Photo: en:User:Cburnett · CC BY-SA 3.08% of Winterset’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
255 acres are parks and preserves, 47 per 1,000 residents. 8% of Winterset’s land is conserved, about 249 acres. 0.4 miles of mapped trail cross Winterset, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #52 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Winterset?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Winterset have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Winterset is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #52 of 140 in Iowa. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull 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 Winterset City Park, with 0.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Middle River Park
All 7 parks & preserves
249 conserved acres
8% of Winterset’s land. Who manages Winterset’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle River Park Local Park | County | 138 | Open |
| Winterset City Park Local Park | Town or city | 62 | Open |
| Martin & Marietta Fields Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Madison County Historical Complex Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 21 | Open |
| Giffin Fields Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Winterset Aquatic Center Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Winterset City Park Campgrounds Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Cedar Bridge Park Local Park | County | 8 | Open |
| Madison County Courthouse Local Park | County | 2 | Open |
| Memory Lane Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
6 places to go in Winterset
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 lakes & rivers
0.0 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.
24 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
12 more on the History page.
The walking year in Winterset
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 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 35 | 49 | 61 | 72 | 81 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.4 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.1 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Winterset →
Questions about parks and trails in Winterset
Where can I hike in Winterset?
The longest trail networks: Winterset City Park, 0.2 miles; Middle River Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Winterset is conserved land?
8% 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 Winterset’s trails?
Winterset City Park and Middle River Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Winterset?
3,198 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Winterset or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 255 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Winterset have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #52 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 Winterset 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 →