Hixon Forest
Park
549 acres14.9 mi of trail
VistaHickoryVista (2) - Building Champions TrailOak+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Bohao Zhao · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in La Crosse
La Crosse has 50 miles of mapped trails, 2.3 for every square mile of land
99% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 12% of La Crosse’s land is conserved, about 1,721 acres. 2,448 acres are parks and preserves, 48 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #9 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
1,721 acres · of 21.7 sq mi of land
Trails
50 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,448 ac
48 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
50 mi
20 mi lanes · 19 mi paths
Highest peak
1,125 ft
Miller Bluff
Lakes & rivers
11
6 beaches · 9 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is La Crosse?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does La Crosse have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, La Crosse is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #9 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of La Crosse’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (50 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land48 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,448 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 97%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 98%
Water is 9% of La Crosse’s area (2 of 24 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 11%.
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 Hixon Forest, with 14.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Upper Hixon Forest
Park
122 acres8.9 mi of trail
TwisterPrairie LoopPrairie Loop (Lower)OB1+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Human Powered Trails Parking
La Crosse Blufflands - Mathy Property
Park
475 acres6 mi of trail
QuarrySnakerootTable RockBlazingstar+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto La Crosse Blufflands Parking
Grandad Bluff Park
Park
146 acres5.8 mi of trail
TramwayWar EagleCompass Loop (North)Wolfsbane+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
La Crosse Blufflands - Hass Property
Park
119 acres2.5 mi of trail
Ridge CrestClosedRogueCLOSED
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
La Crosse Blufflands - Juniper Property
Park
50 acres1.3 mi of trail
CrownB.O.B.'s Ridge
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
La Crosse Marsh
Nature preserve
341 acres0.5 mi of trail
Old Well TrailCottonwood Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
La Crosse Blufflands - Dobson Property
Park
51 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dobson Loop
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
All 51 parks & preserves
Hixon Forest549 acres · 14.9 mi of trail
DirectionsUpper Hixon Forest122 acres · 8.9 mi of trail
DirectionsLa Crosse Blufflands - Mathy Property475 acres · 6 mi of trail
DirectionsGrandad Bluff Park146 acres · 5.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLa Crosse Blufflands - Hass Property119 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLa Crosse Blufflands - Juniper Property50 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLa Crosse Marsh341 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLa Crosse Blufflands - Dobson Property51 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMyrick Park30 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLa Crosse Blufflands - Beck Property21 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLouis Nelson County Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCity of La Crosse38 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
La Crosse Blufflands - Lenox Property22 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Roellig Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsEagle Watch7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPowell Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsChad Erickson Park23 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Park17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCameron Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRed Cloud Park22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Shelby Baseball Fields14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsErickson Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTrane Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Clayton E Johnson Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge158 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsPettibone Park156 acres
DirectionsLa Crosse River Conservancy148 acres · Mississippi Valley Conservancy
DirectionsLa Crosse Blufflands - Skemp I Property95 acres
DirectionsVeterans Freedom Park35 acres
DirectionsCopeland Park23 acres
DirectionsLa Crosse Blufflands - Skemp II Property20 acres
La Crosse County20 acres
DirectionsHoliday Heights Park15 acres
DirectionsGreen Island Park14 acres
DirectionsHouska Park14 acres
DirectionsBlack River Beach11 acres
DirectionsWittenberg Park9 acres · City of La Crosse
DirectionsHaas Park7 acres
DirectionsBluffview Park6 acres
Weigent Park4 acres
Sherwood Park4 acres
Lueth Bicycle and Skate Park4 acres
DirectionsSeminary Park4 acres
Goose Green Park3 acres
DirectionsMississippi Valley Conservancy2 acres
Hickey Park2 acres
DirectionsCrowley Park1 acres
DirectionsBurns Park1 acres
DirectionsHood Park1 acres
DirectionsTower Park1 acres
DirectionsDrake Field1 acres
Who protects it
1,721 conserved acres
12% of La Crosse’s land. Water is left out: La Crosse has 21.7 square miles of land and 2.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages La Crosse’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,353 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service340 ac
State natural resources217 ac
Private owners63 ac
Local Park · 1,287 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 340 acState Conservation Area · 85 acLocal Recreation Area · 66 acState Recreation Area · 63 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hixon Forest Local Park | Town or city | 702 | Open |
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 340 | Restricted |
