Lake Shetek State Park
Park
976 acres6.9 mi of trail
Smith Lake TrailLoon Island TrailLake Side TrailBluebird Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in The Lakes
Few parks or trails are on the map in The Lakes
The biggest trail networks: Lake Shetek State Park (6.9 mi). 10% of The Lakes’ land is conserved, about 2,159 acres. 1,002 acres are parks and preserves, 1,687 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
10%
2,159 acres · of 33.7 sq mi of land
Trails
9.9 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,002 ac
1,687 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
14%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.2 mi
4.2 mi paths
Highest peak
1,558 ft
Oc̣eyadaƞ
Lakes & rivers
15
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 Lake Shetek State Park, with 6.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lake Maria Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
455 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Shetek Wildlife Management Area, East Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
341 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Shetek Wildlife Management Area, West Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
208 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 6 parks & preserves
Lake Shetek State Park976 acres · 6.9 mi of trail
DirectionsShetek Wildlife Management Area, West Unit208 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsLake Maria Wildlife Management Area455 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Shetek Wildlife Management Area, East Unit341 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsBeaver Creek Wildlife Management Area, Northeast Unit109 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsElder Wildlife Management Area21 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWho protects it
2,159 conserved acres
10% of The Lakes’ land. Water is left out: The Lakes has 33.7 square miles of land and 9.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages The Lakes’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife1,045 ac
State parks817 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service154 ac
Other state land142 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,045 acState Park · 817 acConservation Easement · 297 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 297 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Shetek State Park State Park | State parks | 817 | Open |
| Shetek State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 548 | Restricted |
| Lake Maria State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 332 | Restricted |
| Beaver Creek State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 109 | Restricted |
| Buttermilk Run State Aquatic Management Area (Murray) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 28 | Restricted |
| Elder State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 21 | Restricted |
| Shetek Lake FMA (Murray) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 6 | Restricted |
Things to do
5 places to go in The Lakes
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in The Lakes
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in The Lakes
Oc̣eyadaƞ1,558 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in The Lakes
Camp ShetekFee · Sioux Council
DirectionsSundquist Park at West Lake SarahFee
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
10 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 7.1 mi
Smith Lake Trail1.5 mi
Loon Island Trail1.1 mi
Lake Side Trail0.8 mi
Bluebird Trail0.6 mi
Park Lake Trail0.4 mi
Picnic Trail0.3 mi
Zuya Trail0.3 mi
Fish Pond Trail0.3 mi
Hawthorn Trail0.3 mi
Boat Landing Trail0.2 mi
Biking & sports
4.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.2 mi
off-road bike paths
When to get out
The walking year in The Lakes
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 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 27 | 40 | 55 | 68 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 58 | 41 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in The Lakes →
Next door
The Lakes and its neighbors
The Lakes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Lakes | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Shetek Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lake Sarah 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 The Lakes
Where can I hike in The Lakes?
The longest trail networks: Lake Shetek State Park, 6.9 miles; Shetek Wildlife Management Area, West Unit, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on The Lakes’ trails?
Lake Shetek State Park and Lake Maria Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in The Lakes?
4.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near The Lakes?
1,805 acres of parks and open public land lie inside The Lakes or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,002 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from The Lakes 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 →