White Mound Park
Managed by Sauk County
677 acres11.2 mi of trail
Ridge TrailLake TrailKiln TrailWillie Walsh Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Franklin
Few parks or trails are on the map in Franklin
The biggest trail networks: White Mound Park (11.2 mi). 2% of Franklin’s land is conserved, about 778 acres. 13 miles of mapped trail cross Franklin, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
2%
778 acres · of 48.8 sq mi of land
Trails
13 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Near a park
2%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
955 ft
White Mound
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
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 White Mound Park, with 11.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Honey Creek State Natural Area
Nature preserve
29 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
778 conserved acres
2% of Franklin’s land. Who manages Franklin’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources743 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits32 ac
Private owners24 ac
State Conservation Area · 719 acPrivate Conservation · 53 acConservation Easement · 21 acPrivate Park · 3 acRecreation or Education Easement · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain Honey Creek Watershed State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 719 | Closed |
| Honey Creek Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 32 | Restricted |
| Statewide Habitat Areas Private Conservation | Private owners | 21 | Closed |
| Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 3 | Open |
Things to do
3 places to go in Franklin
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Franklin
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Franklin
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Peaks in Franklin
White Mound955 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 5.0 miUnpaved · 11.5 mi
Ridge Trail1.9 mi
Lake Trail1.9 mi
Kiln Trail0.7 mi
Willie Walsh Nature Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Baseball
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 Franklin
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 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 32 | 44 | 57 | 70 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 45 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 1.6 |
January is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Franklin →
Next door
Franklin and its neighbors
Franklin has the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bear Creek | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Honey Creek | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Spring Green | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Troy | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Westfield | — 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 Franklin
Where can I hike in Franklin?
The longest trail networks: White Mound Park, 11.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Franklin’s trails?
White Mound Park and Honey Creek State Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Franklin?
11,134 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Franklin or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), almost none of it inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Franklin 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 →