William O'Brien State Park
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
1,319 acres12.3 mi of trail
Woodland Edge TrailWetland TrailRiverside TrailHardwood Hills Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Lorie Shaull · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Scandia
Scandia has 1,250 acres of parks, 316 for every 1,000 residents
11% of Scandia’s land is conserved, about 2,353 acres. The biggest trail networks: William O'Brien State Park (12.3 mi), Wind In The Pines Preserve (1.2 mi), Crystal Spring Scientific and Natural Area (0.5 mi). 26% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 71% of U.S. towns · #144 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
2,353 acres · of 34.9 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,250 ac
316 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
26%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
21 mi
2.7 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
13
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Scandia?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Scandia have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Scandia is ahead of 71% of U.S. towns, #144 of 274 in Minnesota. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Scandia’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (14 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4BPark land316 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,250 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13AParks close to home26% of residents within a half mile of a park · MN 95% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 71%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 48%
Water is 13% of Scandia’s area (5 of 40 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 9%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B 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 William O'Brien State Park, with 12.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wind In The Pines Preserve
Managed by City of Scandia
44 acres1.2 mi of trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Crystal Spring Scientific and Natural Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
60 acres0.5 mi of trail
Crystal Spring Footpath
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Rutstrum Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
165 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 10 parks & preserves
William O'Brien State Park1,319 acres · 12.3 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWind In The Pines Preserve44 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Scandia
DirectionsCrystal Spring Scientific and Natural Area60 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsGammelgården Museum of Scandia7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRutstrum Wildlife Management Area165 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Falls Creek Scientific and Natural Area137 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsLilleskogen Park9 acres · City of Scandia
DirectionsHay Lake Park5 acres · City of Scandia
DirectionsWayne Erickson Memorial Ball Park4 acres
DirectionsJohnson Memorial Park4 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,353 conserved acres
11% of Scandia’s land. Water is left out: Scandia has 34.9 square miles of land and 5.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Scandia’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks1,102 ac
National Park Service952 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land459 ac
State natural resources145 ac
Town or city145 ac
State fish & wildlife24 ac
Private owners13 ac
State Park · 1,102 acConservation Easement · 924 acWild and Scenic River · 493 acState Conservation Area · 163 acLocal Conservation Area · 71 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 468 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| William O'Brien State Park State Park | State parks | 1,102 | Open |
| Lower Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway Wild and Scenic River | National Park Service | 493 | Open |
| Falls Creek State Scientific and Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 139 | Restricted |
| Wind in the Pines Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 71 | Open |
| Bone Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Rutstrum State Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 24 | Restricted |
| Scandia Community Center, Leonard Wojtowicz Skating Park & South Ball Field Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Gammelgarden Museum & Park Local Park | Private owners | 13 | Open |
| Lilleskogen Park / Veterans Memorial Local Historic or Cultural Area | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Hay Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
19 places to go in Scandia
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Scandia
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Scandia
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Scandia
Goose Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Scandia
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Scandia
4 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Scandia
Log House Landing
DirectionsCampgrounds in Scandia
Riverside Group CampIn William O'Brien State Park
DirectionsRiverway CampgroundIn William O'Brien State Park
DirectionsSavanna CampgroundIn William O'Brien State Park
DirectionsWedge Hill Group CampIn William O'Brien State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
9 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 13.5 mi
Woodland Edge Trail2.0 mi
Wetland Trail1.8 mi
Riverside Trail1.6 mi
Hardwood Hills Trail0.8 mi
Rolling Hills Savanna Trail0.7 mi
Crystal Spring Footpath0.6 mi
Prairie Overlook Trail0.6 mi
Beaver Lodge Trail0.2 mi
Wedge Hill Savanna Trail0.2 mi
Biking & sports
21 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.7 mi
off-road bike paths
18 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
11Tennis
6Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 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.
When to get out
The walking year in Scandia
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 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 57 | 41 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.2 |
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 Scandia →
Next door
Scandia and its neighbors
Scandia has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Scandia14 miMarine on St. Croix11 miFranconia Township8.8 miFarmington6.7 miForest Lake6.6 miChisago City3.2 miChisago Lake Township2.9 miMay Township0.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scandia | 11% | 0.4 | 316 | 26% | B+ |
| Forest Lake | 7% | 0.2 | 26 | 83% | B+ |
| May Township | 6% | under 0.1 | 30 | 21% | C+ |
| Chisago Lake Township | 1% | 0.1 | 24 | 19% | C |
| Marine on St. Croix | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Franconia Township | 9% | 0.3 | 34 | 8% | B− |
| Chisago City | 1% | 0.2 | 21 | 59% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Scandia
Where can I hike in Scandia?
The longest trail networks: William O'Brien State Park, 12.3 miles; Wind In The Pines Preserve, 1.2 miles; Crystal Spring Scientific and Natural Area, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Scandia 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 Scandia’s trails?
William O'Brien State Park and Wind In The Pines Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Scandia?
21 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.7 of off-road paths and 18 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Scandia?
15,221 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Scandia or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,750 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Scandia have?
Ahead of 71% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #144 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 Scandia 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 →