Amblard, Emile, Guest House · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 4.011% of Waconia’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. 11% of Waconia’s land is conserved, about 380 acres. 459 acres are parks and preserves, 34 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #98 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Waconia?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Waconia have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Waconia is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #98 of 274 in Minnesota. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull 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
The longest trail network is Waconia City Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
City Square Park
All 16 parks & preserves
380 conserved acres
11% of Waconia’s land. Who manages Waconia’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Waconia Regional Park Local Park | County | 125 | Open |
| Interlaken Park Local Park | Town or city | 58 | Open |
| Brook Peterson Park Local Park | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Hilks Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Sudheimer Park Local Park | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Waterford Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Interlaken Woods Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Reitz Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Pheasant Ridge Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Clearwater Mills Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
31 places to go in Waconia
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 26 playgrounds without a name on the map.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 community garden without a name on the map.
1 lakes & rivers
26 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 Waconia
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 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 27 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 58 | 41 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.1 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Waconia →
Waconia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waconia | 11% | 0.2 | 34 | 99%+ | A− |
| Waconia Township | 3% | 0.1 | 31 | 14% | C |
| Laketown Township | under 1% | 0.2 | 22 | 45% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Waconia
Where can I hike in Waconia?
The longest trail networks: Waconia City Park, 0.3 miles; Reitz Lake Park, 0.3 miles; City Square Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Waconia 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 Waconia’s trails?
Waconia City Park and Reitz Lake Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Waconia?
26 miles of bike routes are on the map: 26 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Waconia?
11,108 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Waconia or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 459 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Waconia have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #98 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 Waconia 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 →