Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
3,287 acres13.3 mi of trail
Ice Age TrailCahow Trail LoopHodge Lake Trail LoopDry Lake Trail Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Sampson
Few parks or trails are on the map in Sampson
The biggest trail networks: Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area (13.3 mi), Chippewa County Forest (5.5 mi), Chippewa Moraine Ice Age National Scientific Reserve (4.6 mi). 23% of Sampson’s land is conserved, about 9,357 acres. 8,509 acres are parks and preserves, 9,604 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
23%
9,357 acres · of 62.5 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
8,509 ac
9,604 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
39%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,247 ft
Pikes Peak
Lakes & rivers
23
4 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 Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area, with 13.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Chippewa County Forest
Nature preserve
5,137 acres5.5 mi of trail
Ski TrailIce Age Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Chippewa Moraine Ice Age National Scientific Reserve
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources;Chippewa County
3,934 acres4.6 mi of trail
Ice Age TrailPlantation TrailCahow Trail Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ohmart Wetlands State Natural Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
710 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area3,287 acres · 13.3 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsChippewa County Forest5,137 acres · 5.5 mi of trail
Chippewa Moraine Ice Age National Scientific Reserve3,934 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources;Chippewa County
DirectionsOhmart Wetlands State Natural Area710 acres · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Round Lake County Park117 acres · Chippewa County
Morris Erickson County Park6 acres · Chippewa County
Who protects it
9,357 conserved acres
23% of Sampson’s land. Water is left out: Sampson has 62.5 square miles of land and 5.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Sampson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources5,260 ac
County5,023 ac
Private owners121 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)74 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service65 ac
Bureau of Land Management8 ac
Local Conservation Area · 5,023 acState Park · 3,333 acState Conservation Area · 1,444 acState Recreation Area · 488 acConservation Easement · 138 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 139 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chippewa County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 5,023 | Open |
| Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area State Recreation Area | Private owners | 3,072 | Closed |
| Statewide Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 714 | Open |
| Ohmart Wetlands State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 714 | Restricted |
| Ice Age Trail - Wd State Park | State natural resources | 345 | Open |
| Ice Age Trail State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 338 | Open |
| Mccann Creek Fishery Area State Recreation Area | Private owners | 37 | Open |
| Statewide Habitat Areas State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 17 | Restricted |
| Statewide Habitat Areas - Wd State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 17 | Open |
| Statewide Public Access - Wd State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 12 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
11 places to go in Sampson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Sampson
DNR South Shattuck AccessIn Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area
DirectionsNorth Shattuck Lake AccessIn Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Sampson
Pikes Peak1,247 ft elevation · In Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area
DirectionsPicnic areas in Sampson
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Sampson
Morris-Erickson CampgroundFee · In Morris Erickson County Park
DirectionsPlus 4 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
9 named trails and 23 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.8 miUnpaved · 22.1 mi
Ice Age Trail9.6 mi
Ski Trail3.8 mi
Cahow Trail Loop2.5 mi
Hodge Lake Trail Loop2.1 mi
Dark Lake Trail0.8 mi
Dry Lake Trail Loop0.7 mi
Plantation Trail0.4 mi
Mammoth Trail Loop0.3 mi
Hodge Lake Trail Access0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Ace-in-the-Hole LakelakeBass LakelakeChain LakelakeDam LakelakeDark LakelakeFoster LakelakeHenneman LakelakeHerde LakelakeHodge LakelakeHorseshoe LakelakeJacks LakelakeLarrabee LakelakeLong LakelakeLoon LakelakeNorth Shattuck LakelakeNorth of North Shattuck LakelakePayne LakelakeRock LakelakeRound LakelakeSalisbury LakelakeSouth Shattuck LakelakeTwo Island LakelakeWeeks Lakeslake
When to get out
The walking year in Sampson
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 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 27 | 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 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 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 Sampson →
Next door
Sampson and its neighbors
Sampson has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sampson | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Birch Creek | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Dovre | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bloomer | 5% | under 0.1 | 740 | 14% | C+ |
| Big Bend | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Rusk | — 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 Sampson
Where can I hike in Sampson?
The longest trail networks: Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area, 13.3 miles; Chippewa County Forest, 5.5 miles; Chippewa Moraine Ice Age National Scientific Reserve, 4.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Sampson’s trails?
Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area and Chippewa County Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Sampson?
35,866 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sampson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 8,517 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sampson 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 →