Douglas County Forest
Nature preserve
48,191 acres18.4 mi of trail
North Country TrailHungry Bear TrailPine Ridge TrailOx Creek Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Gordon
More than half of Gordon’s land is conserved: 74%
74% of Gordon’s land is conserved, about 71,789 acres. The biggest trail networks: Douglas County Forest (18.4 mi), Douglas County Wildlife Management Area (14.1 mi), Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (1.4 mi). 53,139 acres are parks and preserves, 67,779 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
74%
71,789 acres · of 151.1 sq mi of land
Trails
72 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
53,139 ac
67,779 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
15
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 Douglas County Forest, with 18.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Douglas County Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
3,276 acres14.1 mi of trail
North Country Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
Managed by National Park Service
547 acres1.4 mi of trail
North Country Trail
Dogs usually limited
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Mooney Dam County Park
Park
32 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 5 parks & preserves
Douglas County Forest48,191 acres · 18.4 mi of trail
Douglas County Wildlife Management Area3,276 acres · 14.1 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway547 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · National Park Service
Mooney Dam County Park32 acres
Gordon Dam County Park18 acres
Who protects it
71,789 conserved acres
74% of Gordon’s land. Who manages Gordon’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County51,647 ac
State natural resources19,406 ac
National Park Service636 ac
Private owners137 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land72 ac
Local Conservation Area · 51,647 acForest Stewardship Easement · 17,244 acUnknown Easement · 1,238 acState Recreation Area · 883 acWild and Scenic River · 564 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 18,554 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 51,647 | Open |
| Douglas County Wildlife Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 861 | Open |
| Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway Wild and Scenic River | National Park Service | 564 | Open |
| Forest Point Resort Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 137 | Open |
| Wild Rivers State Trail State Park | State natural resources | 35 | Open |
| Town Of Gordon State Habitat Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 22 | Open |
Things to do
5 places to go in Gordon
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Gordon
Lower Eau Claire Boat Landing
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Gordon
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Gordon
Gordon Dam Park LandingFee · In Gordon Dam County Park
DirectionsMooney Dam CPFee · In Mooney Dam County Park
DirectionsTrails & water
6 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
North Country Trail9.6 mi
Abandoned Railroad3.1 mi
Hungry Bear Trail1.9 mi
Pine Ridge Trail1.6 mi
Ox Creek Trail0.6 mi
East River Bend Circle0.1 mi
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
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The walking year in Gordon
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) | 21 | 26 | 39 | 52 | 66 | 75 | 80 | 77 | 69 | 54 | 38 | 26 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.3 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Gordon →
Next door
Gordon and its neighbors
Gordon has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Barnes129 miGordon72 miSolon Springs69 miHighland61 miWascott40 miSummit39 miOakland13 miBennett12 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordon | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wascott | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Solon Springs | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Summit | 69% | 0.3 | 72,401 | 73% | A |
| Barnes | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Highland | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bennett | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Oakland | 31% | 0.2 | 10,601 | 20% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Gordon
Where can I hike in Gordon?
The longest trail networks: Douglas County Forest, 18.4 miles; Douglas County Wildlife Management Area, 14.1 miles; Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Gordon’s trails?
Douglas County Forest and Douglas County Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Gordon?
368,389 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gordon or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 53,704 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Gordon 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 →