Photo: Jonathunder · CC BY-SA 3.0Jackson has 52 acres of parks, 16 for every 1,000 residents
94% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 0.1 miles of mapped trail cross Jackson. 1% of Jackson’s land is conserved, about 45 acres.
Ahead of 43% of U.S. towns · #230 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Jackson?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Jackson have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Jackson is ahead of 43% of U.S. towns, #230 of 274 in Minnesota. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull 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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Benes Recreation Area
All 6 parks & preserves
45 conserved acres
1% of Jackson’s land. Who manages Jackson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albertus Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Benes Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Ashley Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Dann'S Island Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Getty'S Park Local Park | Private owners | 2 | Open |
| Dumont Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Patterson Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Central Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Sunset Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
2 places to go in Jackson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 lakes & rivers
6.2 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.
2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
September is the best month for walking in Jackson
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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 79 | 73 | 59 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Jackson →
Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | 1% | under 0.1 | 16 | 94% | C+ |
| Des Moines Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wisconsin Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Jackson
How much of Jackson 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 Jackson’s trails?
Dann's Island Wayside Park and Benes Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Jackson?
6.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Jackson?
1,834 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Jackson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 52 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Jackson have?
Ahead of 43% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #230 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 Jackson 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 →