Retzer Nature Center
Nature preserve
275 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: James Steakley · CC BY-SA 3.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Genesee
Genesee has 528 acres of parks, 73 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Retzer Nature Center (2.3 mi). 34% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 6.2 miles of mapped trail cross Genesee, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 52% of U.S. towns · #268 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
617 acres · of 30.3 sq mi of land
Trails
6.2 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
528 ac
73 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
34%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.4 mi
6.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Genesee?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Genesee have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Genesee is ahead of 52% of U.S. towns, #268 of 362 in Wisconsin. 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 Genesee’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (6 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land73 acres of park per 1,000 residents (528 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home34% 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 52%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 26%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B. 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 Retzer Nature Center, with 2.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Genesee Oak Opening & Fen State Natural Area
Nature preserve
52 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Prairie Springs Environmental Education Center
Nature preserve
47 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Retzer Nature Center275 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGenesee Oak Opening & Fen State Natural Area52 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Kettle Moraine State Forest - Lapham Peak Unit26 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Ten Chimneys50 acres
DirectionsPrairie Springs Environmental Education Center47 acres
Sunset Park37 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
617 conserved acres
3% of Genesee’s land. Who manages Genesee’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County326 ac
State natural resources198 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service143 ac
Town or city27 ac
Local Park · 302 acConservation Easement · 144 acState Park · 120 acState Conservation Area · 102 acState Recreation Area · 26 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 144 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retzer Nature Center Local Park | County | 275 | Open |
| Glacial Drumlin State Trail State Park | State natural resources | 94 | Open |
| Natural Area State Conservation Area | County | 51 | Restricted |
| Genesee Oak Opening And Fen State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 51 | Restricted |
| Butler Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Ice Age Trail State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 26 | Open |
| Allen Valley Siata State Park | State natural resources | 26 | Open |
Things to do
6 places to go in Genesee
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Genesee
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Genesee
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Ice Age Trail0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
8Soccer
4Baseball
2Beach volleyball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
J. C. Booth HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itGenesee Town HallBuilding · listed 1981
About itJohnston, William, Lime KilnStructure · listed 1982
About itTen ChimneysBuilding · listed 1998
About itSaylesville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itOwen and Margaret Oliver HouseBuilding · listed 2011
About itGenesee Woolen Mill SiteDistrict · listed 2017
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Genesee
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 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 32 | 44 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 45 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
February is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Genesee →
Next door
Genesee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee | 3% | 0.2 | 73 | 34% | B− |
| Wales | 6% | 0.4 | 42 | 71% | B+ |
| Mukwonago | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Waukesha | 10% | 0.2 | 160 | 54% | B+ |
| Ottawa | 9% | 1.1 | 235 | 27% | A− |
| Delafield | — 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 Genesee
Where can I hike in Genesee?
The longest trail networks: Retzer Nature Center, 2.3 miles; Genesee Oak Opening & Fen State Natural Area, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Genesee is conserved land?
3% 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 Genesee’s trails?
Retzer Nature Center and Genesee Oak Opening & Fen State Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Genesee?
6.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Genesee?
36,775 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Genesee or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 528 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Genesee have?
Ahead of 52% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #268 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 Genesee 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 →