Few parks or trails are on the map in Howard
130 acres are parks and preserves, 139 per 1,000 residents. 12% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
237 conserved acres
1% of Howard’s land. Who manages Howard’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 18 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Creek Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 209 | Open |
| Rem-Elk Creek State Recreation Area | Private owners | 10 | Open |
The walking year in Howard
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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 28 | 40 | 55 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 71 | 57 | 40 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
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 Howard →
Howard 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Colfax | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wheaton | 1% | under 0.1 | 73 | 28% | C |
| Tilden | under 1% | under 0.1 | 4 | 3% | D− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Howard
Is there public land near Howard?
8,969 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Howard or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 130 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Howard 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 →