Mozingo Lake Recreation Park
Park
3,023 acres12.4 mi of trail
Finch MeadowTrails EndDeer Run TrailHidden Bridges
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
COutdoors
Outdoors in Polk Township
Polk Township has 24 miles of mapped trails, 0.2 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Mozingo Lake Recreation Park (12.4 mi), Nodaway County Community Lake (1.5 mi), Donaldson Westside Park (0.8 mi). 102 acres are parks and preserves, 7.3 per 1,000 residents. 74% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 32% of U.S. towns · #183 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
Conserved land
under 1%
254 acres · of 120.3 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
102 ac
7.3 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
74%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.0 mi
2.5 mi lanes
Lakes & rivers
18
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Polk Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Polk Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Polk Township is ahead of 32% of U.S. towns, #183 of 247 in Missouri. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
C
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Polk Township’s overall grade.
Conserved landunder 1% of the land · typical MO town 2% · U.S. 4%C−Trails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (24 mi) · MO 0.3 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land7.3 acres of park per 1,000 residents (102 acres) · MO 11 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home74% of residents within a half mile of a park · MO 74% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 32%
LessMore
Missouri towns of 2,500+ (247)Ahead of 26%
Few Missouri towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Polk Township’s under 1% is ahead of 12% of Missouri towns, while its trails per square mile lead 43% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C to C+. 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 Mozingo Lake Recreation Park, with 12.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Nodaway County Community Lake
Nature preserve
162 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Donaldson Westside Park
Managed by Maryville Parks and Recreation
37 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Judah Park
Managed by City of Maryville
8 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
All 12 parks & preserves
Mozingo Lake Recreation Park3,023 acres · 12.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNodaway County Community Lake162 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsDonaldson Westside Park37 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Maryville Parks and Recreation
DirectionsRobertson-Crist Park12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsJudah Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Maryville
DirectionsCollege Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSisson Eek Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Maryville
Beal Park20 acres
Sunrise Park7 acres · City of Maryville
Happy Hollow Park2 acres
Franklin Park2 acres
DirectionsWabash Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
254 conserved acres
under 1% of Polk Township’s land. Who manages Polk Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city92 ac
Not recorded162 ac
Local Conservation Area · 162 acLocal Park · 92 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nodaway County Conservation Land Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 162 | Restricted |
| Donaldson Westside Park Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Beal Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Robertson Crist Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Judah Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Sunrise Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Sission Eek Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Happy Hollow Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Franklin Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Wabash Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Polk Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Polk Township
Mozingo BeachIn Mozingo Lake Recreation Park
DirectionsPublic pools in Polk Township
Maryville Aquatic CenterIn Beal Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Polk Township
Adam's Adventure Park
DirectionsHorace Mann Outdoor Classroom
DirectionsPlus 25 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Polk Township
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 18 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.1 miUnpaved · 6.9 mi
Finch Meadow0.9 mi
Trails End0.8 mi
Deer Run Trail0.6 mi
Hidden Bridges0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
102 River Tributaries Watershed 9 Lakereservoir102 River Tributaries Watershed Number 13 Reservoirreservoir102 Watershed Number 18 LakereservoirColden PondpondHiley LakereservoirLochridge Farms LakereservoirMaryville ReservoirreservoirMires LakereservoirMozingo LakereservoirNodaway LakereservoirNodaway Number 4 LakereservoirNumber 23 LakereservoirParman LakereservoirRandall LakereservoirSchimming LakereservoirMozingo CreekOne Hundred And Two RiverPinhook Creek
Biking & sports
5.0 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
2.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Potential Wabash Trace Nature Trail ExtensionBike route
0.5 miCourts & fields
13Tennis
11Basketball
8Soccer
8Baseball
7Beach volleyball
4Football
3Equestrian
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Frank HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itWhen to get out
The walking year in Polk Township
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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 39 | 52 | 64 | 74 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 51 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 5.4 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Polk Township →
Next door
Polk Township and its neighbors
Polk Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Polk Township24 miGreen Township6.4 miJefferson Township5.9 miUnion Township4.3 miMonroe Township2.1 miGrant Township1.8 miJackson Township1.1 miNodaway Township0.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk Township | under 1% | 0.2 | 7 | 74% | C |
| Union Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Nodaway Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Monroe Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Green Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Jackson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Jefferson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Grant 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 Polk Township
Where can I hike in Polk Township?
The longest trail networks: Mozingo Lake Recreation Park, 12.4 miles; Nodaway County Community Lake, 1.5 miles; Donaldson Westside Park, 0.8 miles; Robertson-Crist Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Polk Township is conserved land?
under 1% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Missouri town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Polk Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Donaldson Westside Park (on leash), Robertson-Crist Park (on leash) and Judah Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Polk Township?
5.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.5 of painted or protected lanes and 2.5 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Potential Wabash Trace Nature Trail Extension.
Is there public land near Polk Township?
178 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Polk Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 102 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Polk Township have?
Ahead of 32% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #183 of 247 in Missouri. 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 Polk Township 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 →