Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1,322 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Preble Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Preble Township
The biggest trail networks: Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest (1.3 mi). 7% of Preble Township’s land is conserved, about 1,612 acres. 3.3 miles of mapped trail cross Preble Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
7%
1,612 acres · of 35.7 sq mi of land
Trails
3.3 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
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 1.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
1,612 conserved acres
7% of Preble Township’s land. Who manages Preble Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources1,329 ac
State fish & wildlife243 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service51 ac
Other state land30 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits25 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,329 acState Conservation Area · 243 acConservation Easement · 81 acPrivate Conservation · 25 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 81 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 8 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| R J D Memorial Hardwood State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1,329 | Open |
| So. Fork Root River State Aquatic Management Area (Fillmore) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 125 | Restricted |
| Wisel Creek State Aquatic Management Area (Fillmore) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 70 | Restricted |
| Shattuck Creek State Aquatic Management Area (Fillmore) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 27 | Restricted |
| Root River Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 25 | Unknown |
| Maple Creek State Aquatic Management Area (Fillmore) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 21 | Restricted |
Things to do
1 places to go in Preble Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Campgrounds in Preble Township
Backwoods Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Preble 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 29 | 42 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 79 | 73 | 59 | 43 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
January is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Preble Township →
Next door
Preble Township and its neighbors
Preble 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preble Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Amherst Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Black Hammer Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Norway 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 Preble Township
Where can I hike in Preble Township?
The longest trail networks: Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Preble Township’s trails?
Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Preble Township?
12,993 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Preble Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,276 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Preble 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 →