Photo: James Steakley · CC BY-SA 3.0Middleton has 24 miles of mapped trails, 1.7 for every square mile of land
592 acres are parks and preserves, 87 per 1,000 residents. 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Pope Farm Conservancy (4.4 mi), Valley View Preserve (2.1 mi), Goth Conservancy (1.1 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #30 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Middleton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Middleton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Middleton is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #30 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
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
The longest trail network is Pope Farm Conservancy, with 4.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Valley View Preserve
Goth Conservancy
Ice Age Trail Access Park
All 19 parks & preserves
507 conserved acres
6% of Middleton’s land. Who manages Middleton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 15 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Earth Creek - Sunnyside Local Recreation Area | County | 286 | Open |
| Pope Farm Park Local Park | Town or city | 103 | Open |
| Pioneer Park Local Park | Town or city | 45 | Open |
| Prairie Homes Estates Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Forest Products Lab. Experimental Area Research or Educational Area | U.S. Forest Service | 17 | Restricted |
| Black Earth Creek - Hinrichs Local Conservation Area | County | 15 | Open |
| Pheasant Branch Conservancy Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Ice Age Trail - Sd State Park | State natural resources | 4 | Open |
| Ice Age Trail 56 State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 4 | Open |
| Quisling Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
10 places to go in Middleton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
23 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
13 more trails
6.3 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.
1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
September is the best month for walking in Middleton
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) | 27 | 31 | 43 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 44 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
January is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Middleton →
Middleton and its neighbors
Middleton has the second most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleton | 6% | 1.7 | 87 | 96% | A |
| Madison | 12% | 1.8 | 24 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Cross Plains | 7% | 0.5 | 542 | 31% | B+ |
| Springfield | 6% | 0.2 | 297 | 32% | B |
| Verona | 5% | 1.0 | 190 | 63% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Middleton
Where can I hike in Middleton?
The longest trail networks: Pope Farm Conservancy, 4.4 miles; Valley View Preserve, 2.1 miles; Goth Conservancy, 1.1 miles; Ice Age Trail Access Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Middleton is conserved land?
6% 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 Middleton’s trails?
Pope Farm Conservancy and Valley View Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Middleton?
6.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.7 of painted or protected lanes and 3.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Middleton?
19,333 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Middleton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 592 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Middleton have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #30 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 Middleton 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 →