Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
569 acres3.8 mi of trail
Trout Valley Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Weaver Mercantile Building · Photo: Jonathunder · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Minneiska Township
More than half of Minneiska Township’s land is conserved: 50%
50% of Minneiska Township’s land is conserved, about 3,400 acres. The biggest trail networks: Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest (3.8 mi). 3 acres are parks and preserves, 14 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
50%
3,400 acres · of 10.5 sq mi of land
Trails
4.5 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
3 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
4%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.8 mi
Lakes & rivers
4
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 Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest, with 3.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, Main Branch Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
915 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mc Carthy Lake Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
373 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, Osprey Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
6 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 5 parks & preserves
Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest569 acres · 3.8 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, Main Branch Unit915 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMc Carthy Lake Wildlife Management Area373 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWhitewater Wildlife Management Area, Osprey Unit6 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge - Weaver Landing3 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,400 conserved acres
50% of Minneiska Township’s land. Water is left out: Minneiska Township has 10.5 square miles of land and 7.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Minneiska Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service3,510 ac
State natural resources1,274 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits890 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 3,510 acPrivate Conservation · 824 acState Conservation Area · 692 acState Resource Management Area · 583 acConservation Easement · 66 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 33 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 13 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 3,510 | Restricted |
| Weaver Dunes Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 824 | Unknown |
| R J D Memorial Hardwood State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 581 | Open |
| Weaver Dunes State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 494 | Restricted |
| Kellogg-Weaver Dunes State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 198 | Restricted |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 2 | Open |
Things to do
4 places to go in Minneiska Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Minneiska Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Minneiska Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.9 miHorses · 3.9 mi
Trout Valley Trail3.9 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Weaver Mercantile BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Minneiska 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 25 | 30 | 43 | 58 | 70 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 73 | 60 | 44 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Minneiska Township →
Next door
Minneiska Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Watopa Township19 miGreenfield Township5.3 miMinneiska Township4.5 miBelvidere1.2 miBuffalo City0.3 miMinneiska0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneiska Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Minneiska | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Watopa Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Greenfield Township | 14% | 0.2 | 3 | 3% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Minneiska Township
Where can I hike in Minneiska Township?
The longest trail networks: Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest, 3.8 miles; Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, Main Branch Unit, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Minneiska Township’s trails?
Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest and Whitewater Wildlife Management Area, Main Branch Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Minneiska Township?
7.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Minneiska Township?
15,363 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Minneiska Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 576 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Minneiska 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 →