River Bend Nature Center
Nature preserve
736 acres12.3 mi of trail
Walnut TrailTeepee Tonka TrailTrout Lily TrailPrairie Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Faribault
12% of Faribault’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. 22 miles of mapped trail cross Faribault, 1.4 per square mile of land. 1,247 acres are parks and preserves, 51 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #20 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
1,182 acres · of 15.7 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,247 ac
51 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
17 mi
3.4 mi lanes · 14 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Faribault?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild12% of the land is conserved; a typical Minnesota town, 5%.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.A trail town1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 87% of U.S. towns.History along the way42 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Faribault have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Faribault is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #20 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 Faribault’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (22 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4APark land51 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,247 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13A−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 96%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 93%
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 River Bend Nature Center, with 12.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 32 parks & preserves
River Bend Nature Center736 acres · 12.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWhite Sands Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTeePee Tonka Park20 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKing Mill Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Alexander Park97 acres
DirectionsTwo Rivers Park30 acres
DirectionsFaribault Soccer Complex24 acres
DirectionsSpring Greenway Park20 acres
South Alexander Park17 acres
DirectionsTrail's Edge Park12 acres
DirectionsSeabury Park9 acres
DirectionsHiersche Park7 acres
Jefferson Park5 acres
Whipple Heights Greenway4 acres
DirectionsWindsor Park4 acres
Meadows Park3 acres
Stoneridge Park3 acres
Slevin Park3 acres
DirectionsMeder Park3 acres
DirectionsGarfield Park3 acres
DirectionsCentral Park2 acres
DirectionsCountry Club Park2 acres
DirectionsWestwood Park2 acres
Forest Park2 acres
Batchelder Park2 acres
Hulett Triangle2 acres
City View Park2 acres
DirectionsKinder Park2 acres
First Avenue Greenway1 acres
DirectionsBluebird Park1 acres
River Trails Park1 acres
Heritage Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,182 conserved acres
12% of Faribault’s land. Who manages Faribault’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,077 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits79 ac
Private owners23 ac
County2 ac
Local Park · 1,053 acLocal Conservation Area · 79 acLocal Other or Unknown · 49 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| River Bend Nature Center Local Park | Town or city | 754 | Open |
| North Alexander Park Local Park | Town or city | 80 | Open |
| The Nature Conservancy Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 79 | Open |
| Straight River Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Teepee Tonka Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Two Rivers Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Faribault Municipal Energy Park Local Park | Private owners | 23 | Open |
| Soccer Complex Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Maple Lawn Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| South Alexander Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
58 places to go in Faribault
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Faribault
Kinder ParkIn Kinder Park
Directions31 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Faribault
White Sands Dog ParkIn White Sands Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Faribault
Boat RampIn South Alexander Park
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Faribault
23 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Disc golf in Faribault
Wapacuta Park
DirectionsTrails & water
17 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.4 miUnpaved · 13.6 mi
Walnut Trail0.9 mi
Teepee Tonka Trail0.8 mi
Trout Lily Trail0.6 mi
Prairie Loop0.6 mi
Raccoon Trail0.6 mi
River Bend Trail0.5 mi
Owl Trail0.5 mi
Cardinal Trail0.4 mi
Rabbit Trail0.4 mi
Arrowhead Trail0.4 mi
7 more trails
Overlook Trail
0.3 miCherry Trail
0.3 miWood Duck Trail
0.3 miDeer Trail
0.3 miRaspberry Trail
0.3 miArbor Trail
0.2 miAsh Trail
0.2 miLakes & 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.
3.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
14 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
28Baseball
23Tennis
15Soccer
9Basketball
6Football
4Beach volleyball
4Pickleball
2Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →42 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Alexander Faribault HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itJohnston Hall-Seabury Divinity SchoolBuilding · listed 1975
About itChapel of the Good SheperdBuilding · listed 1975
About itPhelps Library, Shattuck SchoolBuilding · listed 1975
About itShumway Hall and Morgan Refectory-Shattuck SchoolBuilding · listed 1975
About itNoyes Hall, State School for the DeafBuilding · listed 1975
About itCongregational Church of FaribaultBuilding · listed 1977
About itCathedral of Our Merciful SaviourBuilding · listed 1979
About itCathedral of Our Merciful Saviour and Guild HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itBuckham, Thomas Scott, Memorial LibraryBuilding · listed 1982
About itCassius Buck HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itFaribault City HallBuilding · listed 1982
About it30 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Faribault
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 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 79 | 72 | 58 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Faribault →
Next door
Faribault and its neighbors
Faribault has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Faribault22 miCannon City Township2.7 miWarsaw Township1.7 miWalcott Township0.5 miWells Township0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faribault | 12% | 1.4 | 51 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Wells Township | 2% | under 0.1 | 3 | 21% | D |
| Walcott Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cannon City Township | 2% | 0.1 | 226 | 12% | C+ |
| Warsaw Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 13 | 6% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Faribault
Where can I hike in Faribault?
The longest trail networks: River Bend Nature Center, 12.3 miles; White Sands Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Faribault 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 Faribault’s trails?
River Bend Nature Center and White Sands Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Faribault?
17 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.4 of painted or protected lanes and 14 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Faribault?
4,507 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Faribault or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,247 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Faribault have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #20 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 Faribault 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 →