Craighead Forest Park
Park
610 acres15.3 mi of trail
Ferris WheelCraighead Forest Lake LoopLion's ManeOld School+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Edward L. Westbrooke Building · Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 4.0C+Outdoors
Outdoors in Jonesboro
Jonesboro has 32 miles of mapped trails, 0.4 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Craighead Forest Park (15.3 mi), Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center (2.4 mi), Southside Softball Complex (1.7 mi). 2% of Jonesboro’s land is conserved, about 921 acres. 39% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 41% of U.S. towns · #36 of 123 in Arkansas. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
921 acres · of 80.2 sq mi of land
Trails
32 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
986 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
39%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
23 mi
1.8 mi lanes · 19 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
6
1 boat launch
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Jonesboro have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Jonesboro is ahead of 41% of U.S. towns, #36 of 123 in Arkansas. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
C+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Jonesboro’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical AR town 1% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (32 mi) · AR 0.2 · U.S. 0.4BPark land12 acres of park per 1,000 residents (986 acres) · AR 8 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home39% of residents within a half mile of a park · AR 46% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 41%
LessMore
Arkansas towns of 2,500+ (123)Ahead of 71%
Few Arkansas towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Jonesboro’s 2% is ahead of 81% of Arkansas towns, while its trails per square mile lead 72% 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 Craighead Forest Park, with 15.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center
Park
117 acres2.4 mi of trail
Lion's ManePine Knob TrailRavine TrailValley Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Southside Softball Complex
Park
64 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Joe Mack Campbell Park
Park
105 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 13 parks & preserves
Craighead Forest Park610 acres · 15.3 mi of trail
DirectionsForrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center117 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthside Softball Complex64 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsNorthside Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJoe Mack Campbell Park105 acres
Allen Park23 acres
DirectionsEarl Bell Park7 acres
DirectionsAState Bird Observatory4 acres · Arkansas State University
DirectionsCity Water and Light Park3 acres
Fairview Park3 acres
Hope Park1 acres
DirectionsRev. Lewellen Park1 acres
DirectionsOptimist Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
921 conserved acres
2% of Jonesboro’s land. Who manages Jonesboro’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city920 ac
Local Park · 920 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Craighead Forest Park Local Park | Town or city | 698 | Open |
| Joe Mack Campbell Sports Complex Local Park | Town or city | 101 | Open |
| Southside Softball Complex Local Park | Town or city | 65 | Open |
| Allen Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Northside Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Fairview Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Parker Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| City Water And Light Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| James Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Optimist Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
43 places to go in Jonesboro
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Jonesboro
Fort Rotary PlaygroundIn Craighead Forest Park
DirectionsJerry Bookout Memorial PlaygroundIn Craighead Forest Park
DirectionsRotary Centennial PlaygroundIn Craighead Forest Park
DirectionsThe Village Resident's Playground
DirectionsPlus 24 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Jonesboro
Bark Park
DirectionsMidtown Dog ParkIn Earl Bell Park
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Jonesboro
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Jonesboro
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Jonesboro
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Jonesboro
2 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Jonesboro
Craighead Forest Disc Golf - Red CourseIn Craighead Forest Park
DirectionsCraighead Forest Disc Golf - Yellow CourseIn Craighead Forest Park
DirectionsForest Home Disc Golf CourseForest Home Church of the Nazarene
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 13.3 miUnpaved · 19.4 mi
Ferris Wheel3.3 mi
Craighead Forest Lake Loop2.4 mi
Lion's Mane2.0 mi
Old School1.4 mi
Zippin Pippin0.9 mi
Candy0.7 mi
Potts Corner0.5 mi
Backburner0.4 mi
Maximus0.4 mi
Golf Ball0.4 mi
15 more trails
Yancey
0.4 miDirt Surfer
0.3 miCopperhead
0.3 miPine Knob Trail
0.3 miRavine Trail
0.3 miSmall Pond
0.2 miSki Jump
0.2 miValley Trail
0.2 miThe Edge Trail
0.2 miFlyway
0.2 miRoller Derby
0.2 miCannonball
0.2 miPorujandr
0.2 miHook
0.2 miFunland
0.2 miBiking & sports
23 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
19 mi
off-road bike paths
2.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Ferris WheelBike route
3.3 miCourts & fields
51Tennis
43Baseball
24Soccer
22Golf
9Basketball
7Football
3Pickleball
3Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →18 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Frierson HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itBell HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itWest Washington Avenue Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1982
About itBerger-Graham HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itNash-Reid-Hill HouseBuilding · listed 1994
About itBerger HouseBuilding · listed 1996
About itCraighead County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1998
About itEdward L. Westbrooke BuildingBuilding · listed 2003
About itMercantile Bank BuildingBuilding · listed 2005
About itCaraway, US Sen. Hattie, GravesiteSite · listed 2007
About itCommunity Center #1Building · listed 2008
About itVictor Cicero Kays HouseBuilding · listed 2014
About it6 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Jonesboro
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) | 10.0 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.0 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 46 | 51 | 61 | 71 | 80 | 88 | 90 | 89 | 83 | 73 | 59 | 49 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.7 |
September is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Jonesboro →
Next door
Jonesboro and its neighbors
Jonesboro 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonesboro | 2% | 0.4 | 12 | 39% | C+ |
| Bay | under 1% | 0.1 | 7 | 87% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Jonesboro
Where can I hike in Jonesboro?
The longest trail networks: Craighead Forest Park, 15.3 miles; Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center, 2.4 miles; Southside Softball Complex, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Jonesboro is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 1% for an Arkansas town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Jonesboro’s trails?
Craighead Forest Park and Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Jonesboro?
23 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.8 of painted or protected lanes, 19 of off-road paths and 2.3 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Ferris Wheel.
Is there public land near Jonesboro?
1,322 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Jonesboro or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 986 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Jonesboro have?
Ahead of 41% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #36 of 123 in Arkansas. 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 Jonesboro 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 →