Belwin Conservancy
Managed by Belwin Conservancy
153 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
B−Outdoors
Outdoors in West Lakeland Township
West Lakeland Township has 201 acres of parks, 51 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Belwin Conservancy (3 mi). 6% of West Lakeland Township’s land is conserved, about 460 acres. 3.2 miles of mapped trail cross West Lakeland Township, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns · #213 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
460 acres · of 12.3 sq mi of land
Trails
3.2 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
201 ac
51 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
3%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
2.5 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does West Lakeland Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, West Lakeland Township is ahead of 49% of U.S. towns, #213 of 274 in Minnesota. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of West Lakeland Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (3 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land51 acres of park per 1,000 residents (201 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home3% of residents within a half mile of a park · MN 95% · U.S. 72%D
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 49%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 22%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Belwin Conservancy, with 3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bayport Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
260 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Humphries Park
Park
1 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
460 conserved acres
6% of West Lakeland Township’s land. Who manages West Lakeland Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife258 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits202 ac
State Conservation Area · 258 acLocal Conservation Area · 154 acLocal Recreation Area · 48 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayport State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 258 | Restricted |
| Belwin Conservancy Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 154 | Open |
| Lucy Winton Bell Athletic Fields Local Recreation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 48 | Open |
Things to do
2 places to go in West Lakeland Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in West Lakeland Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in West Lakeland Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.5 mi
off-road bike paths
10 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
8Soccer
4Baseball
1Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The walking year in West Lakeland 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 41 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in West Lakeland Township →
Next door
West Lakeland Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lake Elmo44 miAfton23 miWest Lakeland Township3.2 miHudson2.7 miBaytown Township1.3 miBayport1.2 miLakeland0.1 miNorth Hudson0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Lakeland Township | 6% | 0.3 | 51 | 3% | B− |
| Afton | 8% | 0.9 | 469 | 36% | A− |
| Lake Elmo | 20% | 2.0 | 222 | 82% | A+ |
| Lakeland | 1% | under 0.1 | 11 | 95% | C+ |
| Baytown Township | 6% | 0.2 | 54 | 36% | B |
| Bayport | 8% | 0.7 | 18 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Lakeland Township
Where can I hike in West Lakeland Township?
The longest trail networks: Belwin Conservancy, 3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of West Lakeland Township is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Minnesota town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on West Lakeland Township’s trails?
Belwin Conservancy and Bayport Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Lakeland Township?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.5 of off-road paths and 10 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near West Lakeland Township?
27,060 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Lakeland Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 201 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does West Lakeland Township have?
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #213 of 274 in Minnesota. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from West Lakeland 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 →