Superior Municipal Forest
Managed by City of Superior
4,718 acres4.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Nfarmakes · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Superior
Superior has 32 miles of mapped trails, 0.9 for every square mile of land
94% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 950 acres are parks and preserves, 36 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Superior Municipal Forest (4.2 mi), Wisconsin Point (2.6 mi), Central Park (0.5 mi).
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #78 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
1,164 acres · of 36.6 sq mi of land
Trails
32 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
950 ac
36 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
17 mi
5.9 mi lanes · 11 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
3 beaches · 9 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Superior?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Superior have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Superior is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #78 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.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Superior’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (32 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land36 acres of park per 1,000 residents (950 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home94% of residents within a half mile of a park · WI 90% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 86%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)Ahead of 79%
Water is 19% of Superior’s area (9 of 45 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 4%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to 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 Superior Municipal Forest, with 4.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wisconsin Point
Nature preserve
301 acres2.6 mi of trail
Makwa Ziibiins Miikana (Bear Creek Trail)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Nelson Outdoor Laboratory
Managed by University of Wisconsin-Superior
64 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 26 parks & preserves
Superior Municipal Forest4,718 acres · 4.2 mi of trail · City of Superior
DirectionsWisconsin Point301 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsNelson Outdoor Laboratory64 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · University of Wisconsin-Superior
Billings Park28 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Bear Creek Park16 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKelly Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHammond Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPetroske Complex32 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Heritage Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSt. Louis/Red River Stream Bank Protection Area350 acres
Head of the Lake Fairgrounds47 acres
DirectionsHayes Court Complex Ball Fields23 acres
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Park10 acres
DirectionsCarl Gullo Park8 acres · City of Superior
DirectionsWade Bowl Park6 acres
DirectionsArrowhead Fishing Pier Recreational Complex3 acres · City of Superior
DirectionsWebster Park3 acres
DirectionsCenter City Park3 acres · City of Superior
DirectionsFranklin Square3 acres
DirectionsBryant Playground3 acres
DirectionsGouge Park3 acres
Red Barn Playground2 acres
18th & Oakes Park2 acres
Interstate Island Wildlife Management Area1 acres · Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Benny Peterson Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,164 conserved acres
5% of Superior’s land. Water is left out: Superior has 36.6 square miles of land and 8.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Superior’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources490 ac
Town or city396 ac
Private owners349 ac
Other state land28 ac
Bureau of Land Management18 ac
County6 ac
State Recreation Area · 355 acLocal Park · 345 acPrivate Park · 293 acState Other or Unknown · 129 acLocal Recreation Area · 82 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Louis River Streambank Protection Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 355 | Open |
| Nemadji Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 293 | Open |
| St. Louis River Stream Bank Area State Other or Unknown | State natural resources | 129 | Open |
| Hog Island Local Park | Town or city | 69 | Open |
| Fair Grounds Race Track Curling Club Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Calvary Cemetary Private Historic or Cultural | Private owners | 37 | Open |
| Billings Park Proper Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Nemadji Sled Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Billings Park Civic Assn. Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Northeastern States District Office National Public Lands | Bureau of Land Management | 18 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
36 places to go in Superior
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Superior
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Superior
22 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Superior
Superior Dog ParkIn Superior Municipal Forest
DirectionsBoat launches in Superior
Arrowhead Boat LaunchFee · In Arrowhead Fishing Pier Recreational Complex
DirectionsLoon's Foot Landing
DirectionsWoodstock Bay Landing
DirectionsPlus 6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Superior
1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.7 miUnpaved · 8.9 mi
Makwa Ziibiins Miikana (Bear Creek Trail)3.1 mi
Osaugie Trail0.8 mi
Tri County Corridor0.8 mi
Biking & sports
17 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
11 mi
off-road bike paths
0.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Tri County CorridorBike route
0.8 miOsaugie TrailBike route
0.8 miCourts & fields
25Tennis
12Baseball
6Soccer
5Basketball
2Football
1Skate park
1Beach volleyball
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →15 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.
Trade and Commerce BuildingBuilding · listed 1979
About itMartin Pattison HouseBuilding · listed 1981
About itDouglas County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itNew Jersey BuildingBuilding · listed 1983
About itNew York BlockBuilding · listed 1985
About itNorthern BlockBuilding · listed 1985
About itBerkshire BlockBuilding · listed 1985
About itEmpire BlockBuilding · listed 1985
About itMaryland BlockBuilding · listed 1985
About itMinnesota Block-Board of Trade Bldg.Building · listed 1985
About itWashington BlockBuilding · listed 1985
About itWemyss BuildingBuilding · listed 1985
About it3 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Superior
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) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 22 | 27 | 37 | 47 | 58 | 68 | 76 | 75 | 67 | 53 | 39 | 27 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
February is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 4.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Superior →
Next door
Superior and its neighbors
Superior has the second most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior | 5% | 0.9 | 36 | 94% | A |
| Parkland | under 1% | 0.4 | 571 | 57% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Superior
Where can I hike in Superior?
The longest trail networks: Superior Municipal Forest, 4.2 miles; Wisconsin Point, 2.6 miles; Central Park, 0.5 miles; Nelson Outdoor Laboratory, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Superior is conserved land?
5% 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 Superior’s trails?
Superior Municipal Forest and Wisconsin Point don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Superior?
17 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.9 of painted or protected lanes, 11 of off-road paths and 0.3 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Tri County Corridor and Osaugie Trail.
Is there public land near Superior?
39,321 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Superior or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 974 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Superior have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #78 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 Superior 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 →