Schaefer Prairie
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
159 acres
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Sumter Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Sumter Township
5% of Sumter Township’s land is conserved, about 1,192 acres. 0.8 miles of mapped trail cross Sumter Township. 1% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Conserved land
5%
1,192 acres · of 35.0 sq mi of land
Trails
0.8 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Near a park
1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
5
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.
Sumter Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
79 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Phasianus Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
4 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
1,192 conserved acres
5% of Sumter Township’s land. Who manages Sumter Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service887 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)248 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits158 ac
Other state land114 ac
State fish & wildlife83 ac
Conservation Easement · 803 acResource Management Area · 446 acPrivate Conservation · 158 acState Conservation Area · 83 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 728 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 22 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mcleod County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 446 | Restricted |
| Schaefer Prairie Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 158 | Unknown |
| Sumter State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 79 | Restricted |
| Phasianus State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 4 | Restricted |
Trails & water
5 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The walking year in Sumter 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 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 27 | 40 | 56 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 41 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Sumter Township →
Next door
Sumter Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hassan Valley Township4.2 miGlencoe Township2.8 miSumter Township0.8 miCollins Township0.1 miPenn Township0.0 miRound Grove Township0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Collins Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Glencoe Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hassan Valley Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Penn Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Round Grove 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 Sumter Township
Are dogs allowed on Sumter Township’s trails?
Schaefer Prairie and Sumter Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Sumter Township?
448 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sumter 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 Sumter 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 →