Lake Rebecca Park Reserve
Park
985 acres5.1 mi of trail
Lake Rebecca MTB Single-Track
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Crow River Canoe LaunchWebsite ↗
B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Independence
Independence has 243 acres of parks, 66 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Lake Rebecca Park Reserve (5.1 mi). 15% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2% of Independence’s land is conserved, about 473 acres.
Ahead of 46% of U.S. towns · #220 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
473 acres · of 32.4 sq mi of land
Trails
9.1 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
243 ac
66 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
15%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
20 mi
20 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
9
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Independence have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Independence is ahead of 46% of U.S. towns, #220 of 274 in Minnesota. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Independence’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (9 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land66 acres of park per 1,000 residents (243 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home15% of residents within a half mile of a park · MN 95% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 46%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 20%
Water is 6% of Independence’s area (2 of 35 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 2%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C to 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 Lake Rebecca Park Reserve, with 5.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lake Sarah Park
Park
242 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Robina Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
196 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
473 conserved acres
2% of Independence’s land. Water is left out: Independence has 32.4 square miles of land and 2.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Independence’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land217 ac
State fish & wildlife197 ac
Regional agency39 ac
Joint20 ac
Conservation Easement · 237 acState Conservation Area · 197 acLocal Park · 39 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 237 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robina Lake State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 197 | Restricted |
| Lake Sarah Regional Park Local Park | Regional agency | 39 | Open |
Things to do
6 places to go in Independence
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Independence
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Independence
2 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Campgrounds in Independence
South Group CampIn Lake Rebecca Park Reserve
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Independence
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
9 lakes & rivers
Biking & sports
20 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
20 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
1Equestrian
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The walking year in Independence
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) | 22 | 27 | 40 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 57 | 41 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Independence →
Next door
Independence and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Medina22 miMinnetrista12 miGreenfield9.4 miIndependence9.1 miMaple Plain0.7 miFranklin Township0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | 2% | 0.3 | 66 | 15% | B− |
| Maple Plain | under 1% | 0.7 | 21 | 99%+ | B |
| Franklin Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 5 | 13% | D |
| Minnetrista | 4% | 0.5 | 82 | 87% | A− |
| Greenfield | 1% | 0.5 | 77 | 21% | B− |
| Medina | 19% | 0.9 | 418 | 88% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Independence
Where can I hike in Independence?
The longest trail networks: Lake Rebecca Park Reserve, 5.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Independence is conserved land?
2% 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 Independence’s trails?
Lake Rebecca Park Reserve and Lake Sarah Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Independence?
20 miles of bike routes are on the map: 20 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Independence?
18,594 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Independence or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 243 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Independence have?
Ahead of 46% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #220 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 Independence 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 →