Governor Nelson State Park
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
404 acres5.5 mi of trail
Morningside TrailWoodland Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Westport
Westport has 1,741 acres of parks, 413 for every 1,000 residents
28 miles of mapped trail cross Westport, 1.4 per square mile of land. 15% of Westport’s land is conserved, about 1,864 acres. 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #5 of 362 in Wisconsin. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
1,864 acres · of 19.6 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,741 ac
413 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
22 mi
16 mi lanes · 6.1 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
2 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Westport?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Westport have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Westport is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #5 of 362 in Wisconsin. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Westport’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical WI town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · WI 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land413 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,741 acres) · WI 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home95% 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 98%
LessMore
Wisconsin towns of 2,500+ (362)#5 of 362
Water is 5% of Westport’s area (1 of 21 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 14%.
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 Governor Nelson State Park, with 5.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Schumacher Farm County Park
Managed by Dane County Parks
117 acres2.5 mi of trail
Sugar Bush Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Six Mile Creek State Fishery Area
Managed by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
167 acres1.8 mi of trail
Six Mile Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Waakikižu Natural Resource Area
Managed by Dane County Parks
169 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
North Mendota Natural Resource Area- Prairie Unit
Nature preserve
61 acres1.6 mi of trail
North Prairie Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Cherokee Marsh North Unit
Nature preserve
78 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Westshire Conservancy/Jackson's Landing
Nature preserve
78 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Yahara Heights County Park
Park
53 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 21 parks & preserves
Governor Nelson State Park404 acres · 5.5 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsSchumacher Farm County Park117 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Dane County Parks
DirectionsSix Mile Creek State Fishery Area167 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsWaakikižu Natural Resource Area169 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Dane County Parks
North Mendota Natural Resource Area- Prairie Unit61 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
Cherokee Marsh North Unit78 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWestshire Conservancy/Jackson's Landing78 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsYahara Heights County Park53 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsCherokee Marsh State Fishery Area225 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsCherokee Marsh- Mendota Unit86 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wilke Prairie Preserve74 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Town Center Park25 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSixmile Creek Conservancy1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Village of Waunakee
Dorn Creek State Fishery Area304 acres · Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMendota County Park20 acres
DirectionsEmpire Prairies State Natural Area- Westport Drumlin Unit17 acres
Metropolitan Park2 acres · City of Middleton
Castle Creek Conservancy2 acres · Village of Waunakee
DirectionsMary Lake Park2 acres
Christina Park1 acres
Steeplechase Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,864 conserved acres
15% of Westport’s land. Water is left out: Westport has 19.6 square miles of land and 1.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Westport’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources1,362 ac
County565 ac
Town or city86 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)66 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits16 ac
Private owners7 ac
State Recreation Area · 720 acState Park · 424 acState Conservation Area · 299 acConservation Easement · 200 acLocal Recreation Area · 165 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 199 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 26 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor Nelson State Park State Park | State natural resources | 424 | Open |
| Cherokee Marsh Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 266 | Open |
| Dorn Creek Fishery Area State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 210 | Open |
| Statewide Habitat Areas State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 208 | Restricted |
| Statewide Habitat Areas - Sd State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 207 | Open |
| North Mendota - Saddlebrook Local Recreation Area | County | 164 | Open |
| Cherokee Marsh-Mendota Unit Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 84 | Open |
| Schumacher Park - Raemisch Local Park | County | 78 | Open |
| North Mendota Wildlife Area Prairie Unit Local Conservation Area | County | 63 | Open |
| Yahara Heights County Park Local Park | County | 47 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
16 places to go in Westport
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Westport
Indianola BeachIn Governor Nelson State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Swimming spots in Westport
1 swimming spot without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Westport
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Westport
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Westport
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Westport
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Westport
Mendota County Park CampgroundFee · In Mendota County Park · Dane County
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 1.2 miUnpaved · 12.3 mi
Morningside Trail1.6 mi
North Prairie Trail1.5 mi
Woodland Trail1.3 mi
Six Mile Trail0.9 mi
Sugar Bush Loop0.7 mi
Jackson Landing Trail0.5 mi
Cherokee Marsh Trail (south)0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
22 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
16 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.1 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
9Tennis
6Soccer
3Pickleball
1Basketball
1Volleyball
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Westport
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 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 32 | 44 | 57 | 69 | 79 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 45 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 1.4 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.5 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.2 | 1.6 |
January is the driest month (1.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 5.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Westport →
Next door
Westport and its neighbors
Westport has the second most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westport | 15% | 1.4 | 413 | 95% | A+ |
| Waunakee | 6% | 0.5 | 28 | 99%+ | A |
| Madison | 12% | 1.8 | 24 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Middleton | 16% | 1.9 | 53 | 94% | A+ |
| Springfield | 6% | 0.2 | 297 | 32% | B |
| Vienna | 1% | under 0.1 | 8 | 40% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Westport
Where can I hike in Westport?
The longest trail networks: Governor Nelson State Park, 5.5 miles; Schumacher Farm County Park, 2.5 miles; Six Mile Creek State Fishery Area, 1.8 miles; Waakikižu Natural Resource Area, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Westport is conserved land?
15% 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 Westport’s trails?
Governor Nelson State Park and Schumacher Farm County Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Westport?
22 miles of bike routes are on the map: 16 of painted or protected lanes and 6.1 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Westport?
21,422 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Westport or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,741 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Westport have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #5 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 Westport 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 →