Marinette County Forest
Nature preserve
15,621 acres32.1 mi of trail
Forest Road 1606
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Kenwkoun · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Stephenson
Stephenson has 19,578 acres of parks, 5,512 for every 1,000 residents
18% of Stephenson’s land is conserved, about 19,680 acres. 141 miles of mapped trail cross Stephenson, 0.8 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Marinette County Forest (32.1 mi), Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest (13.9 mi), Governor Thompson State Park (12.3 mi).
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #88 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
18%
19,680 acres · of 169.6 sq mi of land
Trails
141 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
19,578 ac
5,512 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
22%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,404 ft
Thunder Mountain
Lakes & rivers
47
2 beaches · 10 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Stephenson?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Stephenson have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Stephenson is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #88 of 362 in Wisconsin. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Stephenson’s overall grade.
Conserved land18% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (141 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land5,512 acres of park per 1,000 residents (19,578 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home22% of residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 83%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 76%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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 Marinette County Forest, with 32.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
9,952 acres13.9 mi of trail
Big Oak LoopAspen Ridge LoopWhite Cedar TrailKirby Hills Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Governor Thompson State Park
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
3,172 acres12.3 mi of trail
Flowage TrailSouth Bay Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Camp Bird State Youth Recreational Center
Park
217 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Old Veteran Lake Park
Park
81 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 12 parks & preserves
Marinette County Forest15,621 acres · 32.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGovernor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest9,952 acres · 13.9 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsGovernor Thompson State Park3,172 acres · 12.3 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsCamp Bird State Youth Recreational Center217 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Old Veteran Lake Park81 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
High Falls Dam Recreation Area23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Wisconsin Public Service
DirectionsThunder Mountain County Park159 acres
Thunder River State Rearing Station134 acres
Veterans Memorial Park97 acres · Marinette County
DirectionsBeaver Creek State Public Hunting Grounds45 acres
Twin Bridge County Park17 acres
Oconto County Forest16 acres
Who protects it
19,680 conserved acres
18% of Stephenson’s land. Who manages Stephenson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County16,152 ac
State natural resources3,138 ac
Private owners387 ac
U.S. Forest Service32 ac
Bureau of Land Management19 ac
Local Conservation Area · 16,152 acState Park · 2,963 acPrivate Park · 387 acState Recreation Area · 175 acNational Forest · 32 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marinette County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 16,141 | Open |
| Governor Thompson State Park State Park | State natural resources | 2,963 | Open |
| Hunter's Glen Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 149 | Open |
| Thunder River Rearing Station State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 132 | Open |
| Woodland Ridge Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 123 | Open |
| De Smidt's Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 115 | Open |
| North Branch Beaver Creek Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 43 | Open |
| Nicolet National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 32 | Open |
| Northeastern States District Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 19 | Open |
| Oconto County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 11 | Open |
Things to do
26 places to go in Stephenson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Stephenson
Landing 9In Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest
DirectionsWoods Lake BeachIn Governor Thompson State Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Stephenson
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Stephenson
Boat Landing 10
DirectionsBoat Landing 11In Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest
DirectionsBoat Landing 13In Governor Thompson State Park
DirectionsBoat Landing 6In Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest
DirectionsBoat Landing 7In Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest
DirectionsBoat Landing 8In Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Stephenson
Emergancy SpillwayIn Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest
DirectionsSpillwayIn Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest
DirectionsVeteran's FallsIn Veterans Memorial Park
DirectionsPlus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Stephenson
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Stephenson
Thunder Mountain1,404 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Stephenson
Little Picnic AreaIn Governor Thompson State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Stephenson
Governor Thompson State Park CampgroundFee · In Governor Thompson State Park · Wisconsin DNR
DirectionsOld Veterans State Camp GroundIn Old Veteran Lake Park
DirectionsTwin Bridge County Park
DirectionsVeterans Falls CampgroundFee · In Veterans Memorial Park · Marinette County
DirectionsTrails & water
9 named trails and 47 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 16.2 mi
Big Oak Loop2.6 mi
Flowage Trail1.9 mi
Aspen Ridge Loop0.9 mi
White Cedar Trail0.9 mi
Klukas Loop Trail0.8 mi
Kirby Hills Trail0.7 mi
Canoe Portage0.5 mi
South Bay Trail0.4 mi
Forest Road 16060.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Angle LakeBalsam LakelakeBorth LakelakeBottle LakelakeBullhead LakelakeCaldron Falls ReservoirreservoirCharles LakeDevils LakeEagle LakelakeFrieda LakelakeFryingpan LakelakeGrass LakelakeHazel LakeHigh Falls ReservoirreservoirHuber LakelakeJohnson Falls ReservoirreservoirJoy lakelakeKahles PondKirby LakelakeKiss LakelakeLeft Foot LakelakeLittle Newton LakelakeLittle Perch LakelakeMakwa LakelakeMarl LakeMirror LakelakeMountain LakelakeMud LakeNewton LakelakeOld Veterans LakePerch LakelakePine LakelakeRollins LakelakeRush LakeSand LakelakeSandstone Reservoir 675reservoirSimpson LakeStar LakeThunder LakelakeTwin BessieslakeWonder LakelakeWoods LakelakeNorth Fork Thunder RiverPeshtigo RiverThe OutletThunder Lake OultetThunder River
When to get out
The best walking months in Stephenson: May and August
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) | 25 | 29 | 40 | 54 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 70 | 57 | 42 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
February is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Stephenson →
Next door
Stephenson and its neighbors
Stephenson has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Athelstane162 miStephenson141 miRiverview70 miLakewood67 miBeaver24 miBrazeau20 miLake17 miMiddle Inlet9.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephenson | 18% | 0.8 | 5,512 | 22% | A− |
| Beaver | 3% | 0.4 | 1,226 | 16% | B |
| Middle Inlet | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lake | 9% | 0.3 | 2,933 | 29% | B+ |
| Lakewood | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Athelstane | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Brazeau | 29% | 0.3 | 10,503 | 30% | A− |
| Riverview | — 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 Stephenson
Where can I hike in Stephenson?
The longest trail networks: Marinette County Forest, 32.1 miles; Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest, 13.9 miles; Governor Thompson State Park, 12.3 miles; Camp Bird State Youth Recreational Center, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Stephenson is conserved land?
18% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Wisconsin town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Stephenson’s trails?
Marinette County Forest and Governor Earl Peshtigo River State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Stephenson?
218,243 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Stephenson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 29,292 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Stephenson have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #88 of 362 in Wisconsin. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Stephenson 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 →