Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The biggest trail networks: Roche-A-Cri State Park (4.9 mi). 7% of Preston’s land is conserved, about 1,519 acres. 29% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Preston is ahead of 64% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is Roche-A-Cri State Park, with 4.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
7% of Preston’s land. Who manages Preston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 10 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Sands Forest & Barrens Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 585 | Open |
| Roche A Cri State Park State Park | State natural resources | 449 | Open |
| Rem-Little Roche-A-Cri State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 292 | Restricted |
| Roche A Cri Woods State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 149 | Restricted |
| Natural Area State Conservation Area | County | 149 | Restricted |
| Rem-Fordam Creek State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 34 | Open |
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Plus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
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 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 26 | 31 | 43 | 56 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 59 | 43 | 31 |
| Rain (in) | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 1.9 | 1.5 |
February is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Preston →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston | 7% | 0.2 | 785 | 29% | B |
| Adams | 12% | 0.2 | 1,137 | 11% | B |
| Strongs Prairie | 2% | 0.5 | 395 | 8% | B− |
| Richfield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Big Flats | — 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.
The longest trail networks: Roche-A-Cri State Park, 4.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
7% 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.
Roche-A-Cri State Park and Roche-a-Cri State Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
25,477 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Preston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,080 of them inside the town line.
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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.
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Preston neighbors.
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 →