Terrace Oaks Park
Park
250 acres3.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Terrace Oaks Park West
Photo: davumaya · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Burnsville
12% of Burnsville’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. 21 miles of mapped trail cross Burnsville, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Terrace Oaks Park (3.7 mi), Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve (2.2 mi), Alimagnet Park (1.8 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #31 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
1,960 acres · of 24.9 sq mi of land
Trails
21 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,106 ac
33 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
49 mi
4.3 mi lanes · 41 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
10
3 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Burnsville?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Burnsville have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Burnsville is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #31 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 Burnsville’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (21 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land33 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,106 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 89%
Water is 8% of Burnsville’s area (2 of 27 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 11%.
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 Terrace Oaks Park, with 3.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve
Park
155 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Rudy Kraemer Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
74 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Nature preserve
1,347 acres1.5 mi of trail
Black Dog TrailMinnesota River Greenway
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sue Fischer Memorial Park
Park
34 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Black Dog SNA
Park
101 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 53 parks & preserves
Terrace Oaks Park250 acres · 3.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMurphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve155 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
Alimagnet Park143 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRudy Kraemer Nature Preserve74 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMinnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge1,347 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSue Fischer Memorial Park34 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsColonial Park16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBlack Dog SNA101 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Neill Park62 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHollows Park15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSunset Pond Park92 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWood Park35 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCrystal Lake West67 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWolk Park42 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Burnsville
DirectionsCrosstown West Park20 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNorthview Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBurnsville Heights Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCivic Center Park76 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDay Park44 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Burnsville
DirectionsBlack Dog Park41 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTwin Lakes Park39 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Kelleher Park79 acres
DirectionsNorth River Hills Park36 acres
DirectionsRed Oak Park35 acres
DirectionsFort Snelling State Park22 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsVista View Park17 acres
DirectionsLake Park17 acres
DirectionsRose Park14 acres
DirectionsPaha Sapa Park14 acres
DirectionsCedarbridge Park14 acres
Forest Heights Park12 acres · City of Burnsville
Chateaulin Park10 acres
Oak Leaf West Park10 acres
DirectionsKnob Hill Park9 acres
DirectionsEcho Park8 acres · City of Burnsville
DirectionsHighland View Park8 acres
DirectionsParkwood Park8 acres · City of Burnsville
Wood Lane Trail Park8 acres
DirectionsSouth River Hills7 acres
DirectionsSkyline Park4 acres · City of Burnsville
DirectionsKrestwood Park4 acres · City of Burnsville
DirectionsTyacke Park4 acres
Crosstown East Park4 acres
Interlachen Park4 acres
DirectionsHighland Forest Park3 acres
DirectionsNordic Park2 acres · City of Burnsville
Howell Park2 acres
Brookview Park2 acres
Acorn Park2 acres
James Park1 acres
Westview Park1 acres
South River Hills Park1 acres
Nicollet Park1 acres · City of Burnsville
Who protects it
1,960 conserved acres
12% of Burnsville’s land. Water is left out: Burnsville has 24.9 square miles of land and 2.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Burnsville’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,551 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service490 ac
Regional agency155 ac
State parks10 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government2 ac
Local Park · 1,549 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 490 acLocal Conservation Area · 155 acState Park · 10 acLocal Recreation Area · 3 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 490 | Restricted |
| Terrace Oaks West Local Park | Town or city | 212 | Open |
| Murphy-Hanrehan Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 155 | Open |
| Cam Ram Local Park | Town or city | 145 | Open |
| Alimagnet Park Local Park | Town or city | 144 | Open |
| Black Dog Local Park | Town or city | 66 | Open |
| Lac Lavon/ Fisher Fields Local Park | Town or city | 66 | Open |
| Civic Center Park Local Park | Town or city | 65 | Open |
| Sunset Pond Local Park | Town or city | 63 | Open |
| Crystal Lake West Local Park | Town or city | 55 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
94 places to go in Burnsville
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Burnsville
Crystal Lake Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Burnsville
83 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Burnsville
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Burnsville
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Burnsville
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Burnsville
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Burnsville
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Burnsville
Red Oak CourseIn Red Oak Park
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.7 miUnpaved · 8.3 mi
Black Dog Trail1.1 mi
Biking & sports
49 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
41 mi
off-road bike paths
3.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
81Baseball
52Tennis
33Basketball
27Pickleball
20Soccer
10Volleyball
3Lacrosse
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Minneapolis St. Paul Rochester & Dubuque Electric Traction Company DepotBuilding · listed 1979
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Burnsville
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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 41 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Burnsville →
Next door
Burnsville 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burnsville | 12% | 0.9 | 33 | 99%+ | A |
| Bloomington | 23% | 1.3 | 40 | 99% | A+ |
| Apple Valley | 13% | 1.1 | 20 | 99%+ | A |
| Savage | 18% | 0.8 | 36 | 98% | A |
| Lakeville | 7% | 0.7 | 25 | 99% | A |
| Eagan | 22% | 1.6 | 64 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Burnsville
Where can I hike in Burnsville?
The longest trail networks: Terrace Oaks Park, 3.7 miles; Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve, 2.2 miles; Alimagnet Park, 1.8 miles; Rudy Kraemer Nature Preserve, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Burnsville is conserved land?
12% 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 Burnsville’s trails?
Terrace Oaks Park and Murphy-Hanrehan Park Reserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Burnsville?
49 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.3 of painted or protected lanes, 41 of off-road paths and 3.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Burnsville?
35,906 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Burnsville or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,106 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Burnsville have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #31 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 Burnsville 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 →