Photo: Myotus · CC BY-SA 4.014% of New Brighton’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 14% of New Brighton’s land is conserved, about 576 acres. The biggest trail networks: Hansen Park (0.5 mi).
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #60 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is New Brighton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does New Brighton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, New Brighton is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #60 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.
Water is 8% of New Brighton’s area (1 of 7 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 13%.
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 Hansen Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 15 parks & preserves
576 conserved acres
14% of New Brighton’s land. Water is left out: New Brighton has 6.5 square miles of land and 0.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages New Brighton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Lake Regional Park Local Park | County | 405 | Open |
| Hansen Park Local Park | Town or city | 68 | Open |
| Creekview Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Hidden Oaks Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Driftwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| North Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Freedom Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Sunny Square Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Innsbruck Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Pike Lake Trail Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
24 places to go in New Brighton
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 19 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
7 lakes & rivers
21 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.
1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The walking year in New Brighton
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) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 41 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in New Brighton →
New Brighton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Brighton | 14% | 0.4 | 28 | 99%+ | A |
| Arden Hills | 7% | 0.8 | 62 | 99%+ | A |
| Mounds View | 5% | 0.3 | 16 | 99%+ | A− |
| St. Anthony | 20% | 1.6 | 34 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in New Brighton
Where can I hike in New Brighton?
The longest trail networks: Hansen Park, 0.5 miles; Meadow Wood Park, 0.4 miles; Driftwood Park, 0.3 miles; Long Lake Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of New Brighton is conserved land?
14% 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 New Brighton’s trails?
Hansen Park and Meadow Wood Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in New Brighton?
21 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.6 of painted or protected lanes and 19 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near New Brighton?
28,778 acres of parks and open public land lie inside New Brighton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 628 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does New Brighton have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #60 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 New Brighton 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 →