Photo: en:User:Cburnett · CC BY-SA 3.018% of Orleans’ land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
18% of Orleans’ land is conserved, about 134 acres. 94 acres are parks and preserves, 178 per 1,000 residents. 0.1 miles of mapped trail cross Orleans, 0.1 per square mile of land.
What kind of outdoors town is Orleans?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Templar State Recreation Area
Kettleson Hogsback Wildlife Management Area
East Okoboji Slough Wildlife Management Area
All 6 parks & preserves
134 conserved acres
18% of Orleans’ land. Who manages Orleans’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 11 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Templar State Recreation Area State Park | Other state land | 82 | Open |
| Orlean Fish Hatchery State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 28 | Open |
| Dickinson County Trail Local Park | County | 7 | Open |
| East Okoboji Lake State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 3 | Open |
| East Okoboji Slough Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 2 | Open |
| Spirit Lake Outlet County Park Local Park | County | 1 | Open |
| Orleans Access State Recreation Area | County | 1 | Open |
9 places to go in Orleans
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
5.6 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.
The walking year in Orleans
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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 29 | 41 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 60 | 43 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Orleans →
Orleans and its neighbors
Orleans has the second most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orleans | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Spirit Lake | 2% | under 0.1 | 9 | 93% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Orleans
Are dogs allowed on Orleans’ trails?
Marble Beach State Recreation Area and Templar State Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Orleans?
5.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of painted or protected lanes and 4.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Orleans?
17,684 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Orleans or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 129 of them inside the city line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Orleans 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 →