ADM & SMSU Environmental Learning Area
Managed by Southwest Minnesota State University
49 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Marshall
97% of residents live within a half mile of a park in Marshall
8.6 miles of mapped trail cross Marshall, 0.8 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: ADM & SMSU Environmental Learning Area (1.3 mi), Legion Field Park (0.5 mi). 202 acres are parks and preserves, 15 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #132 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
196 acres · of 10.3 sq mi of land
Trails
8.6 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
202 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
21 mi
4.3 mi lanes · 17 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
9
What kind of outdoors town is Marshall?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Marshall have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Marshall is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #132 of 274 in Minnesota. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Marshall’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (9 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (202 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13BParks close to home97% 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 76%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 52%
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 ADM & SMSU Environmental Learning Area, with 1.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Legion Field Park
Managed by Marshall Parks Department
26 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Justice Park
Managed by Marshall Parks Department
12 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Liberty Park
Managed by Marshall Parks Department
6 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Bremer Bank Employee Parking
9/11 Memorial Park
Managed by Marshall Parks Department
2 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 12 parks & preserves
ADM & SMSU Environmental Learning Area49 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Southwest Minnesota State University
DirectionsLegion Field Park26 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Marshall Parks Department
DirectionsJustice Park12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Marshall Parks Department
DirectionsLiberty Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Marshall Parks Department
Directions9/11 Memorial Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Marshall Parks Department
DirectionsFreedom Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Marshall Parks Department
Independence Park53 acres · Marshall Parks Department
DirectionsChannel Parkway Softball Complex12 acres · Marshall Parks Department
DirectionsPatriot Park12 acres · Marshall Parks Department
DirectionsVictory Park6 acres · Marshall Parks Department
Allegiance Park4 acres · Marshall Parks Department
Elaine Park1 acres
Who protects it
196 conserved acres
3% of Marshall’s land. Who manages Marshall’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city144 ac
Other state land52 ac
Local Park · 131 acLocal Conservation Area · 52 acLocal Recreation Area · 13 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Park Local Park | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Smsu Nature Area Local Conservation Area | Other state land | 52 | Open |
| Legion Field & Aquatic Center Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Softball Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Justice Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Patriot Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Freedom Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Wayside Rest Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Allegiance Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Liberty Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
20 places to go in Marshall
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Marshall
17 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Marshall
Loyalty Dog Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Marshall
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Marshall
Marshall Community Garden PlotsFee · City of Marshall
DirectionsTrails & water
9 lakes & rivers
Biking & sports
21 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
17 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
20Baseball
18Softball
13Tennis
9Football
8Basketball
5Volleyball
5Soccer
3Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The walking year in Marshall
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 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 40 | 56 | 70 | 80 | 84 | 81 | 74 | 59 | 42 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
January is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Marshall →
Next door
Marshall and its neighbors
Marshall has the most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall | 3% | 0.8 | 15 | 97% | A− |
| Lake Marshall Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lynd Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Grandview 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 Marshall
Where can I hike in Marshall?
The longest trail networks: ADM & SMSU Environmental Learning Area, 1.3 miles; Legion Field Park, 0.5 miles; Justice Park, 0.4 miles; Liberty Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Marshall is conserved land?
3% 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 Marshall’s trails?
ADM & SMSU Environmental Learning Area and Legion Field Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Marshall?
21 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.3 of painted or protected lanes and 17 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Marshall?
2,460 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Marshall or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 202 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Marshall have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #132 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 Marshall 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 →