Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
11,272 acres6.3 mi of trail
State Wild Life270th Avenue Northeast
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Thief Lake Township
More than half of Thief Lake Township’s land is conserved: 65%
65% of Thief Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 11,769 acres. The biggest trail networks: Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area (6.3 mi). 12 miles of mapped trail cross Thief Lake Township, 0.4 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
65%
11,769 acres · of 28.1 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
2
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 Thief Lake WMA, with 6.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Palmville Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
350 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
11,769 conserved acres
65% of Thief Lake Township’s land. Water is left out: Thief Lake Township has 28.1 square miles of land and 8.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Thief Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife11,621 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)150 ac
State Conservation Area · 11,621 acConservation Easement · 150 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 148 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thief Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 11,271 | Restricted |
| Palmville State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 350 | Restricted |
Trails & water
2 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
270th Avenue Northeast1.6 mi
State Wild Life1.0 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The walking year in Thief Lake 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 | 15.2 | 16.1 | 15.7 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.1 | 8.3 |
| High (°F) | 14 | 21 | 35 | 51 | 66 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 68 | 52 | 34 | 20 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
February is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 3.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Thief Lake Township →
Next door
Thief Lake Township and its neighbors
Thief Lake Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Thief Lake Township12 miMoose River Township7.2 miComo Township7.1 miPoplar Grove Township4.6 miWhiteford Township4.3 miRollis Township1.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thief Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Whiteford Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Moose River Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Poplar Grove Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Como Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rollis 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 Thief Lake Township
Where can I hike in Thief Lake Township?
The longest trail networks: Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area, 6.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Thief Lake Township’s trails?
Thief Lake Wildlife Management Area and Palmville Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Thief Lake Township?
43 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Thief Lake 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 Thief Lake 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 →