Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Monticello has 5.9 miles of mapped trails, 0.6 for every square mile of land
91% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 323 acres are parks and preserves, 22 per 1,000 residents. 4% of Monticello’s land is conserved, about 217 acres.
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns · #134 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Monticello?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Monticello have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Monticello is ahead of 75% of U.S. towns, #134 of 274 in Minnesota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, conserved land lowest.
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
The longest trail network is Pioneer Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Montissippi County Park
All 19 parks & preserves
217 conserved acres
4% of Monticello’s land. Who manages Monticello’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montisippi County Park Local Park | County | 65 | Open |
| Lions Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Watertower Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Mississippi Island Wright State Aquatic Management Area (Wright) State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 15 | Restricted |
| Monticello City Softball Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Oak Ridge Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Meadow Oaks Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Mississippi River Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| River Mill Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Hunters Crossing Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
33 places to go in Monticello
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Plus 26 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
2 lakes & rivers
20 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). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The walking year in Monticello
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 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 27 | 40 | 55 | 68 | 78 | 81 | 79 | 71 | 57 | 41 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Monticello →
Monticello 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello | 4% | 0.6 | 22 | 91% | A− |
| Monticello Township | 5% | 0.6 | 379 | 29% | B+ |
| Becker | 2% | 1.1 | 69 | 90% | A− |
| Big Lake Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 8 | 18% | D |
| Becker 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 Monticello
Where can I hike in Monticello?
The longest trail networks: Pioneer Park, 0.3 miles; Montissippi County Park, 0.2 miles; River Mill Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Monticello is conserved land?
4% 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 Monticello’s trails?
Pioneer Park and Montissippi County Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Monticello?
20 miles of bike routes are on the map: 17 of off-road paths and 2.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Monticello?
14,664 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Monticello or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 323 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Monticello have?
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #134 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 Monticello 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 →