Flandrau State Park
Park
514 acres7.8 mi of trail
Old Dam TrailGrassland TrailWoodland TrailCottonwood Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Schwerdf · CC BY 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in New Ulm
11% of New Ulm’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
15 miles of mapped trail cross New Ulm, 1.4 per square mile of land. 806 acres are parks and preserves, 57 per 1,000 residents. 11% of New Ulm’s land is conserved, about 708 acres.
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #24 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
708 acres · of 10.2 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
806 ac
57 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
11 mi
1.5 mi lanes · 8.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is New Ulm?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does New Ulm have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, New Ulm is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #24 of 274 in Minnesota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of New Ulm’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (15 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4APark land57 acres of park per 1,000 residents (806 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13A−Parks 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 95%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 92%
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 Flandrau State Park, with 7.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Nehls Park & Disc Golf Course
Park
12 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Riverside Park
Park
13 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 22 parks & preserves
Flandrau State Park514 acres · 7.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNehls Park & Disc Golf Course12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Riverside Park13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Hans Joohs Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Broadway Park (undeveloped/pollinator park)22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMinnecon Park32 acres
DirectionsBrown County Fairground23 acres
DirectionsHarman Park17 acres
DirectionsSouth Park16 acres
DirectionsNorth Park15 acres
DirectionsGerman Park13 acres
DirectionsSteinhauser Park11 acres
DirectionsHermann Heights Park9 acres
DirectionsHighland Park6 acres
DirectionsFifth North Park4 acres
DirectionsJunior Pioneer Park4 acres
DirectionsArchery Range Park4 acres
North Market Park4 acres
DirectionsLincoln Park3 acres
DirectionsWashington Park3 acres
DirectionsLakeside Village Park (undeveloped)2 acres
Jones Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
708 conserved acres
11% of New Ulm’s land. Who manages New Ulm’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks507 ac
Town or city178 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)23 ac
State Park · 507 acLocal Park · 166 acConservation Easement · 23 acLocal Recreation Area · 13 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 23 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flandrau State Park State Park | State parks | 507 | Open |
| Minnecon Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Johnson Park Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| North Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| South Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Herman Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Trap Range Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Dog Park / South German Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| South Market Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
60 places to go in New Ulm
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in New Ulm
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in New Ulm
27 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in New Ulm
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in New Ulm
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in New Ulm
Former Dam SiteIn Flandrau State Park
DirectionsOverlookIn Flandrau State Park
DirectionsOverlookIn Flandrau State Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in New Ulm
22 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in New Ulm
Flandrau Rustic CampgroundIn Flandrau State Park
DirectionsFlandrau Semi-Modern CampgroundFee · In Flandrau State Park
DirectionsFlandrau State Park- Rustic CampgroundFee · In Flandrau State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
15 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 8.3 mi
Old Dam Trail1.5 mi
Grassland Trail0.8 mi
Woodland Trail0.7 mi
Cottonwood Trail0.6 mi
Old Island Loop Trail0.6 mi
South Oxbow Trail0.6 mi
Indian Point Trail0.4 mi
Oxbow Trail0.4 mi
North Oxbow Trail0.4 mi
Entrance Hill Trail0.3 mi
5 more trails
Bluebird Trail
0.3 miRidge Trail
0.3 miPool Trail
0.3 miSpring Trail
0.3 miBluebird Loop Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
11 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
8.6 mi
off-road bike paths
0.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
23Soccer
23Baseball
11Tennis
9Football
9Basketball
6Pickleball
4Beach volleyball
2Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →22 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
New Ulm Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1970
About itFrederick W. Kiesling HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itHermann MonumentStructure · listed 1973
About itMelges BakeryBuilding · listed 1974
About itSchell, August, Brewing CompanyDistrict · listed 1974
About itGov. John Lind HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itBernard Fesenmaier HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itBoesch, Hummel, and Maltzahn BlockBuilding · listed 1979
About itChicago and North Western Railroad DepotBuilding · listed 1979
About itGag, Wanda, Childhood HomeBuilding · listed 1979
About itNew Ulm Oil Company Service StationBuilding · listed 1979
About itSt. Michael's School and ConventBuilding · listed 1979
About it10 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in New Ulm
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 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 80 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 59 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in New Ulm →
Next door
New Ulm and its neighbors
New Ulm has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
New Ulm15 miMilford Township2.5 miCourtland Township2.1 miLafayette Township1.1 miCottonwood Township0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Ulm | 11% | 1.4 | 57 | 97% | A+ |
| Milford Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Courtland Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cottonwood Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lafayette 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 New Ulm
Where can I hike in New Ulm?
The longest trail networks: Flandrau State Park, 7.8 miles; Nehls Park & Disc Golf Course, 0.5 miles; Riverside Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of New Ulm is conserved land?
11% 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 Ulm’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Flandrau State Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in New Ulm?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.5 of painted or protected lanes, 8.6 of off-road paths and 0.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near New Ulm?
1,235 acres of parks and open public land lie inside New Ulm or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 806 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does New Ulm have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #24 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 Ulm 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 →