Mayo Clinic Health System
Managed by Mayo Clinic Health System
131 acres5 mi of trail
golgothaCalvaryCamel HumpHouser Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Frank Eugene Nichols House · Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Onalaska
Onalaska has 17 miles of mapped trails, 1.6 for every square mile of land
95% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Mayo Clinic Health System (5 mi), Greens Coulee Park (2.6 mi), La Crosse River Conservancy (1.7 mi). 503 acres are parks and preserves, 26 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #51 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
437 acres · of 10.6 sq mi of land
Trails
17 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
503 ac
26 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
6.6 mi lanes · 5.4 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Onalaska?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Onalaska have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Onalaska is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #51 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Onalaska’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (17 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land26 acres of park per 1,000 residents (503 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home95% 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 86%
Water is 5% of Onalaska’s area (1 of 11 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
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 Mayo Clinic Health System, with 5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Greens Coulee Park
Park
73 acres2.6 mi of trail
Clearwater TrailPierce PathClearwater Marsh TrailGarland Meadow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
La Crosse River Conservancy
Managed by Mississippi Valley Conservancy
264 acres1.7 mi of trail
Marsh View Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Greens Coulee Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
81 acres1.5 mi of trail
Greens Coulee Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
City of Onalaska
Park
64 acres1.5 mi of trail
CameltailBeer CaveCamel HumpMaze
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
School District of Onalaska Athletic Field
Park
36 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 29 parks & preserves
Mayo Clinic Health System131 acres · 5 mi of trail · Mayo Clinic Health System
Greens Coulee Park73 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLa Crosse River Conservancy264 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Mississippi Valley Conservancy
DirectionsGreens Coulee Nature Preserve81 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCity of Onalaska64 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
School District of Onalaska Athletic Field36 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsVan Riper Park38 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsRobinson Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge122 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
DirectionsRowe Park25 acres
DirectionsSandalwood Park13 acres
Community Park11 acres
DirectionsHoliday Heights Park10 acres
DirectionsSchool District of Onalaska Practice Fields9 acres
DirectionsMeier Farm Park8 acres · City of Onalaska Park Department
Pierce Park6 acres
DirectionsGlenn Fox Park5 acres
Wellington Greens4 acres
Parkridge Park3 acres
DirectionsHilltopper Heights Park2 acres
Oak Park #32 acres · City of Onalaska Park Department
Coachlite Greens Park1 acres
DirectionsOak Park #11 acres · City of Onalaska Park Department
Thomas Farm Park1 acres
Oakwoods Park1 acres
DirectionsOak Park #51 acres · City of Onalaska Park Department
Oak Park #41 acres · City of Onalaska Park Department
Dash-Park1 acres
DirectionsOak Park #21 acres · City of Onalaska Park Department
Who protects it
437 conserved acres
6% of Onalaska’s land. Water is left out: Onalaska has 10.6 square miles of land and 0.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Onalaska’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city304 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service203 ac
State natural resources26 ac
County5 ac
Local Park · 308 acNational Wildlife Refuge · 203 acState Park · 23 acRecreation or Education Easement · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife And Fish Refuge National Wildlife Refuge | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | 203 | Restricted |
| Van Riper Ballfields & Park Local Park | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Green Coulee Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 62 | Open |
| Waterfront Local Park | Town or city | 51 | Open |
| Rowe Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Great River State Trail State Park | State natural resources | 23 | Open |
| Onalaska Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Sandalwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Clearwater Neighborhood Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Meier Farm Park & Disc Course Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
49 places to go in Onalaska
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Onalaska
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Onalaska
Onalaska Aquatic CenterIn Van Riper Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Onalaska
Oak Park PlaygroundIn Oak Park #4
Directions32 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Onalaska
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Onalaska
Great River LandingIn Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Onalaska
Fair Meadow Way View
DirectionsThe CROSSIn Mayo Clinic Health System
DirectionsWEST VIEWIn Mayo Clinic Health System
DirectionsPlus 7 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Onalaska
1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Onalaska
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
24 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.7 miUnpaved · 15.3 mi
golgotha1.1 mi
Cameltail1.0 mi
Camel Hump0.9 mi
Calvary0.7 mi
Beer Cave0.6 mi
Greens Coulee Trail0.6 mi
Clearwater Trail0.5 mi
Maze0.5 mi
Houser Trail0.5 mi
MAZE0.4 mi
14 more trails
Marsh View Trail
0.4 miPierce Path
0.4 miCamelbac
0.3 miClearwater Marsh Trail
0.3 miGarland Meadow Trail
0.3 miHumfield Summit Trail
0.2 miD.H.O
0.2 miLoggers Loop
0.2 miLoggers Loop South
0.2 miLINK
0.2 miLoggers Loop North
0.1 miWhitetail Run Trail
0.1 miCourt Street South
0.1 miSouth Fork Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
16Baseball
16Tennis
13Basketball
10Tracks
6Football
4Soccer
1Skate park
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 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
The walking year in Onalaska
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 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 25 | 30 | 43 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 59 | 43 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
February 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 Onalaska →
Next door
Onalaska and its neighbors
Onalaska 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 Onalaska
Where can I hike in Onalaska?
The longest trail networks: Mayo Clinic Health System, 5 miles; Greens Coulee Park, 2.6 miles; La Crosse River Conservancy, 1.7 miles; Greens Coulee Nature Preserve, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Onalaska 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 Onalaska’s trails?
Mayo Clinic Health System and Greens Coulee Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Onalaska?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.6 of painted or protected lanes and 5.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Onalaska?
15,383 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Onalaska or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 503 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Onalaska have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #51 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 Onalaska 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 →