North Mankato Public School · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.07% of North Mankato’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Spring Lake Park (0.9 mi), Benson Park (0.5 mi). 7% of North Mankato’s land is conserved, about 295 acres. 3.4 miles of mapped trail cross North Mankato, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #92 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is North Mankato?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does North Mankato have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, North Mankato is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #92 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.
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 Spring Lake Park, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bluff Park
All 16 parks & preserves
295 conserved acres
7% of North Mankato’s land. Who manages North Mankato’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 24 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benson Park Local Park | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| Spring Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Bluff Park Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Caswell Park Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Riverview Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Wheeler Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Pleasant View Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Webster Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| North Ridge Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| The Reserve Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
40 places to go in North Mankato
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
33 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
6 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
3 lakes & rivers
5.7 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).
September is the best month for walking in North Mankato
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 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 29 | 41 | 57 | 70 | 80 | 83 | 80 | 74 | 59 | 43 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in North Mankato →
North Mankato 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Mankato | 7% | 0.5 | 20 | 98% | A− |
| Belgrade Township | 4% | 0.3 | 428 | 13% | B |
| Mankato | 6% | 0.6 | 18 | 93% | A− |
| Mankato Township | 1% | 0.1 | 84 | 14% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in North Mankato
Where can I hike in North Mankato?
The longest trail networks: Spring Lake Park, 0.9 miles; Benson Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of North Mankato is conserved land?
7% 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 North Mankato’s trails?
Spring Lake Park and Benson Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in North Mankato?
5.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.8 of off-road paths and 0.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near North Mankato?
4,756 acres of parks and open public land lie inside North Mankato or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 286 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does North Mankato have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #92 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 North Mankato 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 →