Indian Mound Conservation Park
Park
24 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
McFarland House · Photo: James Steakley · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in McFarland
8% of McFarland’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
437 acres are parks and preserves, 48 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Indian Mound Conservation Park (0.6 mi), Marsh Woods Park (0.5 mi). 8% of McFarland’s land is conserved, about 260 acres.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #47 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
260 acres · of 4.9 sq mi of land
Trails
2.9 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
437 ac
48 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
7.0 mi lanes · 6.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
2 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is McFarland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does McFarland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, McFarland is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #47 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 McFarland’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (3 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land48 acres of park per 1,000 residents (437 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 87%
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 Indian Mound Conservation Park, with 0.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Marsh Woods Park
Managed by Village of McFarland
17 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Upper Mud Lake Unit
Nature preserve
121 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Grandview Conservancy Area
Nature preserve
36 acres0.1 mi of trail
Grandview Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 20 parks & preserves
Indian Mound Conservation Park24 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMarsh Woods Park17 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Village of McFarland
Upper Mud Lake Unit121 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGrandview Conservancy Area36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWilliam McFarland Park25 acres
DirectionsLewis Park12 acres · Village of McFarland
DirectionsMcDaniel Park9 acres
DirectionsAmerican Legion Park9 acres · Village of McFarland
Babcock County Park7 acres
DirectionsSiggelkow Road Park7 acres
DirectionsWoodland Commons Park5 acres
Brandt Park5 acres
DirectionsCedar Ridge Park4 acres
Egner Park3 acres · Village of McFarland
Highland Oaks Park3 acres
DirectionsWoodland Estates Park2 acres
Arnold Larson Park2 acres
DirectionsLower Mud Lake Natural Resource Area1 acres · Dane County
DirectionsFalling Leaves Park1 acres
Jaeger Park1 acres · Village of McFarland
Who protects it
260 conserved acres
8% of McFarland’s land. Who manages McFarland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city147 ac
State natural resources114 ac
Local Park · 144 acState Recreation Area · 114 acLocal Conservation Area · 3 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Waubesa Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 111 | Open |
| Grandview Conservancy Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Indian Mound Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Mcfarland Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Marsh Woods Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Legion Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Siggelkow Road Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Woodland Commons Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Brandt Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Lewis Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
25 places to go in McFarland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in McFarland
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in McFarland
17 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in McFarland
McFarland Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in McFarland
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in McFarland
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in McFarland
Babcock County Park CampgroundFee · In Babcock County Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in McFarland
McFarland Community GardenFee · Friends of McFarland Parks, 501c3
DirectionsTrails & water
3 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
10Soccer
8Pickleball
8Tennis
6Baseball
5Basketball
2Volleyball
2Softball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in McFarland
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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 32 | 44 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 45 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 |
January is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in McFarland →
Next door
McFarland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McFarland | 8% | 0.6 | 48 | 99% | A |
| Dunn | 33% | 0.1 | 371 | 84% | A |
| Madison | 12% | 1.8 | 24 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Blooming Grove | 33% | 3.7 | 281 | 98% | A+ |
| Cottage Grove | 3% | 0.1 | 20 | 52% | C+ |
| Pleasant Springs | 4% | 0.2 | 198 | 51% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in McFarland
Where can I hike in McFarland?
The longest trail networks: Indian Mound Conservation Park, 0.6 miles; Marsh Woods Park, 0.5 miles; Upper Mud Lake Unit, 0.2 miles; Grandview Conservancy Area, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of McFarland 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 McFarland’s trails?
Indian Mound Conservation Park and Marsh Woods Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in McFarland?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.0 of painted or protected lanes and 6.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near McFarland?
17,962 acres of parks and open public land lie inside McFarland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 437 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does McFarland have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #47 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 McFarland 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 →