Eckman GPA
Managed by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks
32 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Lake Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Lake Township
8% of Lake Township’s land is conserved, about 1,049 acres. 14 acres are parks and preserves, 17 per 1,000 residents. 0.6 miles of mapped trail cross Lake Township.
Conserved land
8%
1,049 acres · of 20.6 sq mi of land
Trails
0.6 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
14 ac
17 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
7%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.5 mi
5.5 mi paths
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Forsberg Park
Park
11 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
1,049 conserved acres
8% of Lake Township’s land. Who manages Lake Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife634 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service485 ac
County3 ac
State Conservation Area · 634 acConservation Easement · 485 acLocal Park · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 413 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton Slough State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 602 | Restricted |
| Eckman Game Production Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 31 | Restricted |
| Memorial Park Local Park | County | 3 | Open |
Trails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
5.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.5 mi
off-road bike paths
When to get out
The walking year in Lake 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 21 | 26 | 39 | 54 | 67 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 56 | 40 | 26 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
January is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Lake Township →
Next door
Lake Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Watertown9.7 miFuller Township4.2 miPelican Township4.0 miRichland Township3.8 miRauville Township3.0 miElmira Township1.1 miLake Township0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Watertown | 5% | 0.5 | 30 | 92% | A− |
| Fuller Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Elmira Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rauville Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pelican Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Richland 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 Lake Township
Are dogs allowed on Lake Township’s trails?
Eckman GPA and Forsberg Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lake Township?
5.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Lake Township?
5,161 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lake Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 14 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Lake 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 →