98% of residents live within a half mile of a park in Jackson
3% of Jackson’s land is conserved, about 66 acres. 99 acres are parks and preserves, 12 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 44% of U.S. towns · #295 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Jackson?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Jackson have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Jackson is ahead of 44% of U.S. towns, #295 of 362 in Wisconsin. The share of residents near a park holds 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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Meadowview Park
Jackson Marsh State Wildlife Area
66 conserved acres
3% of Jackson’s land. Who manages Jackson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stream Bank Protection Fee Program State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 25 | Open |
| Cedar Creek Streambank Protection Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 25 | Open |
| Jackson Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Hickory Lane Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Statewide Public Access State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 3 | Open |
| Statewide Public Access - Se State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 3 | Open |
5 places to go in Jackson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 lakes & rivers
1.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
September is the best month for walking in Jackson
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) | 28 | 32 | 43 | 55 | 67 | 77 | 82 | 79 | 72 | 59 | 45 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
February is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Jackson →
Jackson and its neighbors
Jackson has the second most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson | 3% | under 0.1 | 12 | 98% | C+ |
| Polk | 3% | 0.1 | 199 | 34% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Jackson
How much of Jackson 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 Jackson’s trails?
Jackson Park and Hickory Lane Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Jackson?
1.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of painted or protected lanes and 1.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Jackson?
11,625 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Jackson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 99 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Jackson have?
Ahead of 44% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #295 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 Jackson 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 →