Cross Plains State Park
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
151 acres4.3 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Cross Plains
Cross Plains has 894 acres of parks, 542 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Cross Plains State Park (4.3 mi), Glacial Passage Area (3.1 mi), State Ice Age Trail Area (2.8 mi). 7% of Cross Plains’ land is conserved, about 1,582 acres. 17 miles of mapped trail cross Cross Plains, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,582 acres · of 34.7 sq mi of land
Trails
17 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
894 ac
542 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
31%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
11 mi
11 mi lanes
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is Cross Plains?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cross Plains have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cross Plains is ahead of 72% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cross Plains’ overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (17 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4BPark land542 acres of park per 1,000 residents (894 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home31% of residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 72%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− 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 Cross Plains State Park, with 4.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Glacial Passage Area
Managed by National Parks Service
152 acres3.1 mi of trail
Ice Age TrailIce Age Trail - Side Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
State Ice Age Trail Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
193 acres2.8 mi of trail
Ice Age TrailIce Age Trail - Side Trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yet
Ice Age Reserve Wildlife Area
Managed by Dane County
132 acres1 mi of trail
Ice Age TrailIce Age Trail - Side Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Mammoth's Back Preserve
Managed by Ice Age Trail Alliance
82 acres0.9 mi of trail
Ice Age Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Shoveler Sink Wildlife Production Area
Managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
172 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
New Observatory Woods State Natural Area
Nature preserve
64 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 11 parks & preserves
Cross Plains State Park151 acres · 4.3 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsGlacial Passage Area152 acres · 3.1 mi of trail · National Parks Service
DirectionsState Ice Age Trail Area193 acres · 2.8 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Ice Age Reserve Wildlife Area132 acres · 1 mi of trail · Dane County
DirectionsMammoth's Back Preserve82 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Ice Age Trail Alliance
DirectionsShoveler Sink Wildlife Production Area172 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsNew Observatory Woods State Natural Area64 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Black Earth Creek Fishery Area88 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFestge County Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Kalscheur Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSalmo Pond County Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Dane County Parks
DirectionsWho protects it
1,582 conserved acres
7% of Cross Plains’ land. Who manages Cross Plains’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources900 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service341 ac
County330 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits324 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)179 ac
National Park Service153 ac
State Park · 446 acState Recreation Area · 438 acResource Management Area · 341 acLocal Recreation Area · 330 acAgricultural Easement · 255 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 335 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dane County Waterfowl Production Area Resource Management Area | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 341 | Restricted |
| Ice Age Local Recreation Area | County | 330 | Open |
| Ice Age Trail - Sd State Park | State natural resources | 293 | Open |
| Ice Age Trail State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 277 | Open |
| Cross Plains State Park-Iansr State Park | State natural resources | 153 | Open |
| Ice Age National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 153 | Open |
| Black Earth Creek Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 147 | Open |
| Ice Age Trail 56 State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 14 | Open |
Things to do
6 places to go in Cross Plains
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Cross Plains
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Cross Plains
Wilke GorgeIn Cross Plains State Park
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Cross Plains
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 10.1 mi
Ice Age Trail4.4 mi
Ice Age Trail - Side Trail1.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
11 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
11 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Courts & fields
2Baseball
2Beach volleyball
1Tennis
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Cross Plains
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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 32 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 45 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.4 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
January is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Cross Plains →
Next door
Cross Plains and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cross Plains | 7% | 0.5 | 542 | 31% | B+ |
| Middleton | 6% | 1.7 | 87 | 96% | A |
| Berry | 4% | 0.7 | 245 | 25% | B+ |
| Vermont | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Springdale | 3% | 0.4 | 226 | 35% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Cross Plains
Where can I hike in Cross Plains?
The longest trail networks: Cross Plains State Park, 4.3 miles; Glacial Passage Area, 3.1 miles; State Ice Age Trail Area, 2.8 miles; Ice Age Reserve Wildlife Area, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cross Plains 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 Cross Plains’ trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Cross Plains State Park (on leash), Glacial Passage Area (on leash), State Ice Age Trail Area (on leash) and Ice Age Reserve Wildlife Area (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cross Plains?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 11 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Cross Plains?
16,233 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cross Plains or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,050 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Cross Plains have?
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Cross Plains 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 →