Sucker Creek Preserve
Nature preserve
142 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lakes has 252 acres of parks, 25 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Sucker Creek Preserve (2.8 mi), Ortenstone Gardens (1.2 mi). 7.4 miles of mapped trail cross Detroit Lakes, 0.6 per square mile of land. 73% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns · #149 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
298 acres · of 12.0 sq mi of land
Trails
7.4 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
252 ac
25 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
73%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
11 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
4 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Detroit Lakes?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Detroit Lakes have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Detroit Lakes is ahead of 70% of U.S. towns, #149 of 274 in Minnesota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, conserved land lowest.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Detroit Lakes’ overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land25 acres of park per 1,000 residents (252 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home73% 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 70%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 46%
Water is 32% of Detroit Lakes’ area (6 of 18 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 3%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be B+. 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 Sucker Creek Preserve, with 2.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ortenstone Gardens
Managed by Project 412
46 acres1.2 mi of trail
Oak Leaf Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Detroit Lakes City Park
Managed by City of Detroit Lakes
33 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Snappy Fields
Park
23 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 11 parks & preserves
Sucker Creek Preserve142 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsOrtenstone Gardens46 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Project 412
DirectionsSnappy Fields23 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Industrial Park17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Detroit Lakes
DirectionsLong Lake Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Detroit Lakes
South Shore Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDetroit Lakes City Park33 acres · City of Detroit Lakes
DirectionsLong Lake AMA20 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
People's Park7 acres
DirectionsVeteran's Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsRotary Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
298 conserved acres
4% of Detroit Lakes’ land. Water is left out: Detroit Lakes has 12.0 square miles of land and 5.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Detroit Lakes’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service187 ac
Town or city159 ac
State fish & wildlife42 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)2 ac
Resource Management Area · 187 acLocal Park · 76 acLocal Conservation Area · 52 acState Conservation Area · 42 acLocal Recreation Area · 32 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Becker County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 187 | Restricted |
| Upstream Succer Creek Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 52 | Open |
| Washington Park Local Park | Town or city | 33 | Open |
| Snappy Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Lyle Crovisier Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Long Lake State Aquatic Management Area (Becker) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 19 | Restricted |
| Burritt Lake State Aquatic Management Area (Becker) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 12 | Restricted |
| Sucker Creek State Aquatic Management Area (Becker) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 10 | Restricted |
| Peoples Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Detroit Lakes Overlook Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
Things to do
33 places to go in Detroit Lakes
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Detroit Lakes
4 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Swimming spots in Detroit Lakes
2 swimming spots without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Detroit Lakes
17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Detroit Lakes
Large Dog ParkIn Industrial Park
DirectionsSmall Dog ParkIn Industrial Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Detroit Lakes
Detroit Lake (South) Public Water Access
DirectionsPlus 5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Detroit Lakes
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Detroit Lakes
American Legion Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.7 mi
Oak Leaf Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
11 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
17Tennis
14Baseball
10Pickleball
6Basketball
6Soccer
1Volleyball
1Beach volleyball
1Skate park
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). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Detroit Lakes Carnegie LibraryBuilding · listed 1976
About itNorthern Pacific Passenger DepotBuilding · listed 1988
About itHomer E. Sargent HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itEdgewater Beach CottagesBuilding · listed 1989
About itGraystone HotelBuilding · listed 1999
About itHolmes BlockBuilding · listed 2001
About itDetroit Lakes City ParkSite · listed 2008
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Detroit Lakes
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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 17 | 23 | 36 | 52 | 66 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 69 | 54 | 37 | 23 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.8 |
February is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Detroit Lakes →
Next door
Detroit Lakes and its neighbors
Detroit Lakes has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lakes | 4% | 0.6 | 25 | 73% | B+ |
| Detroit Township | 14% | under 0.1 | under 1 | 4% | C− |
| Lake View Township | 6% | 0.5 | 22 | 17% | B− |
| Burlington Township | 3% | 0.2 | 72 | 8% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Detroit Lakes
Where can I hike in Detroit Lakes?
The longest trail networks: Sucker Creek Preserve, 2.8 miles; Ortenstone Gardens, 1.2 miles; Snappy Fields, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Detroit Lakes 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 Detroit Lakes’ trails?
Sucker Creek Preserve and Ortenstone Gardens don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Detroit Lakes?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 11 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Detroit Lakes?
2,912 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Detroit Lakes or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 252 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Detroit Lakes have?
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #149 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 Detroit Lakes 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 →