Tiffany Wildlife Area
Nature preserve
6,599 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Nelson
Few parks or trails are on the map in Nelson
29% of Nelson’s land is conserved, about 12,492 acres. 6,666 acres are parks and preserves, 14,183 per 1,000 residents. 1.4 miles of mapped trail cross Nelson.
Conserved land
29%
12,492 acres · of 67.9 sq mi of land
Trails
1.4 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,666 ac
14,183 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
15%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
5
3 beaches · 3 boat launches
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 Tiffany Wildlife Area, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
Managed by United States Fish and Wildlife Service
4,832 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Tiffany Bottoms State Natural Area
Nature preserve
2 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
12,492 conserved acres
29% of Nelson’s land. Water is left out: Nelson has 67.9 square miles of land and 9.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Nelson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service11,628 ac
State natural resources6,627 ac
Bureau of Land Management47 ac
National Wildlife Refuge · 11,628 acState Recreation Area · 6,627 acNational Public Lands · 47 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 11,628 | Restricted |
| Tiffany Wildlife Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 6,627 | Open |
| Northeastern States District Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 47 | Open |
Things to do
6 places to go in Nelson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Nelson
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Nelson
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The walking year in Nelson
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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 24 | 29 | 42 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 79 | 72 | 58 | 42 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 1.1 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 4.4 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Nelson →
Next door
Nelson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nelson | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pepin | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Alma | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Maxville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Alma | — 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 Nelson
Where can I hike in Nelson?
The longest trail networks: Tiffany Wildlife Area, 0.4 miles; Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Nelson’s trails?
Tiffany Wildlife Area and Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Nelson?
23,808 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Nelson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,713 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Nelson 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 →