Photo: Downspec · CC BY-SA 4.0Beaver Dam has 1,014 acres of parks, 251 for every 1,000 residents
7% of Beaver Dam’s land is conserved, about 1,431 acres. 6.2 miles of mapped trail cross Beaver Dam, 0.2 per square mile of land. 53% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns · #192 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Beaver Dam?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Beaver Dam have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Beaver Dam is ahead of 68% of U.S. towns, #192 of 362 in Wisconsin. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull 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
The longest trail network is Crystal Lake Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Shaw Marsh Wildlife Area
Edgewater Park
1,431 conserved acres
7% of Beaver Dam’s land. Who manages Beaver Dam’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaw Marsh Wildlife Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 910 | Open |
| Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 345 | Open |
| Open Space State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 68 | Open |
| Glacial Habitat Restoration - Sd State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 67 | Open |
| Glacial Habitat Restoration State Conservation Area | Private owners | 63 | Restricted |
| Crystal Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Scattered Wildlife Private Conservation | Private owners | 39 | Restricted |
| Bayside Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Woody Knoll Local Park | Private owners | 3 | Open |
| Shady Oaks Estates Park Local Park | Private owners | 1 | Open |
6 places to go in Beaver Dam
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.
3 swimming spots without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
September is the best month for walking in Beaver Dam
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 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 30 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 44 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
February is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Beaver Dam →
Beaver Dam and its neighbors
Beaver Dam has the second most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver Dam | 7% | 0.2 | 251 | 53% | B+ |
| Lowell | 6% | under 0.1 | 1,809 | 20% | B− |
| Westford | 8% | under 0.1 | 52 | 5% | C+ |
| Oak Grove | 1% | 0.2 | 45 | 15% | C |
| Calamus | 3% | under 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
| Burnett | — 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 Beaver Dam
Where can I hike in Beaver Dam?
The longest trail networks: Crystal Lake Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Beaver Dam is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Wisconsin town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Beaver Dam’s trails?
Crystal Lake Park and Shaw Marsh Wildlife Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Beaver Dam?
17,806 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Beaver Dam or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,014 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Beaver Dam have?
Ahead of 68% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #192 of 362 in Wisconsin. 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 Beaver Dam 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 →