Rockport Park
Park
283 acres11.1 mi of trail
MTB WestEast MTBBlue Ski LoopGreen Ski Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Janesville
8% of Janesville’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
2,479 acres are parks and preserves, 38 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Rockport Park (11.1 mi), Robert O Cook Memorial Arboretum (6.3 mi), Palmer Park (2 mi). 8% of Janesville’s land is conserved, about 1,792 acres.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #55 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
1,792 acres · of 34.6 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,479 ac
38 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
49 mi
20 mi lanes · 29 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
2 beaches · 4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Janesville?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Janesville have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Janesville is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #55 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 Janesville’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (24 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land38 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,479 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 90%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 85%
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 Rockport Park, with 11.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Robert O Cook Memorial Arboretum
Nature preserve
145 acres6.3 mi of trail
Ice Age TrailJSOL Blue (Upper) TrailJSOL Main TrailJSOL Green (Lower) Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Palmer Park
Park
181 acres2 mi of trail
PUMP MTB Connector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 47 parks & preserves
Rockport Park283 acres · 11.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert O Cook Memorial Arboretum145 acres · 6.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPalmer Park181 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Park79 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodcrest Park23 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Monterey Park36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTraxler Park32 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSheiffer Park106 acres
DirectionsKiwanas Park42 acres
DirectionsOptimist Community Park40 acres
DirectionsJeffris Park36 acres
DirectionsLaPrairie Park33 acres
DirectionsBriar Crest Park29 acres
DirectionsLustig Park27 acres
Rock County Fair Grounds20 acres
DirectionsJackman Park14 acres
Valley Park13 acres
DirectionsBond Park12 acres
DirectionsMarquette Park12 acres
Mandale Park10 acres
DirectionsKiwanis Community Park10 acres
DirectionsArdon Park7 acres
DirectionsGreen Belt6 acres
Hawthorn Park5 acres
Pershing Park5 acres
Nantucket Park5 acres
Waveland Park5 acres
Claremont Park4 acres
Jefferson Park4 acres
Excalibur Park3 acres
4th Ward Park3 acres
DirectionsLower Courthouse Park3 acres
DirectionsHampshire Park2 acres
Blackhawk Meadows Park2 acres
Vista Park2 acres
Upper Courthouse Park2 acres
DirectionsHuron Park2 acres
Riverfront Park2 acres
DirectionsRuger Park2 acres
Holiday Park2 acres
DirectionsAdams Park2 acres
Southgate Park2 acres
Falcon Park1 acres
DirectionsRiver Valley Park1 acres
Zonta Park1 acres
Parker Park1 acres
DirectionsRushmore Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,792 conserved acres
8% of Janesville’s land. Who manages Janesville’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,630 ac
County157 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government4 ac
Local Park · 1,121 acLocal Recreation Area · 518 acLocal Other or Unknown · 152 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rockport Park Local Park | Town or city | 262 | Open |
| Rock River Parkway Local Park | Town or city | 192 | Open |
| Palmer Park Local Park | Town or city | 162 | Open |
| Robert O. Cook Memorial Arboretum Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 153 | Open |
| Rock County Complex Local Other or Unknown | County | 152 | Open |
| Black Bridge Hills Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 137 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 97 | Open |
| Northeast Regional Park Local Park | Town or city | 88 | Open |
| Youth Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 85 | Open |
| Springbrook Preservation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 48 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
66 places to go in Janesville
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Janesville
Lions Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Janesville
Palmer Park Wading PoolIn Palmer Park
DirectionsPool
DirectionsRockport PoolIn Rockport Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Janesville
Camden PlaygroundIn Palmer Park
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlace
DirectionsMcDonald's PlayPlace
DirectionsPeace ParkIn Rockport Park
DirectionsRiverside PlaygroundIn Riverside Park
Directions56 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Janesville
Paw Print Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Janesville
Riverside Park Boat Launch & Mooring Pier
DirectionsPlus 3 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
19 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.8 miUnpaved · 17.0 mi
MTB West3.2 mi
Ice Age Trail2.0 mi
East MTB1.6 mi
Blue Ski Loop1.1 mi
Green Ski Loop1.0 mi
Orange Ski Loop1.0 mi
JSOL Blue (Upper) Trail1.0 mi
JSOL Main Trail0.7 mi
JSOL Green (Lower) Trail0.7 mi
JSOL East Boundary Powerline Trail0.7 mi
9 more trails
Red Ski Loop
0.7 miJSOL Orange Trail
0.5 miMTB Connector
0.5 miJSOL Ironwood (Yellow) Trail
0.4 miMarsh Creek (Gray) Trail
0.4 miMTB Alternate
0.2 miJSOL East West Shortcut (Dark Green) Trail
0.2 miJSOL Paved Cabin Trail
0.1 miPUMP MTB Connector
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
49 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
20 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
29 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Rockport Park MTB West LoopBike route
4.2 miRockport Park MTB East LoopBike route
1.9 miMTB Connectors Rockport ParkBike route
0.6 miCourts & fields
23Tennis
13Soccer
10Softball
9Baseball
6Basketball
6Beach volleyball
6Pickleball
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →36 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Tallman HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itLappin-Hayes BlockBuilding · listed 1976
About itWillard, Frances, SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itCourt Street Methodist ChurchBuilding · listed 1977
About itHamilton Richardson HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itArmory, TheBuilding · listed 1978
About itMyers-Newhoff HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itLovejoy and Merrill-Nowlan HousesBuilding · listed 1980
About itEast Milwaukee Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itNorth Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itJanesville Cotton MillBuilding · listed 1980
About itJanesville Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1981
About it24 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Janesville
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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 33 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 46 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
January is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Janesville →
Next door
Janesville and its neighbors
Janesville has the most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janesville | 8% | 0.7 | 38 | 99% | A |
| Harmony | under 1% | 0.1 | 5 | 54% | C− |
| Rock | 6% | 0.1 | 70 | 27% | B− |
| La Prairie | — 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 Janesville
Where can I hike in Janesville?
The longest trail networks: Rockport Park, 11.1 miles; Robert O Cook Memorial Arboretum, 6.3 miles; Palmer Park, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Janesville is conserved land?
8% 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 Janesville’s trails?
Rockport Park and Robert O Cook Memorial Arboretum don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Janesville?
49 miles of bike routes are on the map: 20 of painted or protected lanes, 29 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Rockport Park MTB West Loop, Rockport Park MTB East Loop and MTB Connectors Rockport Park.
Is there public land near Janesville?
5,942 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Janesville or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,479 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Janesville have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #55 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 Janesville 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 →