Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 3.08% of Waukesha’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Frame Park (0.9 mi), Glacier Cone Park (0.7 mi), Minooka County Park (0.6 mi). 8% of Waukesha’s land is conserved, about 1,284 acres. 1,634 acres are parks and preserves, 23 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #104 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Waukesha?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Waukesha have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Waukesha is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #104 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
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 Frame Park, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Glacier Cone Park
Minooka County Park
River Valley Park
Pebble Valley Park
William R. Oliver Youth Sports Complex
Moorewood Park
All 40 parks & preserves
1,284 conserved acres
8% of Waukesha’s land. Who manages Waukesha’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fox River Park Local Park | Town or city | 95 | Open |
| River'S Crossing Park Local Park | Town or city | 85 | Open |
| Minooka Park Local Park | Town or city | 77 | Open |
| Fox River Parkway - North Local Park | Town or city | 70 | Open |
| Pebble Brook Park Local Park | Town or city | 65 | Open |
| Fox River Sanctuary - South Local Park | Town or city | 58 | Open |
| Woodfield Park Local Park | Town or city | 58 | Open |
| Pebble Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 53 | Open |
| Fox River Parkway - South Local Park | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Lowell Park Local Park | Town or city | 45 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
38 places to go in Waukesha
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
32 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
30 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.
66 places on the National Register
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.
54 more on the History page.
September is the best month for walking in Waukesha
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 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.7 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 32 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 45 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
February is the driest month (1.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Waukesha →
Waukesha and its neighbors
Waukesha 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waukesha | 8% | 0.4 | 23 | 98% | A− |
| Pewaukee | 3% | 0.6 | 27 | 58% | B |
| Brookfield | 2% | 0.5 | 25 | 83% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Waukesha
Where can I hike in Waukesha?
The longest trail networks: Frame Park, 0.9 miles; Glacier Cone Park, 0.7 miles; Minooka County Park, 0.6 miles; River Valley Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Waukesha is conserved land?
8% 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 Waukesha’s trails?
Frame Park and Glacier Cone Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Waukesha?
30 miles of bike routes are on the map: 14 of painted or protected lanes, 14 of off-road paths and 2.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Waukesha?
30,944 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Waukesha or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,634 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Waukesha have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #104 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 Waukesha 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 →