Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Nature preserve
1,800 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Hecla Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Hecla Township
42% of Hecla Township’s land is conserved, about 6,488 acres. 1.5 miles of mapped trail cross Hecla Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
42%
6,488 acres · of 24.0 sq mi of land
Trails
1.5 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
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 Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, with 0.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
6,488 conserved acres
42% of Hecla Township’s land. Who manages Hecla Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service7,657 ac
State fish & wildlife948 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)646 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 3,445 acConservation Easement · 3,412 acResource Management Area · 1,446 acState Conservation Area · 948 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,092 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 3,445 | Restricted |
| Brown County Waterfowl Production Area Of Sd Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 723 | Restricted |
| Brown County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 723 | Restricted |
| Hecla Management State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 640 | Restricted |
| East Hecla State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 154 | Restricted |
| West Hecla State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 154 | Restricted |
Things to do
1 places to go in Hecla Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Campgrounds in Hecla Township
Hecla Day Use AreaIn Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge
DirectionsTrails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Hecla Township: August 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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 20 | 25 | 39 | 55 | 68 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 72 | 57 | 39 | 26 |
| Rain (in) | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
January is the driest month (0.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Hecla Township →
Next door
Hecla Township and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hecla Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Liberty Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Portage Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lansing 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 Hecla Township
Where can I hike in Hecla Township?
The longest trail networks: Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Hecla Township’s trails?
Sand Lake National Wildlife Refuge doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Hecla Township?
1,201 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hecla Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Hecla 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 →