Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1,144 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bridge No. 6679 · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Sheldon Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Sheldon Township
7% of Sheldon Township’s land is conserved, about 1,280 acres.
Conserved land
7%
1,280 acres · of 29.7 sq mi of land
Trails
0.0 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
3
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
1,280 conserved acres
7% of Sheldon Township’s land. Who manages Sheldon Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources1,145 ac
State fish & wildlife101 ac
Other state land53 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,145 acState Conservation Area · 101 acConservation Easement · 53 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 34 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. 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 | 1,145 | Open |
| Badger Creek State Aquatic Management Area (Houston) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 74 | Restricted |
| Swede Bottom Creek State Aquatic Management Area (Houston) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 17 | Restricted |
| West Beaver Creek Beaver Creek (Houston) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 10 | Restricted |
Trails & water
3 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Bridge No. 6679Structure · listed 2011
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Sheldon 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) | 25 | 31 | 43 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 44 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
February is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Sheldon Township →
Next door
Sheldon Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Yucatan Township15 miCaledonia Township8.7 miMound Prairie Township1.7 miHouston Township0.2 miSheldon Township0.0 miUnion Township0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheldon Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Caledonia Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Houston Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Yucatan Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Union Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mound Prairie 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 Sheldon Township
Are dogs allowed on Sheldon 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 Sheldon Township?
10,743 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sheldon Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,140 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sheldon 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 →