Anoka Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
209 acres3.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: 123dieinafire · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Anoka
10% of Anoka’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. 7.1 miles of mapped trail cross Anoka, 1.1 per square mile of land. 10% of Anoka’s land is conserved, about 430 acres.
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #34 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
430 acres · of 6.7 sq mi of land
Trails
7.1 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
520 ac
29 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
17 mi
0.1 mi lanes · 17 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Anoka?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Anoka have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Anoka is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #34 of 274 in Minnesota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Anoka’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land29 acres of park per 1,000 residents (520 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · MN 95% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 88%
Water is 7% of Anoka’s area (1 of 7 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 9%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
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
The longest trail network is Anoka Nature Preserve, with 3.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mississippi River Park / King's Island
Park
87 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
John Ward Park
Park
13 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 14 parks & preserves
Anoka Nature Preserve209 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn Ward Park13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Akin Riverside Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMississippi River Park / King's Island87 acres
DirectionsSunny Acres Park25 acres · City of Anoka
DirectionsRum River South County Park10 acres
DirectionsGeorge Green Park8 acres
DirectionsBonnell Fields7 acres
DirectionsRick Sorenson Park7 acres
DirectionsPeninsula Point Two Rivers Historical Park6 acres
DirectionsBravo Park4 acres
DirectionsBrisbin Park3 acres
DirectionsKing Memorial Park2 acres
Grant Tot Lot1 acres
Who protects it
430 conserved acres
10% of Anoka’s land. Water is left out: Anoka has 6.7 square miles of land and 0.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Anoka’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city412 ac
County14 ac
National Park Service2 ac
Local Park · 426 acWild and Scenic River · 2 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anoka Nature Preserve Local Park | Town or city | 267 | Open |
| Sunny Acres Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| George Enloe Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| John Ward Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Rum River South County Park Local Park | County | 14 | Open |
| Gray Ghost Fields Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| George Green Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Peninsula Point Two Rivers Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Akin Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Stout Pond Trail Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
27 places to go in Anoka
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Anoka
Rice Street Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Anoka
George Enloe Park
DirectionsPlus 21 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Anoka
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Anoka
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
17 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
17 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
25Baseball
23Tennis
11Pickleball
7Basketball
4Soccer
3Football
3Beach volleyball
1Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Jackson HotelBuilding · listed 1978
About itKline SanatariumBuilding · listed 1979
About itShaw-Hammons HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itWoodbury HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itHeman L. Ticknor HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itAnoka Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1979
About itColonial Hall and Masonic Lodge No. 30Building · listed 1979
About itWindego Park Auditorium/Open Air TheaterStructure · listed 1980
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Anoka
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 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 57 | 41 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.0 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Anoka →
Next door
Anoka 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anoka | 10% | 1.1 | 29 | 99%+ | A |
| Ramsey | 6% | 0.4 | 43 | 93% | A− |
| Coon Rapids | 6% | 0.7 | 22 | 99%+ | A |
| Andover | 6% | 0.4 | 44 | 96% | A− |
| Champlin | 21% | 2.4 | 49 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Dayton | 22% | 0.9 | 365 | 82% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Anoka
Where can I hike in Anoka?
The longest trail networks: Anoka Nature Preserve, 3.4 miles; John Ward Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Anoka is conserved land?
10% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Minnesota town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Anoka’s trails?
Anoka Nature Preserve and Mississippi River Park / King's Island don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Anoka?
17 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes and 17 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Anoka?
19,752 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Anoka or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 523 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Anoka have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #34 of 274 in Minnesota. 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 Anoka 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 →