Hastings Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
27 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA · CC BY 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Hastings
14% of Hastings’ 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. 14% of Hastings’ land is conserved, about 923 acres. The biggest trail networks: Hastings Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #95 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
923 acres · of 10.4 sq mi of land
Trails
2.7 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
430 ac
19 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
29 mi
28 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hastings?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hastings have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hastings is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #95 of 274 in Minnesota. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hastings’ overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (3 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land19 acres of park per 1,000 residents (430 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13BParks 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 82%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 66%
Water is 8% of Hastings’ area (1 of 11 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 13%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Hastings Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area, with 0.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Cari Park
Park
4 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Gores Aquatic Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
241 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Vermillion River Linear Park
Park
106 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 27 parks & preserves
Hastings Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area27 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Cari Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Vermillion River Linear Park106 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Mill Park21 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHastings Wildlife Management Area2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Gores Aquatic Management Area241 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsHastings SNA66 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsVeterans Athletic Complex53 acres
DirectionsC P Adams Park42 acres
DirectionsVermillion Falls Park31 acres
DirectionsLions Park17 acres
DirectionsRoadside Park14 acres
DirectionsRivertown Dog Park14 acres
DirectionsConzemius Park11 acres
Riverwood Park9 acres
Pleasant Park7 acres
Pioneer Park7 acres
DirectionsTuttle Park6 acres
Canon Park5 acres
Dakota Hills Park4 acres
DirectionsLake Isabel Park3 acres
ConAgra Park3 acres
South Pines Park3 acres
Wilson Park3 acres
DirectionsSunny Acres Park2 acres
Westwood Park1 acres
Eagle Bluff Park1 acres
Who protects it
923 conserved acres
14% of Hastings’ land. Water is left out: Hastings has 10.4 square miles of land and 0.9 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Hastings’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County604 ac
Town or city331 ac
State fish & wildlife189 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land188 ac
State natural resources92 ac
Recreation or Education Easement · 600 acLocal Park · 292 acState Conservation Area · 281 acNational Public Lands · 188 acLocal Recreation Area · 39 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 124 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Rebecca Park National Public Lands | Other or Unknown Federal Land | 188 | Open |
| Gores State Aquatic Management Area (Dakota) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 188 | Restricted |
| Vermillion Falls Park Local Park | Town or city | 117 | Open |
| Hastings State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 65 | Restricted |
| Veterans Athletic Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Cp Adams Park Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Hastings Sand Coulee State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 22 | Restricted |
| Lions Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Old Mill Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Rivertown Dog Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Hastings
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Hastings
Musical Playground
DirectionsPlus 21 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Hastings
6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Hastings
Vermillion Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Hastings
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.0 mi
Shoreline Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
29 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
28 mi
off-road bike paths
1.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
18Baseball
15Basketball
14Tennis
9Soccer
9Tracks
4Football
3Pickleball
2Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →16 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.
William G. Le Duc HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itThompson-Fasbender HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itRudolph Latto HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itHastings Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1978
About itByron Howes HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itDakota County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itIgnatius Eckert HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itEast Second Street Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1978
About itWest Second Street Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1978
About itVanDyke-Libby HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itHastings Foundry-Star Iron WorksBuilding · listed 1979
About itMacDonald-Todd HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About it4 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Hastings
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 | 15.6 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 29 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 59 | 42 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
February is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Hastings →
Next door
Hastings and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Denmark Township22 miMarshan Township7.9 miNininger Township4.8 miHastings2.7 miRavenna Township1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hastings | 14% | 0.3 | 19 | 99%+ | A− |
| Nininger Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Denmark Township | 6% | 0.8 | 791 | 40% | A− |
| Marshan Township | 3% | 0.2 | under 1 | 5% | C− |
| Ravenna Township | 2% | 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hastings
Where can I hike in Hastings?
The longest trail networks: Hastings Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area, 0.6 miles; Cari Park, 0.3 miles; Vermillion River Linear Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hastings is conserved land?
14% 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 Hastings’ trails?
Hastings Sand Coulee Scientific and Natural Area and Cari Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hastings?
29 miles of bike routes are on the map: 28 of off-road paths and 1.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Hastings?
11,364 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hastings or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 619 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Hastings have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #95 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 Hastings 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 →