Veterans Memorial Park
Park
73 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Dirk · CC BY 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Dubuque
8% of Dubuque’s land is conserved: 1,671 acres
The biggest trail networks: Veterans Memorial Park (1.5 mi), Marshall Park & Dubuque Arboretum (1.5 mi), Granger Creek Nature Trail (1 mi). 89% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 1,279 acres are parks and preserves, 22 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns · #36 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
1,671 acres · of 31.3 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,279 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
89%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
24 mi
1.1 mi lanes · 21 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
10
1 beach · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Dubuque?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dubuque have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dubuque is ahead of 79% of U.S. towns, #36 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.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Dubuque’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical IA town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (15 mi) · IA 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,279 acres) · IA 19 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home89% of residents within a half mile of a park · IA 91% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 79%
LessMore
Iowa towns of 2,500+ (140)Ahead of 75%
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 Veterans Memorial Park, with 1.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Marshall Park & Dubuque Arboretum
Park
72 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Granger Creek Nature Trail
Park
30 acres1 mi of trail
Granger Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Eagle Point Park
Managed by City of Dubuque
127 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Bee Branch Creek Greenway
Managed by City of Dubuque
38 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Kaufmann Avenue Prairie
Nature preserve
26 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 55 parks & preserves
Veterans Memorial Park73 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMarshall Park & Dubuque Arboretum72 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsGranger Creek Nature Trail30 acres · 1 mi of trail
Eagle Point Park127 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Dubuque
DirectionsValentine Park19 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBee Branch Creek Greenway38 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Dubuque
DirectionsKaufmann Avenue Prairie26 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Comiskey Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsJackson Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Dubuque
DirectionsBergfeld Recreation Area122 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMines of Spain - Riprow Valley17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Dubuque
DirectionsMaus Park22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Dubuque
DirectionsMines of Spain State Recreation Area20 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Iowa Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMississippi Riverwalk10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Dubuque
DirectionsAllison-Henderson Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Dubuque
DirectionsSister City International Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHarvest View Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Madison Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Dubuque
Gerald McAleece Park & Recreation Complex75 acres
DirectionsMiller Riverview Park73 acres
DirectionsFlora Park30 acres
DirectionsLouis Murphy Park23 acres
DirectionsWelu Park19 acres
DirectionsBee Branch Watershed16 acres
A.Y. McDonald Park13 acres
DirectionsSoftball Complex12 acres
DirectionsUpper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge8 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Usha Park8 acres
DirectionsGay Park7 acres
Heritage Trail6 acres
Westbrook Park6 acres
English Ridge Park4 acres · City of Dubuque
Cleveland Park4 acres
DirectionsLock & Dam No. 11 Park3 acres · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsValley High Park3 acres
Eagle Valley Park2 acres
Southern Park2 acres
Creek Wood Park2 acres
Hillcrest Park2 acres
DirectionsBurden Park2 acres
Union Camp Park1 acres
Hilltop Park1 acres · City of Dubuque
Wallace Common1 acres
DirectionsTeddy Bear Park1 acres
Rustic Point Park1 acres · City of Dubuque
Falk Park1 acres
Flat Iron Park1 acres
DirectionsAvon Park1 acres
DirectionsJefferson Park1 acres
DirectionsGrandview Greenspace1 acres · City of Dubuque
Orange Park1 acres
DirectionsFenelon Place Elevator1 acres
DirectionsRiley Park1 acres
Grant Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,671 conserved acres
8% of Dubuque’s land. Who manages Dubuque’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,076 ac
State natural resources626 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service11 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits10 ac
County6 ac
Army Corps of Engineers6 ac
Not recorded12 ac
Local Park · 667 acState Other or Unknown · 605 acLocal Recreation Area · 413 acState Recreation Area · 14 acPrivate Park · 12 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi River State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 605 | Open |
| Eagle Point Park Local Park | Town or city | 159 | Open |
| Bunker Hill Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 135 | Open |
| Bergfeld Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 130 | Open |
| Veteran's Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 67 | Open |
| Miller Riverview Park Local Park | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| McAleece Park and Recreation Complex Local Park | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| Four Mounds Park Local Park | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Bee Branch Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens Local Park | Town or city | 54 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
120 places to go in Dubuque
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Dubuque
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Swimming spots in Dubuque
1 swimming spot without a name on the map.
Public pools in Dubuque
Nicholas J. Sutton Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Dubuque
Blue PlaygroundIn Eagle Point Park
DirectionsChildren's Play Area
DirectionsCourtney M Davis Memorial Park
DirectionsHarvest View PlaygroundIn Harvest View Park
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlace
DirectionsYellow playgroundIn Eagle Point Park
Directions86 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Dubuque
Pet Park
DirectionsUnion at Marina Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Dubuque
A.Y. McDonald Park Boat RampIn A.Y. McDonald Park
DirectionsAY McDonald Park put_inIn A.Y. McDonald Park
DirectionsSchmitt Island Boat RampIn Gerald McAleece Park & Recreation Complex
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Fishing spots in Dubuque
3 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Dubuque
Allison PointIn Eagle Point Park
DirectionsRiver Viewing PointIn Eagle Point Park
DirectionsShiras PointIn Eagle Point Park
DirectionsPlus 7 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Dubuque
7 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Dubuque
Miller Riverview Park & CampgroundFee · In Miller Riverview Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Dubuque
Dubuque Rescue Mission GardenDubuque Community Garden Coalition
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.7 mi
Granger Creek Trail1.1 mi
Biking & sports
24 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
21 mi
off-road bike paths
2.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
50Tennis
29Baseball
20Pickleball
17Soccer
12Basketball
5Football
3Skate park
2Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →64 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 18 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Dubuque County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itDubuque City HallBuilding · listed 1972
About itOrpheum Theatre and SiteBuilding · listed 1972
About itMount Saint Bernard Seminary and BarnBuilding · listed 1974
About itCarnegie-Stout Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1975
About itLangworthy HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itMathias Ham HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itJ. H. Thedinga HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itRogers, George W. Company Shot TowerStructure · listed 1976
About itMcMahon HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About it52 more on the History page.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Dubuque
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 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 32 | 45 | 59 | 71 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 61 | 46 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
January is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Dubuque →
Next door
Dubuque and its neighbors
Dubuque has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Dubuque
Where can I hike in Dubuque?
The longest trail networks: Veterans Memorial Park, 1.5 miles; Marshall Park & Dubuque Arboretum, 1.5 miles; Granger Creek Nature Trail, 1 miles; Eagle Point Park, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dubuque is conserved land?
8% 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 Dubuque’s trails?
Veterans Memorial Park and Marshall Park & Dubuque Arboretum don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dubuque?
24 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.1 of painted or protected lanes, 21 of off-road paths and 2.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Dubuque?
13,089 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dubuque or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,847 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Dubuque have?
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #36 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 Dubuque 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 →