Big Creek Bridge · Photo: Jim Roberts · CC BY-SA 4.0Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park in Slater
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 62 acres are parks and preserves, 44 per 1,000 residents. 0.6 miles of mapped trail cross Slater, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Slater?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Slater have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Slater is ahead of 79% of U.S. towns. 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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Heart of Iowa Nature Trail
All 6 parks & preserves
36 conserved acres
3% of Slater’s land. Who manages Slater’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Trestle Trail State Recreation Area | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Ankeny to Woodward Trail State Recreation Area | County | 8 | Open |
| Heart of Iowa Nature Trail Local Park | County | 5 | Open |
| Nelson Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
5 places to go in Slater
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
3.8 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 Slater
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 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 34 | 47 | 61 | 72 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 63 | 47 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Slater →
Questions about parks and trails in Slater
Where can I hike in Slater?
The longest trail networks: Earl Grim Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Slater is conserved land?
3% 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 Slater’s trails?
High Trestle Trail and Earl Grim Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Slater?
3.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes and 3.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Slater?
14,065 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Slater or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 62 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Slater have?
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Slater 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 →