Nemadji State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
37,090 acres78.2 mi of trail
Matthew Lourey TrailIron Pipe TrailGandy Dancer TrailUpper Willows Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Nickerson Township
More than half of Nickerson Township’s land is conserved: 79%
79% of Nickerson Township’s land is conserved, about 37,247 acres. The biggest trail networks: Nemadji State Forest (78.2 mi). 8 acres are parks and preserves, 30 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
79%
37,247 acres · of 73.8 sq mi of land
Trails
81 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
8 ac
30 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
7%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.3 mi
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
The longest trail network is Nemadji State Forest, with 78.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Jackie Berger Memorial Park
Park
1 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
37,247 conserved acres
79% of Nickerson Township’s land. Who manages Nickerson Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources37,168 ac
State fish & wildlife79 ac
State Resource Management Area · 37,168 acState Conservation Area · 79 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nemadji State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 37,090 | Open |
| Hjalmar & Frances Storlie State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 79 | Restricted |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 78 | Open |
Things to do
4 places to go in Nickerson Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Picnic areas in Nickerson Township
Opa's PicnicIn Nemadji State Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in Nickerson Township
Gafvert CampgroundFee · In Nemadji State Forest
DirectionsGafvert CampgroundIn Nemadji State Forest
DirectionsNemadji State Forest -Gafvert CampgroundFee · In Nemadji State Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.0 mi
Matthew Lourey Trail13.2 mi
Iron Pipe Trail6.1 mi
Gandy Dancer Trail6.0 mi
Upper Willows Trail5.9 mi
Adventure Trail West5.8 mi
OHM5.4 mi
ATV/OHM4.2 mi
Bald Eagle Trail3.1 mi
Duquette Run Trail2.9 mi
Grouse2.9 mi
15 more trails
Yellow Birch Trail
2.8 miAdventure Trail East
2.4 miNemadji Hilton Trail
2.0 miBirch Ridge Trail
2.0 miContinental Divide Trail
1.7 miOHM/ATV Class 1
1.3 miOpa Frank's Adventure Loop
1.3 miBriar Patch
1.0 miOHM/ATV
0.6 miStraight Arrows Trail
0.5 miDead End Path
0.5 miOHM/ATV-Class 1
0.5 miTechnical Run
0.4 miDeer Run
0.3 miConnector
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Gandy Dancer State TrailBike route
6 miWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Nickerson 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 19 | 25 | 38 | 51 | 65 | 74 | 79 | 77 | 68 | 53 | 37 | 24 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.5 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Nickerson Township →
Next door
Nickerson Township and its neighbors
Nickerson Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Nickerson Township81 miSummit39 miHolyoke Township36 miNew Dosey Township20 miPark Township7.7 miKerrick Township3.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickerson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Kerrick Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Holyoke Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Park Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| New Dosey 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 Nickerson Township
Where can I hike in Nickerson Township?
The longest trail networks: Nemadji State Forest, 78.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Nickerson Township’s trails?
Nemadji State Forest and Jackie Berger Memorial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Nickerson Township?
4.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.3 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Gandy Dancer State Trail.
Is there public land near Nickerson Township?
185,905 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Nickerson Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 35,990 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Nickerson 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 →