Ableman's Gorge State Natural Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
52 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Royalbroil · CC BY-SA 3.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Rock Springs
7% of Rock Springs’ land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Ableman's Gorge State Natural Area (0.8 mi). 7% of Rock Springs’ land is conserved, about 63 acres. 58 acres are parks and preserves, 178 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
7%
63 acres · of 1.3 sq mi of land
Trails
0.8 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
58 ac
178 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
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 Ableman's Gorge State Natural Area, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rock Springs Firemen's Park
Park
3 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Judy Kay Busser Memorial Park
Park
3 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
63 conserved acres
7% of Rock Springs’ land. Who manages Rock Springs’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources55 ac
County55 ac
Town or city7 ac
State Conservation Area · 109 acUnknown Easement · 7 acConservation Easement · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 9 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 4 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Area State Conservation Area | County | 55 | Restricted |
| Ablemans Gorge State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 55 | Restricted |
Things to do
2 places to go in Rock Springs
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Rock Springs
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Rock Springs
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
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
September is the best month for walking in Rock Springs
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 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 32 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 44 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
January is the driest month (1.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Rock Springs →
Questions about parks and trails in Rock Springs
Where can I hike in Rock Springs?
The longest trail networks: Ableman's Gorge State Natural Area, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Rock Springs’ trails?
Ableman's Gorge State Natural Area and Rock Springs Firemen's Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Rock Springs?
18,443 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rock Springs or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 58 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Rock Springs 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 →