George D. Dayton House · Photo: McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.099% of residents live within a half mile of a park in Worthington
1.6 miles of mapped trail cross Worthington, 0.2 per square mile of land. 206 acres are parks and preserves, 15 per 1,000 residents. 3% of Worthington’s land is conserved, about 150 acres.
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns · #178 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Worthington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Worthington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Worthington is ahead of 64% of U.S. towns, #178 of 274 in Minnesota. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
Water is 15% of Worthington’s area (1 of 9 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 2%.
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 Olson Park, with 0.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pleasant Park
All 19 parks & preserves
150 conserved acres
3% of Worthington’s land. Water is left out: Worthington has 7.9 square miles of land and 1.4 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Worthington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nobles County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 84 | Restricted |
| Olson Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Centennial Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Buss Field Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| South East Side Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Chautauqua Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Slater Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Ludlow Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Watland Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Ehlers Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
18 places to go in Worthington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Plus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
3 lakes & rivers
12 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.
7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The walking year in Worthington
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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 79 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 59 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 3.1 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Worthington →
Worthington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worthington | 3% | 0.2 | 15 | 99% | B |
| Worthington Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lorain Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Worthington
Where can I hike in Worthington?
The longest trail networks: Olson Park, 0.2 miles; Centennial Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Worthington is conserved land?
3% 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 Worthington’s trails?
Olson Park and Pleasant Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Worthington?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.5 of painted or protected lanes and 9.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Worthington?
422 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Worthington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 206 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Worthington have?
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #178 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 Worthington 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 →