Hamilton has 459 acres of parks, 172 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Veterans Park (0.5 mi). 41% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4.4 miles of mapped trail cross Hamilton, 0.1 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 46% of U.S. towns. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Hamilton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Hamilton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hamilton is ahead of 46% of U.S. towns. 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 Veterans Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Coulee Experimental Forest
La Crosse Fairgrounds
Neshonoc Swarthout Park
All 5 parks & preserves
545 conserved acres
2% of Hamilton’s land. Who manages Hamilton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coulee Experimental Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 237 | Open |
| Veterans Memorial Park Local Park | County | 166 | Open |
| La Crosse River State Trail State Park | State natural resources | 68 | Open |
| La Crosse Area Comprehensive Fishery Area State Recreation Area | Private owners | 36 | Open |
| Scattered Wildlife - Wd State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 22 | Open |
| Neshonoc Swarthout Park Local Park | County | 13 | Open |
| Scattered Wildlife State Conservation Area | County | 8 | Restricted |
| Briarcliffe Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
5 places to go in Hamilton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 1 campground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
2 lakes & rivers
6.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
The walking year in Hamilton
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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 25 | 30 | 43 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 59 | 43 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
February is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Hamilton →
Hamilton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 2% | 0.1 | 172 | 41% | B− |
| Farmington | under 1% | 0.1 | 76 | 16% | C |
| Onalaska | 6% | 1.6 | 26 | 95% | A |
| Onalaska | 20% | 0.1 | 22 | 68% | B+ |
| Barre | 9% | 0.3 | under 1 | 2% | C |
| Medary | 2% | 0.4 | 102 | 68% | B+ |
| Bangor | — 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 Hamilton
Where can I hike in Hamilton?
The longest trail networks: Veterans Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hamilton is conserved land?
2% 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 Hamilton’s trails?
Veterans Park and Coulee Experimental Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hamilton?
6.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Hamilton?
15,951 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hamilton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 695 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hamilton have?
Ahead of 46% 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 Hamilton 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 →