Photo: Michael Barera · CC BY-SA 4.011% of Oak Creek’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
2,894 acres are parks and preserves, 78 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Bender Park (4 mi), Falk Park (2.4 mi), Abendschein Community Park (1.8 mi). 18 miles of mapped trail cross Oak Creek, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #35 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Oak Creek?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Oak Creek have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Oak Creek is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #35 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.
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 Bender Park, with 4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Abendschein Community Park
Lake Vista Park
Oak Creek Parkway
Camelot Park
All 29 parks & preserves
1,991 conserved acres
11% of Oak Creek’s land. Who manages Oak Creek’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Creek Parkway Local Park | Not recorded | 1,483 | Open |
| Bender Park Local Park | County | 564 | Open |
| Falk Park Local Park | County | 264 | Open |
| Abendschein Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 74 | Open |
| North Shore ROW Local Park | Not recorded | 70 | Open |
| Cudahy Nature Preserve Local Park | County | 41 | Open |
| Woodland Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 30 | Open |
| Runway Dog Park Local Park | Not recorded | 26 | Open |
| Greenlawn Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Chapel Hills Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
36 places to go in Oak Creek
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 28 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
4 dog parks without a name on the map.
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
4 lakes & rivers
33 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.
The best walking months in Oak Creek: July and September
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 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 43 | 54 | 66 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 47 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
February is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Oak Creek →
Oak Creek 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Creek | 11% | 0.6 | 78 | 98% | A |
| Milwaukee | 9% | 0.9 | 10 | 99%+ | A− |
| Caledonia | 4% | 0.5 | 38 | 73% | B+ |
| South Milwaukee | 23% | 1.3 | 36 | 99% | A+ |
| Franklin | 9% | 0.7 | 107 | 92% | A |
| Cudahy | 13% | 0.6 | 24 | 98% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Oak Creek
Where can I hike in Oak Creek?
The longest trail networks: Bender Park, 4 miles; Falk Park, 2.4 miles; Abendschein Community Park, 1.8 miles; Lake Vista Park, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Oak Creek is conserved land?
11% 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 Oak Creek’s trails?
Bender Park and Falk Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Oak Creek?
33 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.5 of painted or protected lanes, 18 of off-road paths and 8.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Oak Creek?
18,421 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Oak Creek or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,894 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Oak Creek have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #35 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 Oak Creek 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 →