Rusk County Forest
Nature preserve
1,290 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Big Bend
Few parks or trails are on the map in Big Bend
11% of Big Bend’s land is conserved, about 2,297 acres. 2,262 acres are parks and preserves, 4,731 per 1,000 residents. 0.1 miles of mapped trail cross Big Bend.
Conserved land
11%
2,297 acres · of 32.6 sq mi of land
Trails
0.1 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,262 ac
4,731 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
24%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
6
1 boat launch
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.
Chippewa County Forest
Nature preserve
14 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
2,297 conserved acres
11% of Big Bend’s land. Water is left out: Big Bend has 32.6 square miles of land and 2.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Big Bend’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County1,309 ac
State natural resources975 ac
Bureau of Land Management12 ac
Local Conservation Area · 1,309 acState Recreation Area · 973 acNational Public Lands · 12 acRecreation or Education Easement · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rusk County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 1,309 | Open |
| Potato Creek Wildlife Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 936 | Open |
| Island Lake Wildlife Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 38 | Restricted |
| Northeastern States District Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 12 | Open |
| Chippewa County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 1 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Big Bend
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Big Bend
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
6 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The walking year in Big Bend
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 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 28 | 40 | 54 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 70 | 56 | 40 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (1.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Big Bend →
Next door
Big Bend 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bend | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Washington | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rusk | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Sampson | — 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 Big Bend
Are dogs allowed on Big Bend’s trails?
Rusk County Forest and Chippewa County Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Big Bend?
48,891 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Big Bend or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,274 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Big Bend 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 →