Cow Creek Recreation Area
Managed by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks
214 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Pierre Masonic Lodge · Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Cow Creek
29% of Cow Creek’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 29% of Cow Creek’s land is conserved, about 340 acres. 295 acres are parks and preserves, 4,278 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
29%
340 acres · of 1.8 sq mi of land
Trails
0.0 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
295 ac
4,278 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
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
340 conserved acres
29% of Cow Creek’s land. Who manages Cow Creek’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks280 ac
Army Corps of Engineers63 ac
State Recreation Area · 280 acRecreation Management Area · 63 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cow Creek Recreation Area State Recreation Area | State parks | 264 | Open |
| Oaha Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 63 | Open |
| Spring Creek Recreation Area State Recreation Area | State parks | 16 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Cow Creek
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Cow Creek
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
When to get out
The best walking months in Cow Creek: 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 34 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 81 | 89 | 87 | 78 | 62 | 46 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
January is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 3.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Cow Creek →
Questions about parks and trails in Cow Creek
Are dogs allowed on Cow Creek’s trails?
Cow Creek Recreation Area doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Cow Creek?
12,576 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cow Creek or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 343 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Cow Creek 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 →