Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
2,914 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Howard Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Howard Township
13% of Howard Township’s land is conserved, about 3,598 acres. 6.2 miles of mapped trail cross Howard Township, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
13%
3,598 acres · of 44.8 sq mi of land
Trails
6.2 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
2
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
3,598 conserved acres
13% of Howard Township’s land. Water is left out: Howard Township has 44.8 square miles of land and 4.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Howard Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service5,382 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)15 ac
State fish & wildlife6 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,010 acResource Management Area · 2,051 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 336 acState Conservation Area · 6 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,482 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Mix County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 2,051 | Restricted |
| Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 336 | Restricted |
| Lake Andes East Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 6 | Restricted |
Trails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.8 mi
460431.0 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Howard 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 36 | 48 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 87 | 85 | 77 | 62 | 47 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
January is the driest month (0.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 3.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Howard Township →
Next door
Howard Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Goose Lake Township30 miMoore Township22 miKennedy Township7.0 miHoward Township6.2 miPlain Center Township5.6 miChester Township4.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Chester Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Kennedy Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Moore Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Plain Center Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Goose Lake 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 Howard Township
Are dogs allowed on Howard Township’s trails?
Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Howard Township?
4,112 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Howard 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 Howard 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 →