Springbrook Nature Center
Park
135 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Banfill Tavern · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Fridley
9% of Fridley’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. The biggest trail networks: Springbrook Nature Center (2.7 mi), Locke County Park (0.6 mi), Innsbruck Nature Center (0.6 mi). 9% of Fridley’s land is conserved, about 592 acres.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #53 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
592 acres · of 10.2 sq mi of land
Trails
7.5 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
653 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
34 mi
1.1 mi lanes · 33 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Fridley?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Fridley have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Fridley is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #53 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 Fridley’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (8 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (653 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 90%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 81%
Water is 7% of Fridley’s area (1 of 11 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
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 Springbrook Nature Center, with 2.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Innsbruck Nature Center
Park
26 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Riverfront Regional Park
Managed by Anoka County Parks & Recreation
70 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Meadowlands Park
Park
9 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 35 parks & preserves
Springbrook Nature Center135 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsLocke County Park72 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsInnsbruck Nature Center26 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverfront Regional Park70 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Anoka County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsMeadowlands Park9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Rice Creek Trail West86 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsManomin County Park15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCraig Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Briardale Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Islands of Peace County Park29 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Anoka County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsJay Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Plymouth Square Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Commons Park29 acres
DirectionsFridley Community Park27 acres
DirectionsMoore Lake Park16 acres
DirectionsRiverview Heights Park15 acres
DirectionsWest Moore Lake Park9 acres
DirectionsFlanery Park8 acres
Madsen Park7 acres
Anoka County Riverfront Park5 acres
DirectionsRuth Circle Park4 acres
Edgewater Gardens Park4 acres
Sylvan Park3 acres
DirectionsLogan Park3 acres
Terrace Park2 acres
Creekridge Park2 acres
Harris Park2 acres
Plaza Park2 acres
Summit Square Park1 acres
Harris Lake Park1 acres
Creekview Park1 acres
DirectionsAltura Park1 acres
Oak Hill Park1 acres
Springbrook Park1 acres · City of Fridley
Ed Wilmes Park1 acres · City of Fridley, MN
Who protects it
592 conserved acres
9% of Fridley’s land. Water is left out: Fridley has 10.2 square miles of land and 0.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Fridley’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city312 ac
County277 ac
Local Park · 462 acLocal Conservation Area · 124 acLocal Recreation Area · 4 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springbrook Nature Center Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 124 | Open |
| Rice Creek West Regional Trail Corridor Local Park | County | 102 | Open |
| Locke Park Local Park | County | 83 | Open |
| Riverfront Regional Park Local Park | County | 65 | Open |
| Commons Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Innsbruck Nature Center Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Moore Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Riverview Heights Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Manomin Park Local Park | County | 14 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
42 places to go in Fridley
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Fridley
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Fridley
Nature Play AreaIn Springbrook Nature Center
DirectionsRUTH CIRCLE PARK PLAYGROUNDIn Ruth Circle Park
Directions38 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Fridley
Locke County Dog ParkIn Locke County Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Fridley
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Fridley
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.4 mi
Unity Wellness Path0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
34 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
33 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
37Tennis
26Baseball
18Basketball
8Soccer
5Pickleball
4Football
2Beach volleyball
1Volleyball
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).
Banfill TavernBuilding · listed 1976
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Fridley
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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 41 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.0 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Fridley →
Next door
Fridley and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Minneapolis83 miCoon Rapids15 miBrooklyn Park14 miFridley7.5 miColumbia Heights3.5 miBrooklyn Center2.2 miSpring Lake Park0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fridley | 9% | 0.7 | 22 | 99%+ | A |
| Brooklyn Park | 11% | 0.6 | 23 | 99% | A |
| Spring Lake Park | 3% | 0.2 | 7 | 99%+ | B |
| Columbia Heights | 7% | 1.0 | 8 | 99%+ | A− |
| Coon Rapids | 6% | 0.7 | 22 | 99%+ | A |
| Brooklyn Center | 6% | 0.3 | 17 | 99%+ | A− |
| Minneapolis | 11% | 1.5 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Fridley
Where can I hike in Fridley?
The longest trail networks: Springbrook Nature Center, 2.7 miles; Locke County Park, 0.6 miles; Innsbruck Nature Center, 0.6 miles; Riverfront Regional Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Fridley is conserved land?
9% 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 Fridley’s trails?
Springbrook Nature Center and Locke County Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Fridley?
34 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.1 of painted or protected lanes and 33 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Fridley?
34,087 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Fridley or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 653 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Fridley have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #53 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 Fridley 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 →