Chippewa National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
9,743 acres11.4 mi of trail
Forestry Rd 2504National Forest Road 2518Forestry Rd 2520Forestry Rd 2480
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Sand Lake Township
More than half of Sand Lake Township’s land is conserved: 61%
61% of Sand Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 11,475 acres. The biggest trail networks: Chippewa National Forest (11.4 mi). 20 miles of mapped trail cross Sand Lake Township, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
61%
11,475 acres · of 29.5 sq mi of land
Trails
20 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
14
1 boat launch
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 Chippewa National Forest, with 11.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bowstring State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
16 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
11,475 conserved acres
61% of Sand Lake Township’s land. Water is left out: Sand Lake Township has 29.5 square miles of land and 8.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Sand Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service9,733 ac
State natural resources1,592 ac
State fish & wildlife169 ac
National Forest · 9,733 acState Resource Management Area · 1,592 acState Conservation Area · 169 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 9,733 | Open |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1,591 | Open |
| Birds Eye Lake State Aquatic Management Area (Itasca) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 165 | Restricted |
| Beemans Creek State Aquatic Management Area (Itasca) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 4 | Restricted |
| Bowstring State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Sand Lake Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Sand Lake Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
National Forest Road 25181.5 mi
Forestry Rd 25041.5 mi
Forestry Rd 24801.1 mi
Forestry Rd 25200.7 mi
When to get out
The walking year in Sand 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) | 8.8 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 16.0 | 15.6 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| High (°F) | 17 | 23 | 37 | 51 | 65 | 74 | 78 | 76 | 67 | 52 | 35 | 22 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
February is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Sand Lake Township →
Next door
Sand Lake Township and its neighbors
Sand Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Max Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wirt Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lake Jessie 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 Sand Lake Township
Where can I hike in Sand Lake Township?
The longest trail networks: Chippewa National Forest, 11.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Sand Lake Township’s trails?
Chippewa National Forest and Bowstring State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Sand Lake Township?
234,896 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sand Lake Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 11,360 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sand 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 →