Rau Prairie Pothole Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
105 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Willmar Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Willmar Township
11% of Willmar Township’s land is conserved, about 1,562 acres. 2 acres are parks and preserves, 4.4 per 1,000 residents. 1.5 miles of mapped trail cross Willmar Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
11%
1,562 acres · of 21.7 sq mi of land
Trails
1.5 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
2 ac
4.4 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
40%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.5 mi
1.3 mi paths
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.
Who protects it
1,562 conserved acres
11% of Willmar Township’s land. Who manages Willmar Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,189 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)265 ac
State fish & wildlife105 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service104 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,557 acState Conservation Area · 105 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,457 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rau Prairie Pothole State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 105 | Restricted |
Trails & water
1 named trail
Named trails
30th Street Southwest0.3 mi
Biking & sports
3.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.3 mi
off-road bike paths
2.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
When to get out
The walking year in Willmar 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) | 21 | 26 | 39 | 55 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 40 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 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 Willmar Township →
Next door
Willmar Township and its neighbors
Willmar Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Willmar7.7 miWillmar Township1.5 miSt. Johns Township1.1 miWhitefield Township0.5 miKandiyohi Township0.4 miDovre Township0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willmar Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Willmar | 5% | 0.5 | 18 | 96% | A− |
| Kandiyohi Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Dovre Township | 10% | under 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
| St. Johns Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Whitefield 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 Willmar Township
Are dogs allowed on Willmar Township’s trails?
Rau Prairie Pothole Wildlife Management Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Willmar Township?
3.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.3 of off-road paths and 2.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Willmar Township?
437 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Willmar Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Willmar 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 →