| Statewide Habitat Areas State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 126 | Restricted |
| Upper Hixon Forest Local Park | Town or city | 121 | Open |
| Pettibone Park Local Park | Town or city | 87 | Open |
| Grandad Bluff Park Local Park | Town or city | 70 | Open |
| Statewide Habitat Areas - Wd State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 63 | Open |
| City Soccer Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Veterans Freedom Park & Boat Launch Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| La Crosse River State Trail State Park | State natural resources | 30 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
86 places to go in La Crosse
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in La Crosse
Airport Beach
DirectionsBlack River BeachIn Black River Beach
DirectionsPettibone BeachIn Pettibone Park
DirectionsPlus 3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in La Crosse
Playgrounds in La Crosse
Boys and Girls Club Playground
DirectionsKid's Coulee PlaygroundIn Myrick Park
Directions40 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in La Crosse
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Scenic views in La Crosse
BenchIn La Crosse Blufflands - Juniper Property
DirectionsBirch Point PrairieIn Hixon Forest
DirectionsBoyScout BenchIn La Crosse Blufflands - Hass Property
DirectionsGeorge's PointIn Grandad Bluff Park
DirectionsGrand PrairieIn Grandad Bluff Park
DirectionsHass benchIn La Crosse Blufflands - Hass Property
DirectionsHixon ViewIn Grandad Bluff Park
DirectionsLenox PointIn La Crosse Blufflands - Lenox Property
Directions9 more scenic views
Lookout PrairieIn Hixon Forest
DirectionsLower Dobson pointIn La Crosse Blufflands - Dobson Property
DirectionsMilson PrairieIn Hixon Forest
DirectionsRim of the City ViewpointIn La Crosse Blufflands - Beck Property
DirectionsTable RockIn La Crosse Blufflands - Mathy Property
DirectionsThe ShelfIn Grandad Bluff Park
DirectionsUpper Dobson pointIn La Crosse Blufflands - Dobson Property
DirectionsVista PrairieIn Hixon Forest
DirectionsZoerb PrairieIn Hixon Forest
DirectionsPlus 6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in La Crosse
Miller Bluff1,125 ft elevation · In La Crosse Blufflands - Beck Property
DirectionsGrandad Bluff1,010 ft elevation · In Grandad Bluff Park
DirectionsDisc golf in La Crosse
1 disc golf course without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 23.8 miUnpaved · 42.7 mi
Vista2.5 mi
Quarry2.0 mi
Twister1.6 mi
Hickory1.4 mi
Vista (2) - Building Champions Trail1.3 mi
Bicentennial1.3 mi
Oak1.3 mi
Ridge Crest1.2 mi
Snakeroot1.2 mi
Prairie Loop (Lower)1.1 mi
15 more trails
ROGUE
1.0 miTramway
1.0 miTable Rock
1.0 miPrairie Loop
0.9 miChicanery
0.9 miOB1
0.9 miCrown
0.8 miMiller access
0.8 miBluff Pass
0.8 miBlazingstar
0.7 miStinky's
0.7 miWar Eagle
0.7 miCompass Loop (North)
0.6 miAspen
0.6 miCLOSED
0.6 miBiking & sports
50 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
19 mi
off-road bike paths
11 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
La Crosse Marsh TrailsBike route
1.2 miCourts & fields
35Baseball
35Tennis
12Basketball
12Tracks
12Soccer
10Football
1Skate park
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →42 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.
Gideon C. Hixon HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itMons Anderson HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itLaverty-Martindale HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itWaterworks BuildingBuilding · listed 1979
About itWill Ott HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itU.S. Fish Control LaboratoryBuilding · listed 1981
About itFreight HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itChase, Dr. H. H., and Henry G. Wohlhuter BungalowsBuilding · listed 1983
About itPowell PlaceBuilding · listed 1983
About itRoosevelt, W. A., CompanyBuilding · listed 1984
About itWisconsin Telephone Company BuildingBuilding · listed 1985
About itMain Hall/La Crosse State Normal SchoolBuilding · listed 1985
About it30 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in La Crosse
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 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 31 | 44 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 73 | 60 | 44 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
February is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in La Crosse →
Next door
La Crosse and its neighbors
La Crosse has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
La Crosse50 miShelby19 miOnalaska17 miOnalaska4.8 miMedary4.3 miLa Crescent Township1.1 miCampbell0.8 miFrench Island0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse | 12% | 2.3 | 48 | 99% | A+ |
| Shelby | 14% | 0.7 | 263 | 74% | A |
| Medary | 2% | 0.4 | 102 | 68% | B+ |
| Campbell | 100% | 0.2 | 6 | 99%+ | A− |
| French Island | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Onalaska | 6% | 1.6 | 26 | 95% | A |
| Onalaska | 20% | 0.1 | 22 | 68% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in La Crosse
Where can I hike in La Crosse?
The longest trail networks: Hixon Forest, 14.9 miles; Upper Hixon Forest, 8.9 miles; La Crosse Blufflands - Mathy Property, 6 miles; Grandad Bluff Park, 5.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of La Crosse is conserved land?
12% 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 La Crosse’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Hixon Forest (on leash), La Crosse Blufflands - Mathy Property (on leash), Grandad Bluff Park (on leash) and La Crosse Blufflands - Hass Property (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in La Crosse?
50 miles of bike routes are on the map: 20 of painted or protected lanes, 19 of off-road paths and 11 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: La Crosse Marsh Trails.
Is there public land near La Crosse?
16,407 acres of parks and open public land lie inside La Crosse or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,448 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does La Crosse have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #9 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 La Crosse 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 →