MB Johnson Park
Managed by City of Moorhead
111 acres7.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Billybob2002 · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Moorhead
5% of Moorhead’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
22 miles of mapped trail cross Moorhead, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: MB Johnson Park (7.6 mi), Gooseberry Park (2.1 mi), Horn Park (0.9 mi). 5% of Moorhead’s land is conserved, about 733 acres.
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #82 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
733 acres · of 22.3 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
794 ac
18 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
65 mi
9.6 mi lanes · 51 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Moorhead?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Moorhead have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Moorhead is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #82 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 Moorhead’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%BTrails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (22 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land18 acres of park per 1,000 residents (794 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13BParks close to home98% 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 85%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 70%
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 MB Johnson Park, with 7.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Gooseberry Park
Managed by Moorhead Parks & Rec
46 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Horn Park
Managed by City of Moorhead
15 acres0.9 mi of trail
Horn Park MTB Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Bluestem Center for the Arts
Park
60 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Riverfront Park
Managed by City of Moorhead
20 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Viking Ship Park
Managed by City of Moorhead
16 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 31 parks & preserves
MB Johnson Park111 acres · 7.6 mi of trail · City of Moorhead
DirectionsGooseberry Park46 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Moorhead Parks & Rec
DirectionsHorn Park15 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of Moorhead
DirectionsBluestem Center for the Arts60 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverfront Park20 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Moorhead
DirectionsViking Ship Park16 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Moorhead
DirectionsHorizon Shores Park36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHomestead Park14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Moorhead
DirectionsSouthside Regional Park96 acres
DirectionsWoodlawn Park30 acres
DirectionsVillage Green 6th Addition Park16 acres
Cassel Woods14 acres · North Dakota State University
River Oaks Park10 acres · City of Moorhead
Ridgewood Park8 acres
DirectionsVillage Green Park7 acres
DirectionsMemorial Park7 acres
DirectionsAllyson's Park6 acres
Johnson Farms Park5 acres
DirectionsHansmann Park5 acres
Lamb Park4 acres
Trails at Stonemill Park4 acres
DirectionsAlm Park2 acres
DirectionsArbor Park2 acres
DirectionsSouth Park2 acres
DirectionsAngela's Addition Park2 acres
W.H. Davy Park2 acres
DirectionsStonemill Park2 acres
Morningside Park1 acres
DirectionsBennett Park1 acres · City of Moorhead
Hampton Place Park1 acres
Meadows Park1 acres
Who protects it
733 conserved acres
5% of Moorhead’s land. Who manages Moorhead’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city698 ac
Other state land34 ac
Local Park · 732 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southside Regional Park Local Park | Town or city | 120 | Open |
| Mb Johnson Park Local Park | Town or city | 110 | Open |
| Centennial Park Local Park | Town or city | 67 | Open |
| Gooseberry Mound Park Local Park | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| Trollwood Performing Arts Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Woodlawn Park Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| College Park Local Park | Other state land | 34 | Open |
| Horizon Shores Park Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Bob Fogel Riparian Forest Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Riverfront Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
126 places to go in Moorhead
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Moorhead
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Moorhead
Evergreen Park
DirectionsNatural Play HillIn Riverfront Park
DirectionsVillage Green East Park
Directions113 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Moorhead
3 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Moorhead
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Moorhead
2 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Moorhead
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Moorhead
Woodlawn Park AmateurIn Woodlawn Park · City of Moorhead
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.4 miUnpaved · 13.9 mi
Horn Park MTB Trail1.4 mi
Homestead Ski Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
65 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
51 mi
off-road bike paths
4.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
36Basketball
32Baseball
31Soccer
31Tennis
19Tracks
15Football
10Pickleball
5Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →12 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Solomon Gilman Comstock HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itBurnham BuildingBuilding · listed 1980
About itFederal Courthouse and Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1980
About itLew A. Huntoon HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itMain Building, Concordia CollegeBuilding · listed 1980
About itSt. John the Divine Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1980
About itJohn Bergquist HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itRandolph M. Probstfield HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itFairmont Creamery CompanyBuilding · listed 1983
About itPark Elementary SchoolBuilding · listed 1988
About itMoorhead Storage and Transfer Company WarehouseBuilding · listed 2020
About itFrederick Martin HotelBuilding · listed 2025
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Moorhead
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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 18 | 23 | 37 | 54 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 81 | 72 | 56 | 38 | 24 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
February is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Moorhead →
Next door
Moorhead and its neighbors
Moorhead has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Fargo45 miMoorhead22 miGlyndon Township5.6 miOakport Township4.2 miMoorhead Township2.9 miDilworth0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moorhead | 5% | 1.0 | 18 | 98% | A− |
| Moorhead Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Dilworth | 1% | 0.2 | 9 | 99%+ | B− |
| Oakport Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Glyndon 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 Moorhead
Where can I hike in Moorhead?
The longest trail networks: MB Johnson Park, 7.6 miles; Gooseberry Park, 2.1 miles; Horn Park, 0.9 miles; Bluestem Center for the Arts, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Moorhead is conserved land?
5% 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 Moorhead’s trails?
MB Johnson Park and Gooseberry Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Moorhead?
65 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.6 of painted or protected lanes, 51 of off-road paths and 4.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Moorhead?
4,468 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Moorhead or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 794 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Moorhead have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #82 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 Moorhead 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 →