Photo: 123dieinafire · Public domainHam Lake has 345 acres of parks, 21 for every 1,000 residents
1% of Ham Lake’s land is conserved, about 310 acres. 6.0 miles of mapped trail cross Ham Lake, 0.2 per square mile of land. 61% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 44% of U.S. towns · #228 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
How much outdoors does Ham Lake have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Ham Lake is ahead of 44% of U.S. towns, #228 of 274 in Minnesota. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
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 Ham Lake Park, with 0.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pinger's Plaza Park
Fox Run Park
All 10 parks & preserves
310 conserved acres
1% of Ham Lake’s land. Who manages Ham Lake’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ham Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 142 | Open |
| Lions Park Local Park | Town or city | 57 | Open |
| Soderville Park Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Pingers Plaza Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Patricia'S Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Netta Shores Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Fox Run Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Grant Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Lund'S Pine Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Meadow Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
16 places to go in Ham Lake
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
15 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
6 lakes & rivers
12 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.
1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The walking year in Ham Lake
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 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 57 | 41 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Ham Lake →
Ham Lake 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ham Lake | 1% | 0.2 | 21 | 61% | C+ |
| Columbus | 6% | 0.3 | 137 | 23% | B |
| Andover | 6% | 0.4 | 44 | 96% | A− |
| Blaine | 4% | 0.6 | 13 | 98% | B+ |
| East Bethel | 16% | 0.3 | 361 | 64% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Ham Lake
Where can I hike in Ham Lake?
The longest trail networks: Ham Lake Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Ham Lake is conserved land?
1% 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 Ham Lake’s trails?
Ham Lake Park and Lions Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Ham Lake?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.2 of painted or protected lanes and 8.9 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Ham Lake?
26,742 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Ham Lake or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 345 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Ham Lake have?
Ahead of 44% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #228 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 Ham Lake 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 →