Photo: Billwhittaker · CC BY-SA 3.05% of Denison’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Yellow Smoke Park (1.7 mi). 234 acres are parks and preserves, 28 per 1,000 residents. 5% of Denison’s land is conserved, about 214 acres.
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns · #35 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Denison?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Denison have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Denison is ahead of 79% of U.S. towns, #35 of 140 in Iowa. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
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 Yellow Smoke Park, with 1.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Little League Complex
Sunset Park
All 10 parks & preserves
214 conserved acres
5% of Denison’s land. Who manages Denison’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow Smoke Local Park | County | 151 | Open |
| Northside Recreation Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Little League Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Sunset Park Local Park | County | 8 | Open |
| Johnson Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Union Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Washington Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Morningside Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Maxwell Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Tucker Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
2 places to go in Denison
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2.8 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.
7 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 Denison
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 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 34 | 47 | 61 | 71 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 47 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Denison →
Questions about parks and trails in Denison
Where can I hike in Denison?
The longest trail networks: Yellow Smoke Park, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Denison is conserved land?
5% 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 Denison’s trails?
Yellow Smoke Park and Northside Recreation Complex don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Denison?
2.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Denison?
1,219 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Denison or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 234 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Denison have?
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #35 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 Denison 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 →