Photo: dwhartwig · CC BY 2.0Mason City has 715 acres of parks, 26 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: East Park (1.7 mi), Georgia L Hanford MacNider Park (1.6 mi), Lime Creek Conservation Area (1.3 mi). 84% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Mason City’s land is conserved, about 663 acres.
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns · #69 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Mason City?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Mason City have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Mason City is ahead of 68% of U.S. towns, #69 of 140 in Iowa. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank 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 East Park, with 1.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Georgia L Hanford MacNider Park
Lime Creek Conservation Area
Margaret MacNider Park
All 34 parks & preserves
663 conserved acres
4% of Mason City’s land. Who manages Mason City’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park Golf Course Local Park | Town or city | 166 | Open |
| Lester Milligan Park Local Park | Town or city | 75 | Open |
| Georgia Hanford Park Local Park | Town or city | 58 | Open |
| Lime Creek Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | County | 57 | Open |
| East Park Local Park | Town or city | 55 | Open |
| Macnider's Woods Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Evans Preserve Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Margaret Macnider Park Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Northwestern Ball Fields Local Recreation Area | Private owners | 21 | Open |
| Frederick Hanford Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
23 places to go in Mason City
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 named trail and 7 lakes & rivers
27 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.
39 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
27 more on the History page.
September is the best month for walking in Mason City
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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 29 | 42 | 57 | 70 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 60 | 44 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 1.7 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Mason City →
Questions about parks and trails in Mason City
Where can I hike in Mason City?
The longest trail networks: East Park, 1.7 miles; Georgia L Hanford MacNider Park, 1.6 miles; Lime Creek Conservation Area, 1.3 miles; Margaret MacNider Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Mason City is conserved land?
4% 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 Mason City’s trails?
East Park and Georgia L Hanford MacNider Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Mason City?
27 miles of bike routes are on the map: 23 of off-road paths and 3.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Mason City?
8,024 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Mason City or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 715 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Mason City have?
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #69 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 Mason City 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 →