Photo: Civilengtiger · CC BY-SA 4.0Helena has 7.4 miles of mapped trails, 0.3 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Joe Tucker Park (0.7 mi). 195 acres are parks and preserves, 9.0 per 1,000 residents. 54% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 42% of U.S. towns · #46 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it
How much outdoors does Helena have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Helena is ahead of 42% of U.S. towns, #46 of 187 in Alabama. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
Few Alabama towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Helena’s 3% is ahead of 76% of Alabama towns, while its trails per square mile lead 74% of them.
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 Joe Tucker Park, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Historic Lee Springs Park
Old Town Helena, Buck Creek Park.
All 9 parks & preserves
424 conserved acres
3% of Helena’s land. Who manages Helena’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 74 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| William R. Ireland, Sr. - Cahaba River Wildlife Management Area Private Conservation | State natural resources | 132 | Restricted |
| State-owned Submerged Lands Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 69 | Open |
| City of Helena 1 Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Joe Tucker Park Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Cahaba Lily Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Helena Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Penhale Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Helena Amphitheater Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
21 places to go in Helena
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
18 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
0.0 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.
1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Helena: 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) | 10.2 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.3 | 14.1 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 10.0 |
| High (°F) | 55 | 60 | 68 | 76 | 83 | 88 | 91 | 91 | 86 | 76 | 65 | 57 |
| Rain (in) | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 4.6 | 5.1 |
October is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 91 °F). 5.5 inches fall in February, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 91 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Helena →
Helena and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Helena
Where can I hike in Helena?
The longest trail networks: Joe Tucker Park, 0.7 miles; Helena Sports Complex, 0.4 miles; Historic Lee Springs Park, 0.4 miles; Old Town Helena, Buck Creek Park., 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Helena is conserved land?
3% 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 Helena’s trails?
Joe Tucker Park and Helena Sports Complex don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Helena?
16,690 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Helena or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 264 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Helena have?
Ahead of 42% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #46 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 Helena 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 →