25% of Mineral Wells’ land is conserved: 3,223 acres
3,241 acres are parks and preserves, 213 per 1,000 residents. 19 miles of mapped trail cross Mineral Wells, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway (11.7 mi), West City Park (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #20 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Conserved land
25%
3,223 acres · of 20.4 sq mi of land
Trails
19 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,241 ac
213 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
69%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
11 mi
7.5 mi paths
Highest peak
1,053 ft
West Mountain
Lakes & rivers
2
1 beach · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Mineral Wells?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Mineral Wells is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #20 of 642 in Texas. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Mineral Wells’ overall grade.
Few Texas towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Mineral Wells’ 25% is ahead of 96% of Texas towns, while its trails per square mile lead 88% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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.
25% of Mineral Wells’ land. Who manages Mineral Wells’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Joint2,984 ac
State parks2,945 ac
Town or city403 ac
Private owners6 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2 ac
Regional agency2 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,171 acState Park · 2,938 acLocal Park · 219 acState Recreation Area · 8 acRecreation or Education Easement · 6 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 58 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)
Managed by
Acres
Public access
Lake Mineral Wells State Park
State Park
State parks
2,938
Open
Elmhurst Park
Local Park
Town or city
69
Open
Lions Club Park
Local Park
Town or city
64
Open
West City Park
Local Park
Town or city
58
Open
Mineral Wells Gym & Activity Center Grounds
Local Park
Town or city
10
Open
Lake Mineral Wells State Trailway
State Recreation Area
State parks
8
Open
Palo Pinto Hospital Park
Local Park
Private owners
6
Open
Wolters Field #2
Local Park
Town or city
5
Open
Wolters Field #1
Local Park
Town or city
4
Open
Optimist Park
Local Park
Land trusts & nonprofits
2
Open
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Mineral Wells
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Mineral Wells
State park swim beachIn Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.5 mi
off-road bike paths
3.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
14Tennis
7Baseball
2Football
2Softball
1Basketball
1Volleyball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 13 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
April is the best month for walking in Mineral Wells
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)
10.2
11.0
11.9
13.0
13.8
14.3
14.1
13.4
12.3
11.3
10.4
10.0
High (°F)
57
62
69
78
84
92
96
96
89
79
67
59
Rain (in)
1.7
2.3
2.9
2.9
4.3
3.7
2.1
2.5
2.9
3.4
2.5
1.9
January is the driest month (1.7 in) and August the warmest (highs of 96 °F). 4.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 96 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Mineral Wells →
Questions about parks and trails in Mineral Wells
Where can I hike in Mineral Wells?
The longest trail networks: Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway, 11.7 miles; West City Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Mineral Wells is conserved land?
25% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Texas town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Mineral Wells’ trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Lake Mineral Wells State Park and Trailway (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Mineral Wells?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.5 of off-road paths and 3.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Mineral Wells?
3,478 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Mineral Wells or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,241 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Mineral Wells have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #20 of 642 in Texas. 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 Mineral Wells neighbors.
Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0