Main Unit
Nature preserve
6,722 acres8.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in St. Joseph Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in St. Joseph Township
The biggest trail networks: Main Unit (8.7 mi). 29% of St. Joseph Township’s land is conserved, about 8,254 acres. 22 miles of mapped trail cross St. Joseph Township, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
29%
8,254 acres · of 45.0 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
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 Main Unit, with 8.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Skull Lake Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
7,158 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
South Unit
Nature preserve
436 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
8,254 conserved acres
29% of St. Joseph Township’s land. Who manages St. Joseph Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife7,156 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,099 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service1 ac
State Conservation Area · 7,156 acPrivate Conservation · 1,099 acConservation Easement · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 6 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skull Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 7,156 | Restricted |
| Tallgrass Aspen Parklands Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 727 | Unknown |
| Tallgrass Aspen Parkland Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 372 | Unknown |
When to get out
The walking year in St. Joseph 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) | 8.7 | 10.1 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.3 | 16.2 | 15.8 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°F) | 13 | 18 | 33 | 51 | 66 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 68 | 52 | 33 | 19 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
February is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in St. Joseph Township →
Next door
St. Joseph Township and its neighbors
St. Joseph Township has the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Poppleton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Richardville 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 St. Joseph Township
Where can I hike in St. Joseph Township?
The longest trail networks: Main Unit, 8.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on St. Joseph Township’s trails?
Main Unit and Skull Lake Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near St. Joseph Township?
226 acres of parks and open public land lie inside St. Joseph Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from St. Joseph 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 →