Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domainMontgomery has 34 miles of mapped trails, 0.2 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Blount Cultural Park (2.5 mi), Lagoon Park (1.3 mi), Gateway Park (1.3 mi). 1% of Montgomery’s land is conserved, about 1,494 acres. 46% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 31% of U.S. towns · #73 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it
How much outdoors does Montgomery have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Montgomery is ahead of 31% of U.S. towns, #73 of 187 in Alabama. All four inputs are below most U.S. towns; trail miles come closest.
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Montgomery ranks #393 on Outdoors.
Few Alabama towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Montgomery’s 1% is ahead of 64% of Alabama towns, while its trails per square mile lead 66% of them.
Park acres per resident are where Montgomery trails most U.S. towns: 7.8 per 1,000 against 12.6 typical, since 195,300 people share 1,534 acres.
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 Blount Cultural Park, with 2.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lagoon Park
Gateway Park
Buddy Watson Park
Riverfront Park
Alabama State Capitol Grounds
All 56 parks & preserves
1,494 conserved acres
1% of Montgomery’s land. Who manages Montgomery’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 242 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State-owned Submerged Lands Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 278 | Open |
| Blount Cultural Park Local Park | Town or city | 130 | Open |
| Gateway Park Local Park | Town or city | 104 | Open |
| Emory Folmar Ymca Soccer Complex Local Recreation Area | Joint | 70 | Open |
| Powder Magazine Park Local Park | Town or city | 53 | Open |
| Thompson Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 52 | Open |
| Lagoon Park Local Park | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Oak Park Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Smiley Court Community Center Local Park | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Buddy Watson Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
60 places to go in Montgomery
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
52 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
4 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 5 lakes & rivers
6.7 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.
65 places on the National Register, 5 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 20 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
53 more on the History page.
The best walking months in Montgomery: 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 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 14.3 | 14.1 | 13.3 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 10.0 |
| High (°F) | 58 | 63 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 90 | 92 | 92 | 88 | 78 | 68 | 60 |
| Rain (in) | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 5.0 |
October is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 5.2 inches fall in March, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Montgomery →
Montgomery and its neighbors
Montgomery has the most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery | 1% | 0.2 | 8 | 46% | C |
| Pike Road | 1% | under 0.1 | 3 | 6% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Montgomery
Where can I hike in Montgomery?
The longest trail networks: Blount Cultural Park, 2.5 miles; Lagoon Park, 1.3 miles; Gateway Park, 1.3 miles; Oak Park, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Montgomery 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 Montgomery’s trails?
Blount Cultural Park and Lagoon Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Montgomery?
6.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.0 of painted or protected lanes and 4.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Montgomery?
8,778 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Montgomery or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,817 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Montgomery have?
Ahead of 31% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #73 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 Montgomery 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 →