Superior National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
22,444 acres7.7 mi of trail
Bass Lake TrailDavid Dill-Taconite State TrailDry Lake TrailHobo Lake Hiking Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Listening Point · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Morse Township
35% of Morse Township’s land is conserved: 26,001 acres
480 acres are parks and preserves, 420 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Superior National Forest (7.7 mi), Hidden Valley Recreation Area (4.7 mi), Bear Island State Forest (4 mi). 11% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
35%
26,001 acres · of 116.0 sq mi of land
Trails
67 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
480 ac
420 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
11%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
10 mi
10 mi paths
Highest peak
1,480 ft
Blueberry Bluff
Lakes & rivers
41
1 beach · 8 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Morse Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Morse Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Morse Township is ahead of 78% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Morse Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land35% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (67 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land420 acres of park per 1,000 residents (480 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13AParks close to home11% of residents within a half mile of a park · MN 95% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 78%
LessMore
Water is 16% of Morse Township’s area (22 of 138 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 30%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Superior National Forest, with 7.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hidden Valley Recreation Area
Park
307 acres4.7 mi of trail
Magic CarpetBig PinesEly AirlinesOutback
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bear Island State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
5,456 acres4 mi of trail
David Dill-Taconite State Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Managed by United States Forest Service
2,445 acres2.1 mi of trail
Ole Lake
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Old Koschak Farm Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
87 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bear Head Lake State Park
Nature preserve
181 acres0.3 mi of trail
David Dill-Taconite State Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Superior National Forest22,444 acres · 7.7 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsHidden Valley Recreation Area307 acres · 4.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBear Island State Forest5,456 acres · 4 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness2,445 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
Old Koschak Farm Wildlife Management Area87 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsBear Head Lake State Park181 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Burntside State Forest599 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Who protects it
26,001 conserved acres
35% of Morse Township’s land. Water is left out: Morse Township has 116.0 square miles of land and 22.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Morse Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service22,444 ac
State natural resources3,411 ac
State fish & wildlife130 ac
Bureau of Land Management109 ac
National Forest · 22,444 acState Resource Management Area · 3,175 acState Conservation Area · 365 acNational Public Lands · 109 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superior National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 22,444 | Open |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 3,175 | Open |
| Purvis Lake-Ober Foundation State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 164 | Restricted |
| Northeastern States District Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 109 | Open |
| Old Koschak Farm State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 87 | Restricted |
| Purvis Creek State Aquatic Management Area (St. Louis) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 43 | Restricted |
| Snellman Island State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 43 | Restricted |
| Pine Island State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 16 | Restricted |
| Gaul or Hayes Islands State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 11 | Restricted |
| Burntside Islands State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1 | Restricted |
Things to do
32 places to go in Morse Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Morse Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Morse Township
Burntside Lake (NE) Public Water Access Site
DirectionsBurntside Lake (S) Public Water Access Site
DirectionsCcounty Road 404 Public Water Access Site
DirectionsCounty Road 88 Public Water Access Site
DirectionsLittle Long Lake Public Water Access SiteIn Superior National Forest
DirectionsSandy Point Public Water Access Site
DirectionsShagawa Lake (NW) Public Water Access Site
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Morse Township
Dry Falls
DirectionsPeaks in Morse Township
Blueberry Bluff1,480 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Morse Township
21 campgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
11 named trails and 41 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 19.3 miUnpaved · 45.9 mi
David Dill-Taconite State Trail15.2 mi
Bass Lake Trail5.7 mi
Dry Lake Trail1.7 mi
Magic Carpet1.4 mi
Big Pines1.3 mi
Ole Lake1.1 mi
Ely Airlines0.9 mi
Outback0.9 mi
Hobo Lake Hiking Trail0.3 mi
Old Hwy 10.3 mi
1 more trails
Prospector Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bass LakeBeaver PondBurgo LakeBurntside LakelakeChant LakeCoo LakeDeadman LakeDry LakeGeraldine LakeGrassy LakeHigh LakeHobo LakeJig LakeJohnson LakeLittle Dry LakeLittle Long LakelakeMaxine LakeMeadow LakeMinister LakeMitchell LakeMud LakeOle LakeOne Pine LakePicketts LakePurvis LakeRobinson LakeShagawa LakeShipman Bass LakeTwin LakesWolf LakeWolf Lake rearing pondpondArmstrong CreekArmstrong RiverBear Island RiverBeaver RiverBurntside RiverDead RiverJohnson CreekLongstorff CreekSection Thirty CreekShagawa River
Biking & sports
10 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
10 mi
off-road bike paths
Magic CarpetBike route
1.4 miBig PinesBike route
1.3 miEly AirlinesBike route
0.9 miOutbackBike route
0.9 miHistory along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The walking year in Morse 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) | 8.8 | 10.2 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 16.0 | 15.6 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| High (°F) | 16 | 23 | 36 | 50 | 64 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 66 | 51 | 34 | 21 |
| Rain (in) | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.3 |
February is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Morse Township →
Next door
Morse Township and its neighbors
Morse Township has the second most mapped trails of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morse Township | 35% | 0.6 | 420 | 11% | A− |
| Fall Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Eagles Nest 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 Morse Township
Where can I hike in Morse Township?
The longest trail networks: Superior National Forest, 7.7 miles; Hidden Valley Recreation Area, 4.7 miles; Bear Island State Forest, 4 miles; Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Morse Township is conserved land?
35% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Minnesota town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Morse Township’s trails?
Superior National Forest and Hidden Valley Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Morse Township?
10 miles of bike routes are on the map: 10 of off-road paths. Named routes: Magic Carpet, Big Pines and Ely Airlines.
Is there public land near Morse Township?
128,833 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Morse Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 21,780 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Morse Township have?
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Morse 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 →