Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park in Carroll
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 3.4 miles of mapped trail cross Carroll, 0.6 per square mile of land. 121 acres are parks and preserves, 12 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns · #55 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Carroll?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Carroll have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Carroll is ahead of 72% of U.S. towns, #55 of 140 in Iowa. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Graham Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Veterans Memorial Park
Northeast Park
All 9 parks & preserves
115 conserved acres
3% of Carroll’s land. Who manages Carroll’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll Youth Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Sauk Rail Trail Local Park | County | 18 | Open |
| Graham Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Rolling Hills Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Northeast Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Veterans Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Northwest Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Maple Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Southside Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Minchen Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
4 places to go in Carroll
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
6.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
September is the best month for walking in Carroll
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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 33 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 46 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Carroll →
Questions about parks and trails in Carroll
Where can I hike in Carroll?
The longest trail networks: Graham Park, 0.3 miles; Veterans Memorial Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Carroll is conserved land?
3% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Iowa town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Carroll’s trails?
Graham Park and Veterans Memorial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Carroll?
6.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of painted or protected lanes and 5.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Carroll?
1,881 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Carroll or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 121 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Carroll have?
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #55 of 140 in Iowa. 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 Carroll neighbors.
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 →