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Gilley-tofsland Octagonal BarnGilley-tofsland Octagonal Barn · Photo: TheCatalyst31 · CC0
–Not graded
Outdoors in Porter

Few parks or trails are on the map in Porter

The biggest trail networks: Gibbs Lake County Park (5.1 mi). 2 acres are parks and preserves, 1.8 per 1,000 residents. 5.2 miles of mapped trail cross Porter, 0.1 per square mile of land.

Conserved land
1%
169 acres · of 35.9 sq mi of land
Trails
5.2 mi
0.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
2 ac
1.8 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
5
2 boat launches
The map

Conserved land, trails & bike routes

Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.

1
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 Gibbs Lake County Park, with 5.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

Gibbs Lake County Park

Nature preserve
275 acres5.1 mi of trail
North Trail Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Who protects it

169 conserved acres

1% of Porter’s land. Who manages Porter’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

USDA easements (NRCS)169 ac
Conservation Easement · 168 acAgricultural Easement · 1 ac
Good to know

Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 169 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.

Things to do

2 places to go in Porter

Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.

Boat launches in Porter
Gibbs Lake Boat Launch
Directions

Plus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.

Trails & water

1 named trail and 5 lakes & rivers

Named trails
Horses · 5.0 mi
North Trail Loop0.9 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Gibbs LakeLittle Gibbs LakeMuskrat LakepondBadfish CreekYahara River
History along the way

9 places on the National Register

The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.

History →
Cooksville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About it
Gilley-tofsland Octagonal BarnBuilding · listed 1979
About it
Cooksville Cheese FactoryBuilding · listed 1980
About it
J. K. Porter FarmsteadBuilding · listed 1980
About it
John T. Dow HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About it
Miller HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About it
Richardson Grout HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About it
Cooksville Mill and Mill Pond SiteSite · listed 1980
About it
Harrison Stebbins HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About it
When to get out

September is the best month for walking in Porter

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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)9.410.511.813.314.615.315.013.912.411.09.79.0
High (°F)283244587079838174614633
Rain (in)1.51.62.13.74.35.54.24.13.62.92.41.8

January is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Porter →

Next door

Porter and its neighbors

Porter has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.

Porter5.2 miUnion2.3 miFulton2.0 miDunkirk0.9 mi
TownConserved
of land		Trail mi
per sq mi		Park acres
per 1,000		Near a park
½ mile		Outdoors
Porter— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Fultonunder 1%0.1313%D
Dunkirk1%under 0.1853%C−
Union5%0.118732%B−

The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.

Questions about parks and trails in Porter

Where can I hike in Porter?

The longest trail networks: Gibbs Lake County Park, 5.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

Are dogs allowed on Porter’s trails?

Gibbs Lake County Park doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.

Is there public land near Porter?

9,326 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Porter or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2 of them inside the town line.

Trail talk

Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Porter neighbors.

Town Square →
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 →