Rib Mountain State Park
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
1,165 acres11 mi of trail
Yellow TrailHomestead TrailTurkey Vulture TrailRed Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Rib Mountain
33% of Rib Mountain’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 5,309 acres are parks and preserves, 728 per 1,000 residents. 33% of Rib Mountain’s land is conserved, about 5,148 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #1 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
33%
5,148 acres · of 24.5 sq mi of land
Trails
17 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,309 ac
728 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
26 mi
9.1 mi lanes · 15 mi paths
Highest peak
1,923 ft
Rib Mountain
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Rib Mountain?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Rib Mountain have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rib Mountain is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #1 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, trail miles lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Rib Mountain’s overall grade.
Conserved land33% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (17 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land728 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,309 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)#1 of 362
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Rib Mountain State Park, with 11 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Doepke Recreation Area
Park
68 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bluegill Bay County Park
Managed by Marathon County
72 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 11 parks & preserves
Rib Mountain State Park1,165 acres · 11 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsDoepke Recreation Area68 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLiberty Park16 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsBluegill Bay County Park72 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Marathon County
DirectionsMarathon County Forest-Nine Mile Unit3,250 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsChellis Park5 acres
Domtar Public Access Land2 acres
Rib River Park2 acres · Marathon County
Rookery View Park2 acres
DirectionsFlax Lane Tot Lot1 acres
DirectionsGrand View Lake Addition Park1 acres · Village of Rib Mountain
Who protects it
5,148 conserved acres
33% of Rib Mountain’s land. Who manages Rib Mountain’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County3,319 ac
State natural resources1,982 ac
Private owners34 ac
Town or city21 ac
Regional agency15 ac
Local Conservation Area · 3,251 acState Park · 1,558 acState Conservation Area · 212 acState Resource Management Area · 212 acLocal Park · 103 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon County Forest Local Conservation Area | County | 3,251 | Open |
| Rib Mountain State Park State Park | State natural resources | 1,558 | Open |
| State Owned Islands State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 212 | Open |
| State Owned Islands - Wd State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 135 | Open |
| State Owned Islands - Nw State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 77 | Open |
| Bluegill Bay Park Local Park | County | 67 | Open |
| Rib Mountain Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 34 | Open |
| Doepke Recreation Area Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Liberty Park Local Park | Regional agency | 15 | Open |
| Chellis Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
12 places to go in Rib Mountain
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Rib Mountain
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Rib Mountain
Sandy's Bark Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Rib Mountain
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Rib Mountain
Observation DeckIn Rib Mountain State Park
DirectionsPeaks in Rib Mountain
Rib Mountain1,923 ft elevation · In Rib Mountain State Park
DirectionsMosinee Hill1,588 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 9.2 mi
Yellow Trail4.7 mi
Turkey Vulture Trail1.4 mi
Homestead Trail1.3 mi
Red Trail0.9 mi
Quarry Trail0.6 mi
Dynamite Trail0.3 mi
Gray Trail0.3 mi
Blue Trail0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
26 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
15 mi
off-road bike paths
2.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
6Baseball
6Tennis
1Soccer
1Beach volleyball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The walking year in Rib Mountain
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) | 9.1 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 28 | 40 | 54 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 70 | 56 | 40 | 28 |
| Rain (in) | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 1.5 |
February is the driest month (1.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Rib Mountain →
Next door
Rib Mountain and its neighbors
Rib Mountain has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Rib Mountain17 miWausau6.6 miStettin3.0 miSchofield1.8 miRothschild0.3 miMosinee0.3 miMarathon0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rib Mountain | 33% | 0.7 | 728 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Wausau | 7% | 0.3 | 19 | 95% | A− |
| Rothschild | 2% | under 0.1 | 35 | 90% | B− |
| Schofield | 19% | 0.9 | 66 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Stettin | 2% | 0.1 | 148 | 27% | C+ |
| Marathon | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mosinee | 10% | under 0.1 | 961 | 60% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rib Mountain
Where can I hike in Rib Mountain?
The longest trail networks: Rib Mountain State Park, 11 miles; Doepke Recreation Area, 1.1 miles; Liberty Park, 1 miles; Bluegill Bay County Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Rib Mountain is conserved land?
33% 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 Rib Mountain’s trails?
Rib Mountain State Park and Doepke Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Rib Mountain?
26 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.1 of painted or protected lanes, 15 of off-road paths and 2.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Rib Mountain?
23,950 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rib Mountain or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,309 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Rib Mountain have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #1 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 Rib Mountain 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 →