Fort Howard Wildlife Area
Nature preserve
376 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Jandtali · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Howard
9% of Howard’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 1,253 acres are parks and preserves, 59 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Fort Howard Wildlife Area (2.2 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #39 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,058 acres · of 18.7 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,253 ac
59 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.7 mi
2.2 mi lanes · 4.3 mi paths
Highest peak
778 ft
Burdon Hill
Lakes & rivers
3
2 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Howard?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Howard have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Howard is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #39 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Howard’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (12 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land59 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,253 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 89%
Water is 20% of Howard’s area (5 of 23 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 7%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. 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 Fort Howard Wildlife Area, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pamperin Park
Park
48 acres0.4 mi of trail
Pamperin Park Gazebo Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Duck Creek Quarry Park
Park
39 acres0.4 mi of trail
Mountain-Bay State Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Meadowbrook Park
Park
99 acres0.3 mi of trail
Walking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wietor Wharf
Park
14 acres0.3 mi of trail
Duck Creek Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 15 parks & preserves
Fort Howard Wildlife Area376 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
Pamperin Park48 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDuck Creek Quarry Park39 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMeadowbrook Park99 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWietor Wharf14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsNouryon Sports Complex94 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSpring Green Park46 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMills Center Park30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Gordon Nauman Conservation Area37 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreen Bay West Shores Wildlife Area-Peats Lake Unit137 acres
Pioneer Parkway44 acres
DirectionsHoward Memorial Park17 acres
Ken Euers Nature Area10 acres
Lehner Park4 acres
Deerfield Docks Park4 acres · Village of Howard
Who protects it
1,058 conserved acres
9% of Howard’s land. Water is left out: Howard has 18.7 square miles of land and 4.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Howard’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources593 ac
Town or city430 ac
County41 ac
State Recreation Area · 507 acLocal Park · 472 acState Park · 78 acState Conservation Area · 6 acUnknown · 1 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Bay West Shores Wildlife Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 501 | Open |
| Akzo Nobel Sports Complex Local Park | Town or city | 93 | Open |
| Meadowbrook Park Local Park | Town or city | 91 | Open |
| Mountain-Bay State Trail State Park | State natural resources | 78 | Open |
| Industrial Woods Local Park | Town or city | 59 | Open |
| Pamperin Park Local Park | County | 41 | Open |
| Spring Green Park Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Mills Center Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Hoff-Reinhard Wildlife Preserve Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Juza Oliver Family Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
20 places to go in Howard
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Howard
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Howard
Howard Elementary Playground
DirectionsMeadowbrook Recess FieldIn Meadowbrook Park
DirectionsPlus 12 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Howard
Bark N Brew
DirectionsHoward Dog ParkIn Gordon Nauman Conservation Area
DirectionsBoat launches in Howard
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Howard
Burdon Hill778 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.2 miUnpaved · 7.8 mi
Mountain-Bay State Trail4.1 mi
Valley Brooke Trail0.6 mi
Howard Trail0.5 mi
Duck Creek Nature Trail0.3 mi
Walking Trail0.2 mi
MBT Access0.1 mi
Pamperin Park Gazebo Path0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.3 mi
off-road bike paths
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Mountain-Bay State TrailBike route
4.1 miCourts & fields
12Tennis
10Baseball
2Beach volleyball
2Football
2Soccer
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Angeline Champeau Rioux HouseBuilding · listed 1994
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 29 | 39 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 78 | 77 | 70 | 57 | 43 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
February is the driest month (1.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.0 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Howard →
Next door
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 | 9% | 0.6 | 59 | 99%+ | A |
| Green Bay | 3% | 0.9 | 13 | 97% | A− |
| Pittsfield | under 1% | 0.2 | 31 | 26% | C |
| Hobart | under 1% | 0.2 | 27 | 66% | C+ |
| Suamico | 11% | 1.2 | 159 | 60% | A |
| Oneida | under 1% | 0.1 | 39 | 19% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Howard
Where can I hike in Howard?
The longest trail networks: Fort Howard Wildlife Area, 2.2 miles; Pamperin Park, 0.4 miles; Duck Creek Quarry Park, 0.4 miles; Meadowbrook Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Howard is conserved land?
9% 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 Howard’s trails?
Fort Howard Wildlife Area and Pamperin Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Howard?
6.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.2 of painted or protected lanes, 4.3 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Mountain-Bay State Trail.
Is there public land near Howard?
8,446 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Howard or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,254 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Howard have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #39 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 Howard 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 →