Edmund Pettus Bridge · Photo: Carol M. Highsmith · Public domain6% of Selma’s land is conserved: 532 acres
1.8 miles of mapped trail cross Selma, 0.1 per square mile of land. 241 acres are parks and preserves, 14 per 1,000 residents. 60% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns · #33 of 187 in Alabama. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Selma?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Selma have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Selma is ahead of 50% of U.S. towns, #33 of 187 in Alabama. Conserved land holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
Few Alabama towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Selma’s 6% is ahead of 90% of Alabama towns, while its trails per square mile lead 54% 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 Riverside Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bloch Park Recreational field
East Selma Community Pond and Park
532 conserved acres
6% of Selma’s land. Who manages Selma’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State-owned Submerged Lands Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 317 | Open |
| Millers Ferry Lock Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 270 | Open |
| Valley Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 97 | Open |
| Bloch Park Local Park | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| Lions Club Property Local Recreation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 16 | Open |
| Historic Riverfront Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Cedar Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| John D Taylor Ballfield Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Unknown Ball Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| City Pool And Playground Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
12 places to go in Selma
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 named trail and 1 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.
18 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
6 more on the History page.
The best walking months in Selma: 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 | 62 | 70 | 77 | 84 | 89 | 92 | 92 | 87 | 78 | 67 | 60 |
| Rain (in) | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.1 |
October is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 5.4 inches fall in February, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Selma →
Selma and its neighbors
Selma 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selma | 6% | 0.1 | 14 | 60% | B− |
| Valley Grande | 1% | 0.1 | 17 | 3% | C− |
| Selmont-West Selmont | 1% | 0.4 | 4 | 31% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Selma
Where can I hike in Selma?
The longest trail networks: Riverside Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Selma is conserved land?
6% 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 Selma’s trails?
Riverside Park and Bloch Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Selma?
8,595 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Selma or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 573 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Selma have?
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #33 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 Selma 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 →