Welsh Lake State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
3,988 acres2.4 mi of trail
Steamboat River Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Great Northern Railway Company Bridge · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Wilkinson Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Wilkinson Township
The biggest trail networks: Welsh Lake State Forest (2.4 mi), Bowstring State Forest (2 mi). 37% of Wilkinson Township’s land is conserved, about 7,306 acres. 5.3 miles of mapped trail cross Wilkinson Township, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
37%
7,306 acres · of 30.7 sq mi of land
Trails
5.3 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.1 mi
6.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
13
3 boat launches
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 Welsh Lake State Forest, with 2.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bowstring State Forest
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
4,027 acres2 mi of trail
Forest Rt 3917
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Chippewa National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
3,384 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Steamboat Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
34 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
7,306 conserved acres
37% of Wilkinson Township’s land. Water is left out: Wilkinson Township has 30.7 square miles of land and 5.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Wilkinson Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources4,195 ac
U.S. Forest Service3,040 ac
State fish & wildlife90 ac
State Resource Management Area · 4,195 acNational Forest · 3,040 acState Conservation Area · 90 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welsh Lake State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 3,955 | Open |
| Chippewa National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 3,040 | Open |
| Bowstring State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 239 | Open |
| Steamboat Lake State Aquatic Management Area (Cass) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 57 | Restricted |
| Steamboat State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 34 | Restricted |
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1 | Open |
Things to do
4 places to go in Wilkinson Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Wilkinson Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Wilkinson Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.3 mi
Steamboat River Trail3.1 mi
Forest Rt 39172.0 mi
Biking & sports
6.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
4Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Great Northern Railway Company BridgeStructure · listed 1980
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Wilkinson 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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.1 | 15.9 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 18 | 24 | 37 | 52 | 66 | 75 | 79 | 77 | 68 | 53 | 36 | 23 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
February is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Wilkinson Township →
Next door
Wilkinson Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Otter Tail Peninsula Township22 miPike Bay Township16 miWilkinson Township5.3 miLeech Lake Township3.7 miHart Lake Township1.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkinson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pike Bay Township | 18% | 0.7 | under 1 | 5% | C+ |
| Leech Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hart Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Otter Tail Peninsula 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 Wilkinson Township
Where can I hike in Wilkinson Township?
The longest trail networks: Welsh Lake State Forest, 2.4 miles; Bowstring State Forest, 2 miles; Chippewa National Forest, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Wilkinson Township’s trails?
Welsh Lake State Forest and Bowstring State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wilkinson Township?
6.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Wilkinson Township?
111,281 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wilkinson Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,269 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Wilkinson 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 →