Photo: PopePompus · CC BY-SA 4.0Norwalk has 5.0 miles of mapped trails, 0.4 for every square mile of land
97 acres are parks and preserves, 6.8 per 1,000 residents. 78% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 1% of Norwalk’s land is conserved, about 78 acres.
Ahead of 44% of U.S. towns · #111 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
How much outdoors does Norwalk have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Norwalk is ahead of 44% of U.S. towns, #111 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 Windflower Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
5-Acre Park
All 7 parks & preserves
78 conserved acres
1% of Norwalk’s land. Who manages Norwalk’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| McAninch Sports Complex Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Windflower Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Norwalk City Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Great Western Trail Local Park | County | 3 | Open |
| Brownie Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| McDonalds Woods Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
18 places to go in Norwalk
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
3 lakes & rivers
12 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.
September is the best month for walking in Norwalk
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) | 31 | 36 | 49 | 62 | 72 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 49 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.4 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.2 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Norwalk →
Norwalk and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwalk | 1% | 0.4 | 7 | 78% | C+ |
| Des Moines | 13% | 0.9 | 32 | 87% | A |
| West Des Moines | 6% | 0.9 | 30 | 92% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Norwalk
Where can I hike in Norwalk?
The longest trail networks: Windflower Park, 0.3 miles; Norwalk City Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Norwalk is conserved land?
1% 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 Norwalk’s trails?
Windflower Park and 5-Acre Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Norwalk?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 12 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Norwalk?
13,100 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Norwalk or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 97 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Norwalk have?
Ahead of 44% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #111 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 Norwalk 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 →