Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Nature preserve
1,313 acres4.1 mi of trail
Blue Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Shakopee
11% of Shakopee’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
11% of Shakopee’s land is conserved, about 2,161 acres. The biggest trail networks: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (4.1 mi), Southbridge Community Dog Park (1.1 mi), The Landing (1 mi). 1,359 acres are parks and preserves, 30 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #57 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
2,161 acres · of 29.5 sq mi of land
Trails
19 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,359 ac
30 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
105 mi
4.8 mi lanes · 95 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Shakopee?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Shakopee have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Shakopee is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #57 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.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Shakopee’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (19 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land30 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,359 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home98% 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 90%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 79%
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 Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, with 4.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Southbridge Community Dog Park
Park
48 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
The Landing
Managed by Three Rivers Park District
99 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area
Park
151 acres0.7 mi of trail
Rice Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ridge Creek Park
Managed by City of Shakopee
47 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Royalty Park
Park
8 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hackney Park
Park
5 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 34 parks & preserves
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge1,313 acres · 4.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthbridge Community Dog Park48 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Landing99 acres · 1 mi of trail · Three Rivers Park District
DirectionsMinnesota Valley State Recreation Area151 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsRidge Creek Park47 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Shakopee
DirectionsRoyalty Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Hackney Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Westminster Park13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPrairie Bend Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Tahpah Park60 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHuber Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBrittany Firefly Prairie Field Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Riverside Fields Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Shakopee Public Parks
DirectionsMeadows Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Stans Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSavanna Oaks Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Raguet Wildlife Management Area99 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsLions Park41 acres
DirectionsMemorial Park23 acres
DirectionsMuenchow Fields Park and Recreation Area16 acres
DirectionsHorizon Heights Park14 acres · Shakopee Parks Department
Whispering Oaks Park12 acres · Shakopee Park Department
Riverview Park10 acres · City of Shakopee
DirectionsScenic Heights Park9 acres
DirectionsNeil Johnson Softball Complex7 acres
Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area - Nyssen's Lake Unit6 acres
Cloverleaf Park3 acres
Langdon Terrace Park3 acres
Holmes Park2 acres · City of Shakopee
DirectionsHiawatha-Wermerskirchen Park2 acres · City of Shakopee
Jackson Park1 acres
Timber Trails Park1 acres
DirectionsPheasant Run Park1 acres
Autumn Hill Park1 acres
Who protects it
2,161 conserved acres
11% of Shakopee’s land. Who manages Shakopee’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service2,522 ac
Town or city785 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits72 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)20 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land19 ac
State fish & wildlife6 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 2,522 acLocal Park · 549 acLocal Conservation Area · 278 acLocal Recreation Area · 30 acConservation Easement · 20 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 20 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 2,522 | Restricted |
| Southbridge Open Space Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 206 | Open |
| Quarry Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 140 | Open |
| Dean Lakes Open Space Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 72 | Open |
| Tahpah Park Local Park | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| Southbridge Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Lions Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Shutrop Local Park | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| 17Th Avenue Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Whispering Oaks Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
63 places to go in Shakopee
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Shakopee
Breakers Bay
DirectionsHurricane Falls Catch Pool
DirectionsPanic Falls Catch Pool
DirectionsRaging Rapids Catch Pool
DirectionsSandventure swimming poolIn Lions Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Shakopee
Barefoot Beach
DirectionsEmerald Lane Park PlaygroundIn Emerald Lane Park
DirectionsHackney Park PlaygroundIn Hackney Park
DirectionsJackson Elementary Playground
DirectionsLions Park PlaygroundIn Lions Park
DirectionsMeadows Park PlaygroundIn Meadows Park
DirectionsMemorial Park PlaygroundIn Memorial Park
DirectionsPeanuts Playhouse
Directions7 more playgrounds
Prairie Bend Park PlaygroundIn Prairie Bend Park
DirectionsRed Oak Elementary Playground
DirectionsRoyalty Park PlaygroundIn Royalty Park
DirectionsScenic Heights Park PlaygroundIn Scenic Heights Park
DirectionsSplash Station
DirectionsStans Park PlaygroundIn Stans Park
DirectionsTimber Trails Park PlaygroundIn Timber Trails Park
Directions46 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Shakopee
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Shakopee
6 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Shakopee
Picnic Point Pavilion
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Shakopee
1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.1 miHorses · 1.9 miUnpaved · 4.2 mi
Blue Lake Trail3.8 mi
Canterbury Park1.1 mi
Rice Lake Trail0.4 mi
Big Woods Regional Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
105 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
95 mi
off-road bike paths
5.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Minnesota Valley State TrailBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
34Baseball
33Soccer
26Tennis
16Basketball
3Pickleball
3Beach volleyball
2Football
2Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 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.
When to get out
The walking year in Shakopee
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 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 58 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Shakopee →
Next door
Shakopee and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Eden Prairie37 miChanhassen30 miLouisville Township22 miShakopee19 miSavage13 miPrior Lake9.8 miSpring Lake Township2.9 miJackson Township1.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakopee | 11% | 0.7 | 30 | 98% | A |
| Jackson Township | under 1% | 0.3 | 370 | 41% | B− |
| Eden Prairie | 17% | 1.1 | 58 | 99% | A+ |
| Prior Lake | 14% | 0.6 | 53 | 99% | A |
| Chanhassen | 11% | 1.5 | 71 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Louisville Township | 15% | 1.5 | 855 | 2% | A− |
| Spring Lake Township | 2% | 0.1 | 89 | 31% | C+ |
| Savage | 18% | 0.8 | 36 | 98% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Shakopee
Where can I hike in Shakopee?
The longest trail networks: Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge, 4.1 miles; Southbridge Community Dog Park, 1.1 miles; The Landing, 1 miles; Minnesota Valley State Recreation Area, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Shakopee 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 Shakopee’s trails?
Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge and Southbridge Community Dog Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Shakopee?
105 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.8 of painted or protected lanes, 95 of off-road paths and 5.2 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Minnesota Valley State Trail.
Is there public land near Shakopee?
33,915 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Shakopee or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,359 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Shakopee have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #57 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 Shakopee 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 →