Iron County Forest
Managed by Iron County
41,820 acres20.8 mi of trail
North Country TrailGravel Pit TrailUller Trail - Blue LoopCorrigan's Lookout
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Anderson
More than half of Anderson’s land is conserved: 77%
77% of Anderson’s land is conserved, about 41,202 acres. The biggest trail networks: Iron County Forest (20.8 mi). 41,002 acres are parks and preserves, 1,078,990 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
77%
41,202 acres · of 83.3 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
41,002 ac
1,078,990 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
5
1 beach · 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 Iron County Forest, with 20.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Caroline Lake State Natural Area
Nature preserve
512 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ashland County Forest
Nature preserve
87 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Upson Park
Park
30 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Iron County Forest41,820 acres · 20.8 mi of trail · Iron County
DirectionsWeber Lake Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Iron County
DirectionsCaroline Lake State Natural Area512 acres
Ashland County Forest87 acres
Upson Park30 acres
Caroline Lake Preserve29 acres
Twin Lakes Forest7 acres · The Conservation Fund
Who protects it
41,202 conserved acres
77% of Anderson’s land. Who manages Anderson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County41,185 ac
State natural resources13 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits10 ac
Local Conservation Area · 40,658 acState Conservation Area · 527 acPrivate Conservation · 10 acUnknown Easement · 9 acConservation Easement · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iron County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 40,602 | Open |
| Natural Area State Conservation Area | County | 527 | Restricted |
| Ashland County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 56 | Open |
| Caroline Lake Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 10 | Open |
Things to do
10 places to go in Anderson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Anderson
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Anderson
1 playground without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Anderson
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Anderson
Upson FallsIn Upson Park
DirectionsWren FallsIn Iron County Forest
DirectionsScenic views in Anderson
Corrigan's LookoutIn Iron County Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in Anderson
Gold Mine WestIn Iron County Forest
DirectionsWren FallsIn Iron County Forest
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 15.8 mi
North Country Trail5.0 mi
Gravel Pit Trail1.7 mi
Uller Trail - Blue Loop1.1 mi
Corrigan's Lookout0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Anderson: May 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 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 20 | 25 | 37 | 50 | 64 | 73 | 77 | 75 | 67 | 53 | 37 | 25 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
February is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.4 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Anderson →
Next door
Anderson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Knight | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Morse | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Gurney | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Saxon | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Jacobs | — 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 Anderson
Where can I hike in Anderson?
The longest trail networks: Iron County Forest, 20.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Anderson’s trails?
Iron County Forest and Caroline Lake State Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Anderson?
209,226 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Anderson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 41,002 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Anderson 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 →