Lakewood Hills Park
Park
91 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Charles P. Noyes Cottage · Photo: Elkman · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in White Bear Lake
7% of White Bear Lake’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Lakewood Hills Park (1.6 mi), Stellmacher Park (0.5 mi). 7% of White Bear Lake’s land is conserved, about 359 acres. 3.9 miles of mapped trail cross White Bear Lake, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #106 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
359 acres · of 8.0 sq mi of land
Trails
3.9 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
388 ac
16 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
17 mi
2.5 mi lanes · 14 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is White Bear Lake?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does White Bear Lake have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, White Bear Lake is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #106 of 274 in Minnesota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of White Bear Lake’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical MN town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · MN 0.5 · U.S. 0.4BPark land16 acres of park per 1,000 residents (388 acres) · MN 24 · U.S. 13BParks close to home99% 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 80%
LessMore
Minnesota towns of 2,500+ (274)Ahead of 62%
Water is 7% of White Bear Lake’s area (1 of 9 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
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 Lakewood Hills Park, with 1.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rotary Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
38 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 16 parks & preserves
Lakewood Hills Park91 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsStellmacher Park9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRotary Nature Preserve38 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWhite Bear Lake County Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBossard Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsVeterans Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWeyerhauser Park22 acres
DirectionsPodvin Park17 acres
DirectionsHidden Hollow Park7 acres
DirectionsMatoska Park7 acres
DirectionsWest Park4 acres
DirectionsSpruce Park3 acres
Ramaley Park3 acres
DirectionsLions Park2 acres
DirectionsMemorial Beach2 acres
DirectionsFour Seasons Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
359 conserved acres
7% of White Bear Lake’s land. Water is left out: White Bear Lake has 8.0 square miles of land and 0.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages White Bear Lake’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city342 ac
County17 ac
Local Park · 261 acLocal Conservation Area · 98 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakewood Hills Park Local Park | Town or city | 83 | Open |
| Willow Marsh Reserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Rotary Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Varney Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Podvin Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Bossard Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Nature Reserve Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Weyerhaeuser Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Matoska Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| White Bear Lake County Park Local Park | County | 12 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in White Bear Lake
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in White Bear Lake
Ramsey County BeachIn White Bear Lake County Park
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in White Bear Lake
Bossard ParkIn Bossard Park
DirectionsSpruce ParkIn Spruce Park
DirectionsPlus 23 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in White Bear Lake
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in White Bear Lake
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in White Bear Lake
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Trails & water
8 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
17 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
14 mi
off-road bike paths
1.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
35Tennis
20Baseball
17Pickleball
16Softball
11Basketball
8Soccer
8Football
4Field hockey
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).
When to get out
The walking year in White Bear Lake
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 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 57 | 41 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.1 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in White Bear Lake →
Next door
White Bear Lake and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
White Bear Township24 miMaplewood14 miWhite Bear Lake3.9 miMahtomedi3.8 miVadnais Heights3.1 miGem Lake1.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Bear Lake | 7% | 0.5 | 16 | 99% | A− |
| White Bear Township | 32% | 3.3 | 162 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Mahtomedi | 11% | 1.1 | 32 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Vadnais Heights | 32% | 0.4 | 116 | 99% | A+ |
| Gem Lake | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Maplewood | 16% | 0.8 | 54 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in White Bear Lake
Where can I hike in White Bear Lake?
The longest trail networks: Lakewood Hills Park, 1.6 miles; Stellmacher Park, 0.5 miles; Rotary Nature Preserve, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of White Bear Lake 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 White Bear Lake’s trails?
Lakewood Hills Park and Stellmacher Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in White Bear Lake?
17 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.5 of painted or protected lanes, 14 of off-road paths and 1.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near White Bear Lake?
27,265 acres of parks and open public land lie inside White Bear Lake or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 388 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does White Bear Lake have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #106 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 White Bear Lake 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 →