Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit
Managed by Michigan Department of Natural Resources
34 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
–Not graded
Outdoors in Rapid City
Few parks or trails are on the map in Rapid City
32 acres are parks and preserves, 24 per 1,000 residents. 5.5 miles of mapped trail cross Rapid City, 1.0 per square mile of land. 54% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Conserved land
1%
19 acres · of 5.4 sq mi of land
Trails
5.5 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
32 ac
24 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
1 beach · 1 boat launch
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.
Rapid City Elementary Public Playground and Forest
Park
9 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
19 conserved acres
1% of Rapid City’s land. Who manages Rapid City’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city19 ac
Local Park · 19 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Birch Street Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
4 places to go in Rapid City
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Rapid City
Public Access
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Rapid City
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Rapid City
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Rapid City
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
3Baseball
2Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Rapid City: May to August
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) | 9.1 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 31 | 41 | 54 | 67 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 58 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.2 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Rapid City →
Next door
Rapid City 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid City | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Clearwater Township | 13% | 0.9 | 969 | 47% | A |
| Helena Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Milton Township | 2% | 0.7 | 235 | 15% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rapid City
Where can I hike in Rapid City?
The longest trail networks: Freedom Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Rapid City’s trails?
Pere Marquette State Forest - Traverse City Unit and Freedom Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Rapid City?
5,027 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rapid City or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 32 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Rapid City 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 →