Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.0Park Rapids has 64 acres of parks, 15 for every 1,000 residents
80% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2% of Park Rapids’ land is conserved, about 95 acres. 1.4 miles of mapped trail cross Park Rapids, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns · #210 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
How much outdoors does Park Rapids have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Park Rapids is ahead of 50% of U.S. towns, #210 of 274 in Minnesota. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
95 conserved acres
2% of Park Rapids’ land. Who manages Park Rapids’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 40 | Open |
| Skoe Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Olson Ball Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Depot Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Rice Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Deane Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Lindquist Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Red Bridge Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Roadside Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
21 places to go in Park Rapids
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
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. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 campground without a name on the map.
2 lakes & rivers
2.2 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 Park Rapids
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 | 15.9 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 18 | 24 | 37 | 52 | 66 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 69 | 53 | 36 | 23 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
February is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Park Rapids →
Park Rapids 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Rapids | 2% | 0.2 | 15 | 80% | B− |
| Todd Township | under 1% | 0.2 | under 1 | 3% | D |
| Henrietta Township | under 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
| Straight River 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 Park Rapids
How much of Park Rapids is conserved land?
2% 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 Park Rapids’ trails?
Heartland County Park and Red Bridge Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Park Rapids?
2.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Park Rapids?
18,047 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Park Rapids or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 105 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Park Rapids have?
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #210 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 Park Rapids 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 →