Garlock Slough Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
302 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in West Okoboji
42% of West Okoboji’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 42% of West Okoboji’s land is conserved, about 334 acres. 335 acres are parks and preserves, 801 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
42%
334 acres · of 1.3 sq mi of land
Trails
0.2 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
335 ac
801 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.3 mi
2.3 mi paths
What kind of outdoors town is West Okoboji?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Howard Titterington City Park
Park
1 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
334 conserved acres
42% of West Okoboji’s land. Water is left out: West Okoboji has 1.3 square miles of land and 0.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages West Okoboji’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources333 ac
Town or city1 ac
State Conservation Area · 311 acState Park · 20 acState Other or Unknown · 2 acLocal Park · 1 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garlock Slough Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 311 | Open |
| Emmerson Bay State Recreation Area State Park | State natural resources | 20 | Open |
| West Okoboji Lake State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 2 | Open |
| Alex Danbom Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Howard Titterington City Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
8 places to go in West Okoboji
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in West Okoboji
Bay View Beach
DirectionsEmerson Bay Public BeachIn Emerson Bay State Recreation Area
DirectionsMaywood Beach
DirectionsTerrace Beach
DirectionsWheelers Beach
DirectionsBoat launches in West Okoboji
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Campgrounds in West Okoboji
Emerson Bay State Recreation Area CampgroundIn Emerson Bay State Recreation Area
DirectionsBiking & sports
2.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.3 mi
off-road bike paths
When to get out
The walking year in West Okoboji
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 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 29 | 42 | 57 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 60 | 43 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 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 West Okoboji →
Next door
West Okoboji 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Okoboji | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Milford | 3% | under 0.1 | 12 | 99%+ | B− |
| Arnolds Park | 26% | 2.1 | 105 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Wahpeton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Okoboji
Are dogs allowed on West Okoboji’s trails?
Garlock Slough Wildlife Management Area and Emerson Bay State Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Okoboji?
2.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near West Okoboji?
16,882 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Okoboji or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 344 of them inside the city line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from West Okoboji 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 →