Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Lawrence Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1,602 acres9.4 mi of trail
Minnesota Valley State Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Travellers & Tinkers · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in St. Lawrence Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in St. Lawrence Township
The biggest trail networks: Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Lawrence Unit (9.4 mi). 3% of St. Lawrence Township’s land is conserved, about 265 acres. 106 acres are parks and preserves, 173 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
3%
265 acres · of 13.6 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
106 ac
173 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
60%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
5
1 beach
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 Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Lawrence Unit, with 9.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Scott County Fairgrounds
Managed by Scott County Agricultural Society
74 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Thompson Ferry Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
265 conserved acres
3% of St. Lawrence Township’s land. Who manages St. Lawrence Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service392 ac
Other state land68 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 392 acConservation Easement · 68 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 68 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 392 | Restricted |
Things to do
3 places to go in St. Lawrence Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in St. Lawrence Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in St. Lawrence Township
Minnesota Valley State Park -Horse CampIn Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Lawrence Unit
DirectionsMinnesota Valley State Park -QuarryFee · In Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Lawrence Unit
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.5 miHorses · 8.5 miUnpaved · 11.2 mi
Minnesota Valley State Trail8.1 mi
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).
Abraham Bisson HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in St. Lawrence 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 59 | 42 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in St. Lawrence Township →
Next door
St. Lawrence Township and its neighbors
St. Lawrence Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
St. Lawrence Township15 miSand Creek Township11 miBelle Plaine3.2 miSan Francisco Township2.6 miJordan1.3 miBelle Plaine Township0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Lawrence Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| San Francisco Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Jordan | 3% | 0.4 | 17 | 99% | B+ |
| Belle Plaine Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Sand Creek Township | 6% | 0.3 | 149 | 8% | B |
| Belle Plaine | 1% | 0.5 | 8 | 90% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in St. Lawrence Township
Where can I hike in St. Lawrence Township?
The longest trail networks: Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Lawrence Unit, 9.4 miles; TCRC Model Air Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on St. Lawrence Township’s trails?
Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Lawrence Unit and Scott County Fairgrounds don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near St. Lawrence Township?
6,219 acres of parks and open public land lie inside St. Lawrence Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 106 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from St. Lawrence 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 →