Photo: "Tichnor Quality Views," Reg. U. S. Pat. Off. Made Only by Tichnor Bros., Inc., Boston, Mass. · Public domainVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park in Madison
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 2.8 miles of mapped trail cross Madison, 0.6 per square mile of land. 85 acres are parks and preserves, 14 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 73% of U.S. towns · #12 of 35 in South Dakota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Madison?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Madison have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Madison is ahead of 73% of U.S. towns, #12 of 35 in South Dakota. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls 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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Totland Park
72 conserved acres
2% of Madison’s land. Who manages Madison’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baughman Park Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Thue Softball Diamonds Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Madison Aquatic Center & Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Northwest Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| East Center Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Woofland Dog Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Hells Half Acre Disc Golf Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Totland Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Library Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
7 places to go in Madison
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1.5 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.
8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The walking year in Madison
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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 29 | 41 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 58 | 42 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
January is the driest month (0.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Madison →
Madison and its neighbors
Madison has the second most mapped trails of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison | 2% | 0.6 | 14 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Lake View Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Herman 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 Madison
Where can I hike in Madison?
The longest trail networks: Memorial Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Madison is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 3% for a South Dakota town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Madison’s trails?
Baughman Park and Memorial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Madison?
1.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Madison?
507 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Madison or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 85 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Madison have?
Ahead of 73% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #12 of 35 in South Dakota. 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 Madison 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 →