Saylorville Lake Project
Managed by United States Army Corps of Engineers
1,121 acres6.1 mi of trail
Low LineSwan SongLake LoopLow Life Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Iowahwyman · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Johnston
Johnston has 28 miles of mapped trails, 1.4 for every square mile of land
13% of Johnston’s land is conserved, about 1,568 acres. The biggest trail networks: Saylorville Lake Project (6.1 mi), Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area (4.1 mi), Terra Park (1.2 mi). 82% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #19 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
1,568 acres · of 19.5 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
381 ac
16 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
82%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
55 mi
55 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
4 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Johnston?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Johnston have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Johnston is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #19 of 140 in Iowa. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Johnston’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical IA town 3% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · IA 0.3 · U.S. 0.4APark land16 acres of park per 1,000 residents (381 acres) · IA 19 · U.S. 13BParks close to home82% 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 86%
LessMore
Iowa towns of 2,500+ (140)Ahead of 87%
Water is 7% of Johnston’s area (1 of 21 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 12%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Saylorville Lake Project, with 6.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area
Nature preserve
189 acres4.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lew Clarkson Park
Managed by City of Johnston
63 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 24 parks & preserves
Saylorville Lake Project1,121 acres · 6.1 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsBeaver Creek Natural Resources Area189 acres · 4.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTerra Park35 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLew Clarkson Park63 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Johnston
DirectionsJohnston Commons16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Johnston
DirectionsDewey Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPointe Vista Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Johnston
DirectionsAdventure Ridge Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Johnston
DirectionsThe Yard1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Johnston
DirectionsSplash Pad1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Johnston
DirectionsJohnson Pit189 acres · City of Urbandale
Northview Wetlands12 acres
Crosshaven Park11 acres
Ashton Pointe Conservation Easement6 acres
DirectionsGreenwood Hills Park5 acres · City of Johnston
DirectionsRittger's Oaks Park3 acres · City of Johnston
Dover Park3 acres
DirectionsProvidence Pointe3 acres · City of Johnston
Ray Schleihs Park3 acres
Beaver Creek Water Trail Access Area2 acres
DirectionsMorningside Park2 acres
Hidden Valley Estates Park1 acres
Windsor Park1 acres
DirectionsTank Hill1 acres
Who protects it
1,568 conserved acres
13% of Johnston’s land. Water is left out: Johnston has 19.5 square miles of land and 1.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Johnston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Army Corps of Engineers1,270 ac
Town or city299 ac
Recreation Management Area · 1,270 acLocal Park · 299 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saylorville Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 1,270 | Open |
| Beaver Creek Natural Resource Area Local Park | Town or city | 158 | Open |
| Lew Clarkson Park Local Park | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Terra Lake Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Northview Wetlands Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Dewey Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Pointe Vista Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Prairie Point Crossing Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Crown Point Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Adventure Ridge Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
54 places to go in Johnston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Johnston
4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Johnston
39 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Johnston
Prairie Point Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Johnston
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Johnston
2 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Johnston
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
8 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 13.7 miUnpaved · 10.1 mi
Low Line1.4 mi
Top Shelf1.1 mi
Swan Song1.1 mi
Lake Loop0.8 mi
Low Life Loop0.6 mi
Pump Track Loop0.4 mi
High Life Loop0.2 mi
Sycamore Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
55 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
55 mi
off-road bike paths
Low Line TrailBike route
1.6 miLake LoopBike route
1.4 miTop Shelf TrailBike route
1.2 miSwan SongBike route
1.1 miCourts & fields
27Soccer
23Tennis
18Basketball
18Softball
12Baseball
4Tracks
4Multi-sport
3Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Johnston
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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 35 | 48 | 62 | 72 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 48 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Johnston →
Next door
Johnston and its neighbors
Johnston has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Johnston
Where can I hike in Johnston?
The longest trail networks: Saylorville Lake Project, 6.1 miles; Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area, 4.1 miles; Terra Park, 1.2 miles; Lew Clarkson Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Johnston is conserved land?
13% 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 Johnston’s trails?
Saylorville Lake Project and Beaver Creek Natural Resources Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Johnston?
55 miles of bike routes are on the map: 55 of off-road paths. Named routes: Low Line Trail, Lake Loop and Top Shelf Trail.
Is there public land near Johnston?
23,315 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Johnston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 450 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Johnston have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #19 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 Johnston 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 →