Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
6,996 acres5.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
–Not graded
Outdoors in Cunningham Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Cunningham Township
The biggest trail networks: Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge (5.5 mi), Yellow Creek Conservation Area (2 mi). 33% of Cunningham Township’s land is conserved, about 12,298 acres. 5 acres are parks and preserves, 27 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
33%
12,298 acres · of 57.7 sq mi of land
Trails
39 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
5 ac
27 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
38%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
6
4 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 Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, with 5.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Yellow Creek Conservation Area
Managed by Missouri Department of Conservation
583 acres2 mi of trail
North TrailSouth trailSouth TrailNorth trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Fountain Grove Conservation Area
Managed by Missouri Department of Conservation
4 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Sumner Access
Managed by Missouri Department of Conservation
3 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
12,298 conserved acres
33% of Cunningham Township’s land. Water is left out: Cunningham Township has 57.7 square miles of land and 4.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Cunningham Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service13,974 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)4,717 ac
Not recorded594 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 13,974 acConservation Easement · 4,717 acState Conservation Area · 591 acPrivate Recreation or Education · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,713 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 13,974 | Restricted |
| Yellow Creek Natural Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 474 | Restricted |
| Yellow Creek Conservation Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 115 | Restricted |
| Sumner Access Private Recreation or Education | Not recorded | 3 | Closed |
| Fountain Grove Conservation Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 2 | Restricted |
Things to do
5 places to go in Cunningham Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Cunningham Township
Sumner Access Boat RampIn Sumner Access
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Cunningham Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
North Trail1.5 mi
South trail0.3 mi
South Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Cunningham Township: April and August
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) | 9.7 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 42 | 54 | 65 | 75 | 84 | 88 | 86 | 79 | 67 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 1.7 |
January is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 5.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Cunningham Township →
Next door
Cunningham Township and its neighbors
Cunningham Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Cunningham Township39 miMendon Township27 miTriplett Township26 miParson Creek Township19 miYellow Creek Township4.6 miJefferson Township2.8 miHurricane Township2.4 miGrand River Township1.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cunningham Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Grand River Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hurricane Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Yellow Creek Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Jefferson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mendon Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Triplett Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Parson Creek 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 Cunningham Township
Where can I hike in Cunningham Township?
The longest trail networks: Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 5.5 miles; Yellow Creek Conservation Area, 2 miles; Sumner Access, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Cunningham Township’s trails?
Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Yellow Creek Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Cunningham Township?
4,051 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cunningham Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Cunningham 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 →