Mequon Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
433 acres5.9 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Freekee · Public domainA−Outdoors
Outdoors in Mequon
Mequon has 2,029 acres of parks, 80 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Mequon Nature Preserve (5.9 mi), Ozaukee County Virmond Park (1.7 mi), Mequon Rotary Park (1.6 mi). 8% of Mequon’s land is conserved, about 2,401 acres. 28 miles of mapped trail cross Mequon, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns · #115 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
2,401 acres · of 46.3 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,029 ac
80 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
60%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
27 mi
2.5 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Mequon?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Mequon have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Mequon is ahead of 79% of U.S. towns, #115 of 362 in Wisconsin. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Mequon’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 (28 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land80 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,029 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home60% of residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 79%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 68%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Mequon Nature Preserve, with 5.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ozaukee County Virmond Park
Park
60 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Highland Woods
Park
56 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Ozaukee County Mee-Kwon Park
Park
236 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Grasslyn Nature Reserve
Managed by City of Mequon
16 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Donges Bay Gorge
Managed by Ozaukee Washington Land Trust
23 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 23 parks & preserves
Mequon Nature Preserve433 acres · 5.9 mi of trail
DirectionsOzaukee County Virmond Park60 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMequon Rotary Park84 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHighland Woods56 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsOzaukee County Mee-Kwon Park236 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverview Park20 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsGrasslyn Nature Reserve16 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Mequon
DirectionsDonges Bay Gorge23 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Ozaukee Washington Land Trust
DirectionsSpirit Lake Nature Preserve155 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCivic Center Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGarrison's Glen30 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGateway Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Mequon
DirectionsSettler's Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Mequon
DirectionsRiver Forest Nature Preserve54 acres
DirectionsRiver Barn Park44 acres
DirectionsLemke Park39 acres
DirectionsLilly Lane Nature Preserve26 acres
Willow Bay Nature Preserve24 acres
Shoreland Nature Preserve20 acres · City of Mequon
Swan Road Prairie20 acres
Dhaliwal Soccer Park15 acres
DirectionsScout Park8 acres · Mequon
DirectionsVilla Grove Park7 acres
Who protects it
2,401 conserved acres
8% of Mequon’s land. Who manages Mequon’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,395 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits612 ac
Private owners426 ac
County361 ac
Joint112 ac
State natural resources11 ac
Local Conservation Area · 750 acLocal Park · 661 acConservation Easement · 436 acPrivate Park · 426 acLocal Recreation Area · 296 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 173 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mequon Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 439 | Open |
| Mequon Country Club Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 266 | Open |
| Mee-Kwon Park Local Park | County | 242 | Open |
| North Shore County Club Private Park | Private owners | 234 | Open |
| Ozaukee Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 151 | Open |
| Shoreland Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 136 | Open |
| Highland Woods Local Park | Town or city | 74 | Open |
| Rotary Park Local Park | Town or city | 74 | Open |
| Virmond Park Local Park | County | 63 | Open |
| River Forest Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 58 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Mequon
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Mequon
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Mequon
14 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Mequon
Katherine Kearney Carpenter Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Mequon
Moonlight Landing Canoe Launch
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Mequon
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.7 miUnpaved · 9.4 mi
Rotary River Walk0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
27 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
13 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
53Tennis
30Soccer
19Baseball
18Pickleball
5Football
3Volleyball
2Basketball
1Field hockey
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 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.
Jonathan Clark HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itReichert, John, FarmhouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itEdwin J. Nieman Sr. HouseBuilding · listed 1996
About itMoquon Town Hall and Fire Station ComplexBuilding · listed 2000
About itBigelow SchoolBuilding · listed 2000
About itWilliam F. Jahn FarmsteadBuilding · listed 2000
About itJacob Voigt HouseBuilding · listed 2000
About itO'Brien-Peuschel FarmsteadBuilding · listed 2000
About itIsham Day HouseBuilding · listed 2000
About itVocke, Frank, Octagonal BarnBuilding · listed 2016
About itJ.M. ALLMENDINGER (Steambarge) ShipwreckSite · listed 2018
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in Mequon
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 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 32 | 43 | 55 | 67 | 77 | 82 | 79 | 73 | 60 | 46 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.6 | 1.5 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 1.8 |
February is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Mequon →
Next door
Mequon and its neighbors
Mequon has the second most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Mequon
Where can I hike in Mequon?
The longest trail networks: Mequon Nature Preserve, 5.9 miles; Ozaukee County Virmond Park, 1.7 miles; Mequon Rotary Park, 1.6 miles; Highland Woods, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Mequon 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 Mequon’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Mequon Nature Preserve (on leash), Ozaukee County Virmond Park and Donges Bay Gorge (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Mequon?
27 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.5 of painted or protected lanes, 12 of off-road paths and 13 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Mequon?
15,556 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Mequon or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,030 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Mequon have?
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #115 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 Mequon 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 →