Elm Creek Park Reserve
Managed by Three Rivers Park District
1,243 acres10.9 mi of trail
Northern Lights TrailMeadowlark TrailOxbow TrailValley Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Appraiser at English Wikipedia · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Maple Grove
10% of Maple Grove’s land is conserved: 2,028 acres
94% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2,557 acres are parks and preserves, 36 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Elm Creek Park Reserve (10.9 mi), Maple Grove Forest Preservation Area B (2.6 mi), Fish Lake Regional Park (2 mi).
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #65 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
2,028 acres · of 32.6 sq mi of land
Trails
21 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,557 ac
36 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
181 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 179 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
21
17 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Maple Grove?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Maple Grove have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Maple Grove is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #65 of 274 in Minnesota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Maple Grove’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (21 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land36 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,557 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home94% 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 88%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 77%
Water is 7% of Maple Grove’s area (2 of 35 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 9%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Elm Creek Park Reserve, with 10.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Maple Grove Forest Preservation Area B
Managed by City of Maple Grove
133 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Fish Lake Regional Park
Park
191 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Central Park of Maple Grove
Managed by Maple Grove Parks and Recreation
49 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Eagle Lake Woods Playlot
Park
14 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Shepherd of the Grove Church Park & Ride
Town Green
Managed by Maple Grove Parks and Recreation
6 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 45 parks & preserves
Elm Creek Park Reserve1,243 acres · 10.9 mi of trail · Three Rivers Park District
DirectionsMaple Grove Forest Preservation Area B133 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · City of Maple Grove
DirectionsFish Lake Regional Park191 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Park of Maple Grove49 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Maple Grove Parks and Recreation
DirectionsEagle Lake Woods Playlot14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Green6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Maple Grove Parks and Recreation
DirectionsEagle Lake Regional Park82 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Gleason Fields46 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGrove West Park32 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMaple Meadows Playlot13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Weaver Lake Park78 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMaple Creek Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Maple Grove Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBoundary Creek Park89 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
DirectionsMaple Lakes Park44 acres
DirectionsBasswood Park25 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
DirectionsDonahue North Park25 acres
DirectionsWoodcrest Neighborhood Park23 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWeaver Lake Access18 acres
DirectionsElm Creek Playfields17 acres
DirectionsMaple Grove Arboretum17 acres
DirectionsKerber Park17 acres
DirectionsLakeview Knolls Park15 acres
DirectionsSouth Elm Road Park15 acres
DirectionsTeal Lake Park15 acres
DirectionsElm Creek Park (Maple Grove Arboretum)15 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
DirectionsBoundary Creek Conservancy14 acres
Weaver Lake School Park13 acres
DirectionsShadow Creek Linear Park11 acres
DirectionsMaple Valley Trails11 acres · Maple Grove Parks and Recreation
DirectionsHidden Meadows Park9 acres · City of Maple Grove
DirectionsScott/Jonquil Meadows Park9 acres
DirectionsFish Lake Woods Park8 acres
DirectionsElm Creek Valley Linear Park8 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks and Recreation
Forestview Ponds Park7 acres
DirectionsCharest Park7 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
DirectionsNottingham Park6 acres
DirectionsCrosswinds Park5 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
DirectionsThoresen Park3 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
DirectionsDonahue South Playlot3 acres
Wedgewood Playlot2 acres
Balsam Playlot2 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
Bayless Playlot1 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
Bridges Park1 acres · City of Maple Grove Parks & Recreation
DirectionsHemlock Ponds Playfield1 acres
Maple Tree Playlot1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,028 conserved acres
10% of Maple Grove’s land. Water is left out: Maple Grove has 32.6 square miles of land and 2.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Maple Grove’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Regional agency1,260 ac
Town or city767 ac
Local Conservation Area · 1,505 acLocal Park · 435 acLocal Recreation Area · 86 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elm Creek Park Reserve Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 1,260 | Open |
| Boundary Creek Conservancy Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 103 | Open |
| Weaver Lake Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 78 | Open |
| Central Park Local Park | Town or city | 51 | Open |
| Gleason Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 45 | Open |
| Rice Lake Woods Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Timber Crest Forest Conservancy Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Grove West Local Park | Town or city | 31 | Open |
| Highpointe Hills Conservancy Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Donahue North Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 25 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
117 places to go in Maple Grove
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Maple Grove
17 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Maple Grove
Community Center Pool
DirectionsElm Creek Swimming PondIn Elm Creek Park Reserve
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Maple Grove
Basswood Elementary School playground
DirectionsBoundary Creek Park PlaygroundHours: 06:00-23:00 · In Boundary Creek Park
DirectionsMaple Grove Rotary Music PlazaIn Town Green
DirectionsThe big park
Directions69 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Maple Grove
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Maple Grove
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Maple Grove
Chipmunk picnic areaIn Elm Creek Park Reserve
DirectionsPlus 21 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Maple Grove
1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 21 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.6 miHorses · 1.6 miUnpaved · 16.6 mi
Northern Lights Trail2.0 mi
Meadowlark Trail0.3 mi
Oxbow Trail0.2 mi
Valley Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Arbor LakereservoirCedar Island LakeCook LakeEagle LakelakeEdward LakelakeElm Creek Swim PondpondFish LakelakeJaxima PondpondLake DanielpondMud LakelakeNorth Arbor LakereservoirPike LakeRice LakelakeTeal LakepondWeaver LakelakeWest Arbor LakeXanthus PondpondEagle CreekElm CreekRush CreekSouth Fork Rush Creek
Biking & sports
181 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
179 mi
off-road bike paths
2.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Fish Lake/Medicine Lake RegionalBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
52Tennis
52Basketball
52Baseball
26Soccer
22Pickleball
15Beach volleyball
11Softball
10Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The walking year in Maple Grove
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 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 41 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Maple Grove →
Next door
Maple Grove and its neighbors
Maple Grove has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Grove | 10% | 0.6 | 36 | 94% | A |
| Corcoran | under 1% | under 0.1 | 17 | 32% | C− |
| Plymouth | 11% | 0.6 | 29 | 99%+ | A |
| Osseo | 1% | 0.1 | 1 | 99%+ | C+ |
| Brooklyn Park | 11% | 0.6 | 23 | 99% | A |
| Dayton | 22% | 0.9 | 365 | 82% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Maple Grove
Where can I hike in Maple Grove?
The longest trail networks: Elm Creek Park Reserve, 10.9 miles; Maple Grove Forest Preservation Area B, 2.6 miles; Fish Lake Regional Park, 2 miles; Central Park of Maple Grove, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Maple Grove is conserved land?
10% 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 Maple Grove’s trails?
Elm Creek Park Reserve and Maple Grove Forest Preservation Area B don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Maple Grove?
181 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes, 179 of off-road paths and 2.4 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Fish Lake/Medicine Lake Regional.
Is there public land near Maple Grove?
31,708 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Maple Grove or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,557 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Maple Grove have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #65 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 Maple Grove 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 →