Governor Knowles State Forest
Nature preserve
5,202 acres11.3 mi of trail
Sunrise Ferry Hiking TrailElectric Line TrailTown Road 31
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Sterling
Few parks or trails are on the map in Sterling
The biggest trail networks: Governor Knowles State Forest (11.3 mi), Polk County Forest-Sterling Block (6.1 mi), Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (2.3 mi). 39% of Sterling’s land is conserved, about 15,632 acres. 10,014 acres are parks and preserves, 12,888 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
39%
15,632 acres · of 63.2 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
10,014 ac
12,888 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
34%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
11
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 Governor Knowles State Forest, with 11.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Polk County Forest-Sterling Block
Nature preserve
8,602 acres6.1 mi of trail
Electric Line TrailSunrise Ferry Hiking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
Managed by National Park Service
691 acres2.3 mi of trail
Town Road 31Sunrise Ferry Hiking Trail
Dogs usually limited
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Burnett County Forest
Nature preserve
7 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 7 parks & preserves
Governor Knowles State Forest5,202 acres · 11.3 mi of trail
Polk County Forest-Sterling Block8,602 acres · 6.1 mi of trail
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway691 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · National Park Service
Burnett County Forest7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Wild River State Park20 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Trade River Day Use Area12 acres · Governor Knowles State Forest
Al Peer Memorial Field3 acres · Sterling Township
DirectionsWho protects it
15,632 conserved acres
39% of Sterling’s land. Who manages Sterling’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County9,610 ac
State natural resources5,756 ac
National Park Service705 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land32 ac
Private owners30 ac
Town or city19 ac
Local Conservation Area · 9,628 acState Resource Management Area · 5,379 acWild and Scenic River · 673 acState Conservation Area · 376 acConservation Easement · 63 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 9,610 | Open |
| Governor Knowles State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 5,317 | Open |
| Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway Wild and Scenic River | National Park Service | 673 | Open |
| St. Croix National Scenic Riverway Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 395 | Open |
| Governor Knowles State Forest 1 State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 38 | Open |
| Governor Knowles State Forest 4 State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 19 | Open |
| Governor Knowles State Forest 25 State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 6 | Open |
| Nimon Lake State Public Access State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 5 | Restricted |
Things to do
7 places to go in Sterling
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Sterling
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Sterling
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Sterling
Sunrise LandingIn Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
DirectionsPlus 2 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.5 miUnpaved · 0.5 mi
Sunrise Ferry Hiking Trail4.1 mi
Electric Line Trail2.3 mi
Logging Trail0.9 mi
Town Road 310.7 mi
Snowmobile Trail0.3 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.
When to get out
The walking year in Sterling
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 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.7 | 15.4 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 28 | 41 | 55 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 71 | 57 | 41 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.4 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Sterling →
Next door
Sterling and its neighbors
Sterling has the second 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Anderson | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Laketown | 1% | under 0.1 | 32 | 2% | C− |
| Eureka | 5% | under 0.1 | 1 | 1% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sterling
Where can I hike in Sterling?
The longest trail networks: Governor Knowles State Forest, 11.3 miles; Polk County Forest-Sterling Block, 6.1 miles; Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway, 2.3 miles; Burnett County Forest, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Sterling’s trails?
Governor Knowles State Forest and Polk County Forest-Sterling Block don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Sterling?
44,764 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sterling or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 15,625 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sterling 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 →