Walnut Creek Recreation Area
Managed by City of Papillion
417 acres8.5 mi of trail
Entrance Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Atomic Energy505 · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Papillion
14% of Papillion’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
14% of Papillion’s land is conserved, about 1,117 acres. 14 miles of mapped trail cross Papillion, 1.1 per square mile of land. 1,414 acres are parks and preserves, 56 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #1 of 57 in Nebraska. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
1,117 acres · of 12.5 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,414 ac
56 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
32 mi
1.5 mi lanes · 31 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
10 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Papillion?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Papillion have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Papillion is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #1 of 57 in Nebraska. 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 Papillion’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical NE town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (14 mi) · NE 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land56 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,414 acres) · NE 15 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · NE 90% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
Nebraska towns of 2,500+ (57)#1 of 57
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A 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 Walnut Creek Recreation Area, with 8.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Prairie Queen Recreation Area
Nature preserve
403 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Portal Recreation Area
Managed by City of Papillion
122 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Big Elk Lake Recreation Area
Managed by City of Papillion
39 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 23 parks & preserves
Walnut Creek Recreation Area417 acres · 8.5 mi of trail · City of Papillion
DirectionsHalleck Park114 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsPrairie Queen Recreation Area403 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsPortal Recreation Area122 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Papillion
DirectionsBig Elk Lake Recreation Area39 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Papillion
DirectionsEagle Ridge Park22 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPapillion Landing82 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Papillion
DirectionsPapilion City Park41 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGlenwood Hills Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Papillion
Schwer Recreation Area27 acres
DirectionsLawrence Peterson Park22 acres
DirectionsHickory Estates Park7 acres
DirectionsHickory Hills Park6 acres
DirectionsOverland Hills Park6 acres
Monarch Place Park5 acres
Tara Hills Park4 acres
DirectionsShadow Lake Park3 acres
Hickory Hill Park3 acres
Trumble Park2 acres
DirectionsWestmont Park1 acres · SID 23
Seventh Street Park1 acres
Overland Hills 5 Park1 acres
Cottonwood Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,117 conserved acres
14% of Papillion’s land. Who manages Papillion’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city659 ac
Regional agency457 ac
Local Park · 1,117 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Queen Recreation Area Local Park | Regional agency | 455 | Open |
| Walnut Creek Recreation Area Local Park | Town or city | 379 | Open |
| Halleck Park Local Park | Town or city | 125 | Open |
| City Park Local Park | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| Lawrence Peterson Park Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Schwer Recreation Area Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Hickory Hill Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Overland Hills Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Monarch Place Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Tara Hills Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
64 places to go in Papillion
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Papillion
Papio Bay Aquatic CenterIn Halleck Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Papillion
Eagle Ridge Splash PadHours: Mon–Sun 10 am – 7 pm · In Eagle Ridge Park
DirectionsEast PlaygroundIn Walnut Creek Recreation Area
DirectionsWest PIcnic Area PlaygroundIn Walnut Creek Recreation Area
DirectionsYMCA
Directions37 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Papillion
Walnut Creek Dog Park - Large Breed AreaIn Walnut Creek Recreation Area
DirectionsWalnut Creek Dog Park - Small Breed AreaIn Walnut Creek Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Papillion
Emergency Boat RampIn Big Elk Lake Recreation Area
DirectionsEmergency Boat RampIn Big Elk Lake Recreation Area
DirectionsKayak LaunchIn Prairie Queen Recreation Area
DirectionsKayak and Canoe LaunchIn Big Elk Lake Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 6 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Fishing spots in Papillion
Prairie Queen LakeIn Prairie Queen Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 5 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Papillion
Walnut Creek West Picnic AreaIn Walnut Creek Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Papillion
Youth Group Campsite AIn Walnut Creek Recreation Area · City of Papillion
DirectionsYouth Group Campsite BIn Walnut Creek Recreation Area · City of Papillion
DirectionsTrails & water
8 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
32 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
31 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
35Soccer
22Baseball
17Tennis
8Softball
6Football
6Beach volleyball
5Basketball
3Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Papillion: April and September
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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 38 | 51 | 63 | 73 | 83 | 86 | 84 | 78 | 65 | 50 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 5.0 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Papillion →
Next door
Papillion and its neighbors
Papillion has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papillion | 14% | 1.1 | 56 | 97% | A+ |
| La Vista | 3% | 0.5 | 9 | 99%+ | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Papillion
Where can I hike in Papillion?
The longest trail networks: Walnut Creek Recreation Area, 8.5 miles; Halleck Park, 1.7 miles; Prairie Queen Recreation Area, 0.8 miles; Portal Recreation Area, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Papillion is conserved land?
14% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Nebraska town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Papillion’s trails?
Walnut Creek Recreation Area and Halleck Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Papillion?
32 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.5 of painted or protected lanes and 31 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Papillion?
19,289 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Papillion or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,414 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Papillion have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #1 of 57 in Nebraska. 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 Papillion 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 →