Harmon Park Reserve
Park
43 acres2.5 mi of trail
Prairie Loop (south)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Reuben Freeman House · Photo: Original uploader was Appraiser at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Inver Grove Heights
Inver Grove Heights has 17 miles of mapped trails, 0.6 for every square mile of land
95% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Harmon Park Reserve (2.5 mi), Salem Hills Park (1.8 mi), Heritage Village Park (0.8 mi). 7% of Inver Grove Heights’ land is conserved, about 1,233 acres.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #97 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,233 acres · of 27.9 sq mi of land
Trails
17 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
774 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
46 mi
45 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Inver Grove Heights?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Inver Grove Heights have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Inver Grove Heights is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #97 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 Inver Grove Heights’ overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (17 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (774 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home95% of 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 65%
Water is 8% of Inver Grove Heights’ area (2 of 30 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
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 Harmon Park Reserve, with 2.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Salem Hills Park
Park
42 acres1.8 mi of trail
Prairie Loop (south)Aspen Loop (north)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Heritage Village Park
Park
56 acres0.8 mi of trail
Small Dog Area PathLarge Dog Area Path
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Rich Valley Athletic Complex
Park
67 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 20 parks & preserves
Harmon Park Reserve43 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
Salem Hills Park42 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHeritage Village Park56 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRich Valley Athletic Complex67 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Bend Bluff SNA375 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMarianna Ranch Trails Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Groveland Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Seidl's Lake Park31 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
South Valley Park70 acres
DirectionsNorth Valley Park57 acres · City of Inver Grove Heights
DirectionsMcGroarty Park51 acres
DirectionsLions Park43 acres
Simley Island Park17 acres
DirectionsOakwood Park16 acres
DirectionsSleepy Hollow Park11 acres
Arbor Pointe Park8 acres
River Heights Park8 acres
Skyview Park7 acres
DirectionsVista Pines Park7 acres · Inver Grove Heights
DirectionsSouthern Lakes Park5 acres
Who protects it
1,233 conserved acres
7% of Inver Grove Heights’ land. Water is left out: Inver Grove Heights has 27.9 square miles of land and 2.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Inver Grove Heights’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city627 ac
County363 ac
State natural resources326 ac
National Park Service6 ac
Local Park · 417 acState Conservation Area · 317 acRecreation or Education Easement · 267 acLocal Conservation Area · 143 acConservation Easement · 97 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 274 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Bend Bluffs State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 317 | Restricted |
| South Valley Park Local Park | Town or city | 94 | Open |
| Marianna Ranch Trails Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 69 | Open |
| Rich Valley Athletic Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 67 | Open |
| North Valley Park Local Park | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Heritage Village Park Local Park | Town or city | 56 | Open |
| Harmon Park Reserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Salem Hills Park Local Park | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Seidls Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Southern Lakes Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
23 places to go in Inver Grove Heights
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Inver Grove Heights
16 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Inver Grove Heights
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Inver Grove Heights
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Inver Grove Heights
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Inver Grove Heights
2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.3 miUnpaved · 4.9 mi
Prairie Loop (south)3.3 mi
Aspen Loop (north)0.7 mi
Small Dog Area Path0.1 mi
Large Dog Area Path0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
46 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
45 mi
off-road bike paths
1.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Salem HillsBike route
4.1 miCourts & fields
29Baseball
14Soccer
14Tennis
12Pickleball
9Tracks
4Basketball
4Lacrosse
3Beach volleyball
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). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Reuben Freeman HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Inver Grove Heights
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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
February is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Inver Grove Heights →
Next door
Inver Grove Heights and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Eagan49 miCottage Grove17 miInver Grove Heights17 miWest St. Paul5.9 miNewport1.2 miSouth St. Paul0.6 miSt. Paul Park0.6 miSunfish Lake0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inver Grove Heights | 7% | 0.6 | 22 | 95% | A− |
| South St. Paul | 7% | 0.1 | 14 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Eagan | 22% | 1.6 | 64 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Sunfish Lake | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| West St. Paul | 5% | 1.2 | 9 | 98% | A− |
| St. Paul Park | 3% | 0.2 | 17 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Cottage Grove | 9% | 0.5 | 45 | 97% | A |
| Newport | 3% | 0.3 | 44 | 99%+ | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Inver Grove Heights
Where can I hike in Inver Grove Heights?
The longest trail networks: Harmon Park Reserve, 2.5 miles; Salem Hills Park, 1.8 miles; Heritage Village Park, 0.8 miles; Rich Valley Athletic Complex, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Inver Grove Heights is conserved land?
7% 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 Inver Grove Heights’ trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Heritage Village Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Inver Grove Heights?
46 miles of bike routes are on the map: 45 of off-road paths and 1.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Salem Hills.
Is there public land near Inver Grove Heights?
36,066 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Inver Grove Heights or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 788 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Inver Grove Heights have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #97 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 Inver Grove Heights 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 →