Photo: Corey Coyle · CC BY 3.06% of Stoughton’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. 6.2 miles of mapped trail cross Stoughton, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Viking Park (3.1 mi), Helen Johnson Trail (1 mi), Amundson Park (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #38 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Stoughton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Stoughton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Stoughton is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #38 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, conserved land lowest.
Water is 5% of Stoughton’s area (0 of 6 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Viking Park, with 3.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Schefelker Park
All 18 parks & preserves
247 conserved acres
6% of Stoughton’s land. Water is left out: Stoughton has 6.2 square miles of land and 0.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Stoughton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viking Park Local Park | County | 80 | Open |
| Settler's Point Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Racetrack Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Mandt Community Center & Park Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Virgin Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Lowell Street Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Schefelker Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Norse Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Bjoin Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Westview Ridge Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
17 places to go in Stoughton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 11 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
4 lakes & rivers
8.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
15 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
3 more on the History page.
September is the best month for walking in Stoughton
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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 32 | 44 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 45 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.6 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
January is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 5.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Stoughton →
Stoughton and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stoughton | 6% | 1.0 | 31 | 99%+ | A |
| Dunkirk | 1% | under 0.1 | 8 | 53% | C− |
| Pleasant Springs | 4% | 0.2 | 198 | 51% | B |
| Rutland | 13% | 0.3 | 1,104 | 39% | A− |
| Dunn | 33% | 0.1 | 371 | 84% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Stoughton
Where can I hike in Stoughton?
The longest trail networks: Viking Park, 3.1 miles; Helen Johnson Trail, 1 miles; Amundson Park, 0.6 miles; Schefelker Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Stoughton 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 Stoughton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Viking Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Stoughton?
8.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.5 of painted or protected lanes, 5.5 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Stoughton?
10,864 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Stoughton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 400 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Stoughton have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #38 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 Stoughton neighbors.
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 →