Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park in Crookston
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 4.5 miles of mapped trail cross Crookston, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Highland Park Complex (0.7 mi), Nature's View Park (0.5 mi).
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #75 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Crookston?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Crookston have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Crookston is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #75 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.
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 Highland Park Complex, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Nature's View Park
Riverside Park
All 23 parks & preserves
121 conserved acres
4% of Crookston’s land. Who manages Crookston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Wildwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Central Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Castle Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Groveland Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Maplewood Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Tennis Courts Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Wildflower Garden Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Hoven Lane Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
31 places to go in Crookston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
27 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
1 community garden without a name on the map.
1 lakes & rivers
5.6 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.
4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The walking year in Crookston
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) | 8.8 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 16.0 | 15.6 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| High (°F) | 16 | 21 | 35 | 53 | 67 | 77 | 81 | 80 | 71 | 54 | 36 | 22 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
February is the driest month (0.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Crookston →
Crookston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crookston | 4% | 0.9 | 28 | 99%+ | A |
| Crookston Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lowell Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Fairfax Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Andover Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Crookston
Where can I hike in Crookston?
The longest trail networks: Highland Park Complex, 0.7 miles; Nature's View Park, 0.5 miles; Riverside Park, 0.3 miles; Central Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Crookston is conserved land?
4% 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 Crookston’s trails?
Highland Park Complex and Nature's View Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Crookston?
5.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.3 of off-road paths and 0.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Crookston?
212 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Crookston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 205 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Crookston have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #75 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 Crookston 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 →