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–Not graded
Outdoors in Emerald

Few parks or trails are on the map in Emerald

0.6 miles of mapped trail cross Emerald.

Conserved land
1%
192 acres · of 34.9 sq mi of land
Trails
0.6 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
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
Who protects it

192 conserved acres

1% of Emerald’s land. Who manages Emerald’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

State natural resources307 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service38 ac
State Conservation Area · 154 acState Recreation Area · 154 acConservation Easement · 38 ac
Good to know

Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 38 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.

The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
Statewide Wildlife Habitat
State Conservation Area
State natural resources154Restricted
Emerald Valley State Habitat Area-Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Area
State Recreation Area
State natural resources154Open
Trails & water

1 lakes & rivers

Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out

The walking year in Emerald

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)9.110.311.813.414.815.615.314.112.510.99.58.8
High (°F)222740556777817971574027
Rain (in)1.01.01.73.04.14.94.44.53.63.01.81.3

January is the driest month (1.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Emerald →

Next door

Emerald and its neighbors

Emerald has the second most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.

TownConserved
of land
Trail mi
per sq mi
Park acres
per 1,000
Near a park
½ mile
Outdoors
Emerald— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Cylon— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Erin Prairie— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Glenwood— 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 Emerald

Is there public land near Emerald?

5,271 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Emerald or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.

Trail talk

Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Emerald neighbors.

Town Square →
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 →