I hike in Leech Lake Township?
The longest trail networks: Bowstring State Forest, 3.5 miles; Chippewa National Forest, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Leech Lake Township’s trails?
Bowstring State Forest and Chippewa National Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Leech Lake Township?
7.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Leech Lake Township?
123,799 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Leech Lake Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,122 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Leech Lake 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 →