Pelican Lake Recreation Area
Park
563 acres2 mi of trail
Archery Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Pelican Township
Few parks or trails are on the map in Pelican Township
The biggest trail networks: Pelican Lake Recreation Area (2 mi). 8% of Pelican Township’s land is conserved, about 1,522 acres. 748 acres are parks and preserves, 703 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
8%
1,522 acres · of 29.7 sq mi of land
Trails
4.0 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
748 ac
703 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
43%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
3 beaches · 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 Pelican Lake Recreation Area, with 2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Northwest Pelican Recreation Area
Managed by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks
53 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Pelican Lake South GPA
Managed by South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks
70 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
1,522 conserved acres
8% of Pelican Township’s land. Water is left out: Pelican Township has 29.7 square miles of land and 4.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Pelican Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service795 ac
State parks647 ac
State fish & wildlife79 ac
Conservation Easement · 795 acState Recreation Area · 726 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 796 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelican Lake State Recreation Area | State parks | 521 | Open |
| Thompson's Point State Recreation Area | State parks | 136 | Open |
| Nw Pelican State Recreation Area | State parks | 69 | Open |
Things to do
9 places to go in Pelican Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Pelican Township
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Pelican Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Pelican Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Pelican Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Pelican Township
1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Archery Trail0.7 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The walking year in Pelican 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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 21 | 26 | 39 | 54 | 67 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 57 | 40 | 26 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 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 Pelican Township →
Next door
Pelican Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Watertown9.7 miSheridan Township6.2 miKampeska Township5.6 miPelican Township4.0 miLake Township0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pelican Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Watertown | 5% | 0.5 | 30 | 92% | A− |
| Kampeska Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lake Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Sheridan 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 Pelican Township
Where can I hike in Pelican Township?
The longest trail networks: Pelican Lake Recreation Area, 2 miles; Northwest Pelican Recreation Area, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Pelican Township’s trails?
Pelican Lake Recreation Area and Northwest Pelican Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Pelican Township?
5,266 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Pelican Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 748 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Pelican 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 →