Forever Wild Trails
Managed by Dothan Leisure Services
388 acres13.8 mi of trail
Big LeveeZion Cemetery RidgeEmergency AccessStagecoach Plateau+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Prussian_Fool · CC BY-SA 4.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Dothan
Dothan has 1,420 acres of parks, 20 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Forever Wild Trails (13.8 mi), Westgate Memorial Park (5.2 mi), Landmark Park (1.6 mi). 1% of Dothan’s land is conserved, about 750 acres. 54% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 46% of U.S. towns · #41 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it
Conserved land
1%
750 acres · of 90.4 sq mi of land
Trails
29 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,420 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.9 mi
2.1 mi lanes · 4.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
30
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dothan have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dothan is ahead of 46% of U.S. towns, #41 of 187 in Alabama. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Dothan’s overall grade.
Conserved land1% of the land · typical AL town 1% · U.S. 4%CTrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (29 mi) · AL 0.1 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land20 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,420 acres) · AL 8 · U.S. 13BParks close to home54% of residents within a half mile of a park · AL 36% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 46%
LessMore
Alabama towns of 2,500+ (187)Ahead of 78%
Few Alabama towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Dothan’s 1% is ahead of 60% of Alabama towns, while its trails per square mile lead 76% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B−. 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 Forever Wild Trails, with 13.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Westgate Memorial Park
Managed by Dothan Leisure Services
228 acres5.2 mi of trail
Larry and Ronna Dykes Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Kiwanis Park
Park
5 acres0.4 mi of trail
Larry and Ronna Dykes Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 26 parks & preserves
Forever Wild Trails388 acres · 13.8 mi of trail · Dothan Leisure Services
DirectionsWestgate Memorial Park228 acres · 5.2 mi of trail · Dothan Leisure Services
DirectionsLandmark Park115 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsJames O. Oates Park91 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEastgate Park197 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWalton Park21 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsKiwanis Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsEmerald Lake Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLake Street Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSolomon Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Gussie McMillion Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Morningview Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWalter E. Byrd Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWiregrass Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Hills Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Dothan Leisure Services
DirectionsFairlane Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRamsey Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
National Peanut Festival Grounds210 acres
DirectionsWilson Street Park4 acres
Cloverdale Baptist Park4 acres
Holmes Park2 acres
DirectionsJessie Forester Lake Park2 acres
Doug Tew Park1 acres
DirectionsHouston Library Park1 acres
DirectionsKinney Park1 acres
DirectionsPorter Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
750 conserved acres
1% of Dothan’s land. Who manages Dothan’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city336 ac
State natural resources306 ac
Private owners108 ac
Local Park · 391 acState Conservation Area · 306 acLocal Recreation Area · 52 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan Trail Park State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 306 | Open |
| Westgate Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 265 | Open |
| Landmark Park Local Park | Private owners | 108 | Open |
| Rip Hewes Ballfield Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| Winegrass Park & Recreation Center Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Baumans Pond Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Unknown Ballfields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Morning View Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Hayes Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Solomon Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
Things to do
37 places to go in Dothan
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Dothan
Riptide Wave PoolIn Westgate Memorial Park
DirectionsTadpole HoleIn Westgate Memorial Park
DirectionsPlus 2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Dothan
Cloverdale PlaygroundIn Cloverdale Baptist Park
DirectionsMiracle PlaygroundIn Westgate Memorial Park
DirectionsPlus 27 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Dothan
Eastgate PondIn Eastgate Park
DirectionsEastgate lakeIn Eastgate Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Dothan
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Dothan
Aunt Katie's Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
11 named trails and 30 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 13.3 miUnpaved · 17.7 mi
Larry and Ronna Dykes Trail3.2 mi
Big Levee2.4 mi
Zion Cemetery Ridge1.7 mi
Emergency Access1.7 mi
Stagecoach Plateau1.6 mi
Dragon's Tail1.6 mi
Dragon's Tail Advanced1.0 mi
Beaver Tail Flats1.0 mi
Sam's Creekside Trail0.9 mi
Connector B0.6 mi
1 more trails
Connector A
0.5 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Coleman PondpondCooks PondpondDrainage PondpondDue West PondpondEmerald LakelakeGreystone LakelakeHighland Oaks Upper LakelakeJessie Forrester LakereservoirLakewood LakeLower Country Club LakelakeMiddle Howell PondpondMurphy Mill PondpondPine LakereservoirPorter's LakepondSpann PondspondUpper Country Club LakelakeWheelless LakereservoirWhispering Oaks LakelakeWilsons LakereservoirWoodlands PondpondBeaver CreekBeulah CreekCedar CreekCrawford CreekGolf CreekLittle Choctawatchee RiverMurphy Mill BranchNewton CreekPoplar Spring BranchRock Creek
Biking & sports
6.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
61Tennis
51Baseball
13Softball
8Basketball
5Soccer
4Football
2Tracks
1Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Federal Building and U.S. CourthouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itDothan Opera HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itMain Street Commercial DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itDothan Municipal Light and Water PlantBuilding · listed 1991
About itAtlantic Coastline Railroad Passenger DepotBuilding · listed 1994
About itHowell SchoolBuilding · listed 2013
About itWater Works StandpipeStructure · listed 2016
About itMoody HospitalBuilding · listed 2021
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Dothan: April and May
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) | 10.3 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.7 | 14.2 | 14.0 | 13.3 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 10.1 |
| High (°F) | 61 | 65 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 92 | 91 | 87 | 79 | 70 | 63 |
| Rain (in) | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 5.1 | 5.9 | 5.3 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 5.3 |
October is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 5.9 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Dothan →
Next door
Dothan and its neighbors
Dothan has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Dothan29 miHeadland4.7 miKinsey1.5 miMidland City1.2 miWebb0.8 miTaylor0.4 miRehobeth0.3 miNapier Field0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dothan | 1% | 0.3 | 20 | 54% | B− |
| Webb | under 1% | 0.1 | 27 | 12% | C− |
| Rehobeth | under 1% | under 0.1 | 2 | 9% | D |
| Kinsey | under 1% | 0.1 | 12 | 4% | C− |
| Midland City | under 1% | 0.2 | under 1 | 7% | D |
| Napier Field | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Taylor | under 1% | 0.1 | 7 | 56% | C− |
| Headland | under 1% | 0.2 | 11 | 27% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dothan
Where can I hike in Dothan?
The longest trail networks: Forever Wild Trails, 13.8 miles; Westgate Memorial Park, 5.2 miles; Landmark Park, 1.6 miles; James O. Oates Park, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dothan is conserved land?
1% of its land, against a typical 1% for an Alabama town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Dothan’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Forever Wild Trails (on leash) and Emerald Lake Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dothan?
6.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.1 of painted or protected lanes and 4.8 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Dothan?
2,163 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dothan or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,420 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Dothan have?
Ahead of 46% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #41 of 187 in Alabama. 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 Dothan 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 →