Lake Thompson Recreation Area
Managed by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks
372 acres1.5 mi of trail
Park Tour Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Baker Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Baker Township
The biggest trail networks: Lake Thompson Recreation Area (1.5 mi). 23% of Baker Township’s land is conserved, about 10,211 acres. 262 acres are parks and preserves, 1,526 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
23%
10,211 acres · of 69.7 sq mi of land
Trails
8.1 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
262 ac
1,526 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
4%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
2 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 Lake Thompson Recreation Area, with 1.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
10,211 conserved acres
23% of Baker Township’s land. Water is left out: Baker Township has 69.7 square miles of land and 4.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Baker Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service9,070 ac
State fish & wildlife2,451 ac
State parks267 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)123 ac
Conservation Easement · 7,969 acState Conservation Area · 2,451 acResource Management Area · 1,224 acState Recreation Area · 267 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 6,879 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 Thompson Game Production Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,675 | Restricted |
| Kingsbury County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 1,224 | Restricted |
| Whitewood Slough State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 770 | Restricted |
| Lake Thompson Recreation Area State Recreation Area | State parks | 267 | Open |
| Whitewood Grade State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 6 | Restricted |
Things to do
3 places to go in Baker Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Baker Township
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Baker Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Park Tour Trail1.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The walking year in Baker 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 28 | 41 | 55 | 68 | 78 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 58 | 41 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
January is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Baker Township →
Next door
Baker Township and its neighbors
Baker Township has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Mathews Township12 miBaker Township8.1 miSpring Lake Township7.7 miHartland Township4.0 miWhitewood Township3.2 miDenver Township2.8 miDe Smet Township1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Whitewood Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Denver Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| De Smet Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hartland Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Spring Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mathews 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 Baker Township
Where can I hike in Baker Township?
The longest trail networks: Lake Thompson Recreation Area, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Baker Township’s trails?
Lake Thompson Recreation Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Baker Township?
951 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Baker Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 262 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Baker 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 →