Photo: Epsatre · CC BY-SA 4.07% of South St. Paul’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 7% of South St. Paul’s land is conserved, about 244 acres. 0.6 miles of mapped trail cross South St. Paul, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 69% of U.S. towns · #155 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is South St. Paul?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does South St. Paul have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, South St. Paul is ahead of 69% of U.S. towns, #155 of 274 in Minnesota. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
Water is 7% of South St. Paul’s area (0 of 6 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
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.
All 15 parks & preserves
244 conserved acres
7% of South St. Paul’s land. Water is left out: South St. Paul has 5.6 square miles of land and 0.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages South St. Paul’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaposia Park Local Park | Town or city | 91 | Open |
| Port Crosby Park Local Park | Town or city | 73 | Open |
| Mcmorrow Field Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Lorraine Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Dnr Boat Launch Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Veterans Field Local Park | Regional agency | 8 | Open |
| Siedel'S Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Wild and Scenic River | National Park Service | 5 | Open |
| Harmon Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Northview Pool Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 4 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
23 places to go in South St. Paul
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
16 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
10 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.
5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The walking year in South St. Paul
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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 29 | 42 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 73 | 59 | 42 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 1.6 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in South St. Paul →
South St. Paul 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South St. Paul | 7% | 0.1 | 14 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Inver Grove Heights | 7% | 0.6 | 22 | 95% | A− |
| West St. Paul | 5% | 1.2 | 9 | 98% | A− |
| St. Paul | 16% | 1.8 | 22 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Newport | 3% | 0.3 | 44 | 99%+ | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in South St. Paul
Where can I hike in South St. Paul?
The longest trail networks: Kaposia Park, 0.1 miles; Simon's Ravine, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of South St. Paul 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 South St. Paul’s trails?
Kaposia Landing and Kaposia Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in South St. Paul?
10 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of painted or protected lanes and 9.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near South St. Paul?
33,402 acres of parks and open public land lie inside South St. Paul or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 295 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does South St. Paul have?
Ahead of 69% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #155 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 South St. Paul 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 →