Northland Arboretum
Nature preserve
214 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Elkman · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Brainerd
Brainerd has 374 acres of parks, 26 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Northland Arboretum (1.9 mi), Gregory Park (0.7 mi), Kiwanis Park (0.6 mi). 87% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 7.4 miles of mapped trail cross Brainerd, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns · #111 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
497 acres · of 12.1 sq mi of land
Trails
7.4 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
374 ac
26 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
87%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Brainerd?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Brainerd have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Brainerd is ahead of 79% of U.S. towns, #111 of 274 in Minnesota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, conserved land lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Brainerd’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land26 acres of park per 1,000 residents (374 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home87% of residents within a half mile of a park · MN 95% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 79%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 60%
Water is 5% of Brainerd’s area (1 of 13 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Northland Arboretum, with 1.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Gregory Park
Managed by City of Brainerd
14 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Kiwanis Park
Managed by City of Brainerd
32 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Buffalo Hills Park
Managed by City of Brainerd
40 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 10 parks & preserves
Northland Arboretum214 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
Gregory Park14 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Brainerd
Kiwanis Park32 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Brainerd
DirectionsBuffalo Hills Park40 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Brainerd
Lum Park35 acres
DirectionsBane Park10 acres · City of Brainerd
Mill Ave Park9 acres
Jaycees Park8 acres
Gustafson Park1 acres
Triangle Park1 acres · City of Brainerd
Who protects it
497 conserved acres
6% of Brainerd’s land. Water is left out: Brainerd has 12.1 square miles of land and 0.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Brainerd’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits268 ac
Town or city160 ac
State fish & wildlife106 ac
Private owners11 ac
Local Recreation Area · 220 acLocal Park · 171 acState Conservation Area · 106 acPrivate Conservation · 48 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 13 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northland Arboretum Local Recreation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 220 | Open |
| Whiskey Creek State Aquatic Management Area (Crow Wing) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 106 | Restricted |
| Paul Bunyan Savanna Fee Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 43 | Unknown |
| Kiwanis Park Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Lum Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Buffalo Hills Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Jaycees Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Gregory Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Mill Park Local Park | Private owners | 11 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
10 places to go in Brainerd
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Brainerd
6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Brainerd
Buster Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Brainerd
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
17Baseball
14Tennis
6Soccer
4Football
2Basketball
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Brainerd Water TowerStructure · listed 1974
About itBrainerd Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1980
About itCrow Wing County Courthouse and JailBuilding · listed 1980
About itParker BuildingBuilding · listed 1980
About itWerner Hemstead HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itNorthern Pacific Railroad Shops Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989
About itFranklin Junior High SchoolBuilding · listed 2009
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Brainerd
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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 19 | 25 | 38 | 53 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 69 | 55 | 38 | 25 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.4 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Brainerd →
Next door
Brainerd 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brainerd | 6% | 0.6 | 26 | 87% | A− |
| Oak Lawn Township | 4% | 0.3 | 6 | 5% | C |
| Baxter | 5% | 1.1 | 35 | 47% | B+ |
| Crow Wing Township | 18% | 0.4 | 253 | 36% | A− |
| Long Lake Township | 2% | under 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Brainerd
Where can I hike in Brainerd?
The longest trail networks: Northland Arboretum, 1.9 miles; Gregory Park, 0.7 miles; Kiwanis Park, 0.6 miles; Buffalo Hills Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Brainerd is conserved land?
6% 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 Brainerd’s trails?
Northland Arboretum and Gregory Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Brainerd?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 12 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Brainerd?
14,976 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Brainerd or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 374 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Brainerd have?
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #111 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 Brainerd 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 →