Crooked Lake Prairie
Managed by Polk County Parks and Natural Resources Division
73 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: DanTD · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Hillcrest Heights
More than half of Hillcrest Heights’ land is conserved: 71%
71% of Hillcrest Heights’ land is conserved, about 73 acres. 75 acres are parks and preserves, 199 per 1,000 residents. 42% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Conserved land
71%
73 acres · of 0.2 sq mi of land
Trails
0.0 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
75 ac
199 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
42%
of residents within ½ mile
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
73 conserved acres
71% of Hillcrest Heights’ land. Water is left out: Hillcrest Heights has 0.2 square miles of land and 8.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Hillcrest Heights’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County73 ac
Local Recreation Area · 73 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crooked Lake Prairie Local Recreation Area | County | 73 | Open |
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Hillcrest Heights
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) | 10.6 | 11.2 | 11.9 | 12.8 | 13.5 | 13.9 | 13.7 | 13.1 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 10.4 |
| High (°F) | 73 | 76 | 80 | 85 | 89 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 86 | 79 | 75 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 8.7 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 6.7 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 2.2 |
November is the driest month (1.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 8.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Hillcrest Heights →
Next door
Hillcrest Heights and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillcrest Heights | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Babson Park | 1% | 0.3 | 8 | 49% | C |
| Frostproof | 7% | 0.4 | 11 | 73% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hillcrest Heights
Are dogs allowed on Hillcrest Heights’ trails?
Crooked Lake Prairie doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Hillcrest Heights?
27,647 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hillcrest Heights or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 75 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Hillcrest Heights 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 →