Lake Wanahoo NRD Recreation Area
Managed by Natural Resource District
1,718 acres13.2 mi of trail
Dolezal-Nieveen TrailBen Nelson Nebraska BreakwaterDwyer-Scheerer TrailEast Harding Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Center Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Center Township
The biggest trail networks: Lake Wanahoo NRD Recreation Area (13.2 mi). 8% of Center Township’s land is conserved, about 1,742 acres. 1,578 acres are parks and preserves, 2,516 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
8%
1,742 acres · of 33.9 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,578 ac
2,516 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
21%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.2 mi
0.2 mi paths
Highest peak
1,352 ft
Skunk Hill
Lakes & rivers
5
1 boat launch
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 Lake Wanahoo NRD Recreation Area, with 13.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
1,742 conserved acres
8% of Center Township’s land. Who manages Center Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife1,570 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)173 ac
State Recreation Area · 1,570 acConservation Easement · 173 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 173 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Wanahoo State Recreation Area State Recreation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,570 | Open |
Things to do
8 places to go in Center Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Center Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Center Township
Boat RampIn Lake Wanahoo NRD Recreation Area
DirectionsPeaks in Center Township
Skunk Hill1,352 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Center Township
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
12 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.0 miUnpaved · 10.9 mi
Lake Wanahoo Link Trail1.3 mi
Dolezal-Nieveen Trail0.8 mi
Ben Nelson Nebraska Breakwater0.7 mi
East Murren Trail0.7 mi
Dwyer-Scheerer Trail0.7 mi
Larsen-Koutny Trail0.7 mi
East Harding Trail0.6 mi
West Murren Trail0.6 mi
Divis-Dwyer Trail0.4 mi
West Harding Trail0.4 mi
2 more trails
Fujan-Divis Trail
0.2 miChristiansen-Hoffman Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
off-road bike paths
When to get out
The best walking months in Center Township: April and September
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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 38 | 51 | 63 | 73 | 83 | 87 | 84 | 78 | 65 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Center Township →
Next door
Center Township and its neighbors
Center 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wahoo | 3% | 0.2 | 12 | 84% | B− |
| Stocking Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Marietta 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 Center Township
Where can I hike in Center Township?
The longest trail networks: Lake Wanahoo NRD Recreation Area, 13.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Center Township’s trails?
Lake Wanahoo NRD Recreation Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Center Township?
0.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Center Township?
2,777 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Center Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,578 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Center 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 →