Powell Marsh Wildlife Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
4,251 acres8.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: I, the copyright holder of this work, hereby publish it under the following license: · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Manitowish Waters
Few parks or trails are on the map in Manitowish Waters
The biggest trail networks: Powell Marsh Wildlife Area (8.2 mi), Northern Highland American Legion State Forest (4.5 mi). 23% of Manitowish Waters’ land is conserved, about 4,241 acres. 4,264 acres are parks and preserves, 5,551 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
23%
4,241 acres · of 28.8 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,264 ac
5,551 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
29%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
10 mi
10 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
26
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 Powell Marsh Wildlife Area, with 8.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Northern Highland American Legion State Forest
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
6,359 acres4.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Rest Lake Park Road
Park
11 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Frank B. Koller Memorial Park
Managed by Town of Manitowish Waters
2 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
4,241 conserved acres
23% of Manitowish Waters’ land. Water is left out: Manitowish Waters has 28.8 square miles of land and 7.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Manitowish Waters’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources4,246 ac
State Recreation Area · 4,203 acState Resource Management Area · 38 acState Conservation Area · 5 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powell Marsh Wildlife Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 4,203 | Open |
| Scattered Forest Lands State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 34 | Open |
| State Owned Islands - Nw State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 5 | Open |
| State Owned Islands State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 5 | Open |
Things to do
16 places to go in Manitowish Waters
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Manitowish Waters
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Manitowish Waters
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Manitowish Waters
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Manitowish Waters
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Manitowish Waters
Alder Canoe 1In Northern Highland American Legion State Forest · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsClear Canoe 10In Northern Highland American Legion State Forest · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsClear Canoe 9In Northern Highland American Legion State Forest · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsManitowish Lake Canoe 1In Northern Highland American Legion State Forest · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsRest Canoe 1In Northern Highland American Legion State Forest · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsStone Canoe 6In Northern Highland American Legion State Forest · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsStone Canoe 7In Northern Highland American Legion State Forest · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsStone Canoe 8In Northern Highland American Legion State Forest · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Directions1 more campground
Vance Canoe 1In Northern Highland American Legion State Forest · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsTrails & water
26 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Alder LakelakeBenson LakelakeBolin LakelakeChub LakelakeClear LakelakeDead Pike LakelakeDeerfoot LakelakeFawn LakelakeGem LakelakeHomestead LakelakeLittle Star LakelakeManitowish LakelakeMcCabe LakelakeMcKinney LakelakePier LakelakeRest LakelakeSpider LakelakeStatehouse LakelakeStepping Stone Lake Number 1lakeStepping Stone Lake Number 2lakeStepping Stone Lake Number 3lakeStone LakelakeSturgeon LakelakeVance LakelakeManitowish RiverTrout River
Biking & sports
10 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
10 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
2Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Voss' Birchwood LodgeDistrict · listed 2018
About itWhen to get out
August is the best month for walking in Manitowish Waters
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 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 21 | 26 | 37 | 50 | 65 | 74 | 77 | 75 | 67 | 53 | 37 | 26 |
| Rain (in) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Manitowish Waters →
Next door
Manitowish Waters and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Boulder Junction68 miSherman58 miMercer51 miLac du Flambeau37 miWinchester22 miManitowish Waters15 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manitowish Waters | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Boulder Junction | 1% | 0.9 | 80 | 27% | B− |
| Winchester | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lac du Flambeau | 11% | 0.4 | 11 | 14% | B− |
| Mercer | 55% | 0.3 | 22,050 | 61% | A |
| Sherman | — 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 Manitowish Waters
Where can I hike in Manitowish Waters?
The longest trail networks: Powell Marsh Wildlife Area, 8.2 miles; Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, 4.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Manitowish Waters’ trails?
Powell Marsh Wildlife Area and Northern Highland American Legion State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Manitowish Waters?
10 miles of bike routes are on the map: 10 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Manitowish Waters?
136,652 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Manitowish Waters or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 10,913 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Manitowish Waters 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 →