Heron Lake Wildlife Management Area: West Heron Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
317 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in West Heron Lake Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in West Heron Lake Township
2% of West Heron Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 382 acres. 5.6 miles of mapped trail cross West Heron Lake Township, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
2%
382 acres · of 27.1 sq mi of land
Trails
5.6 mi
0.2 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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Heron Lake Wildlife Management Area: South Heron Unit
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
55 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
382 conserved acres
2% of West Heron Lake Township’s land. Who manages West Heron Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife145 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service127 ac
Other state land110 ac
Conservation Easement · 238 acState Conservation Area · 145 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 237 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heron Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 145 | Restricted |
Things to do
2 places to go in West Heron Lake Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Campgrounds in West Heron Lake Township
Sandy Point ParkFee
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
2 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in West Heron 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 59 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in West Heron Lake Township →
Next door
West Heron Lake Township and its neighbors
West Heron Lake Township has the most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Heron Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Heron Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Weimer Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Alba 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 West Heron Lake Township
Are dogs allowed on West Heron Lake Township’s trails?
Heron Lake Wildlife Management Area: West Heron Unit and Heron Lake Wildlife Management Area: South Heron Unit don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near West Heron Lake Township?
335 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Heron 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 West Heron 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 →