Coconino National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
7,812 acres31.7 mi of trail
Lime Kiln TrailBill Ensign TrailRaptor Hill TrailRust Bucket Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Cottonwood
More than half of Cottonwood’s land is conserved: 65%
65% of Cottonwood’s land is conserved, about 11,740 acres. 67 miles of mapped trail cross Cottonwood, 2.4 per square mile of land. 812 acres are parks and preserves, 65 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #7 of 140 in Arizona. What drives it
Conserved land
65%
11,740 acres · of 28.2 sq mi of land
Trails
67 mi
2.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
812 ac
65 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
76%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.8 mi
1.8 mi lanes
Lakes & rivers
10
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Cottonwood?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cottonwood have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cottonwood is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #7 of 140 in Arizona. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cottonwood’s overall grade.
Conserved land65% of the land · typical AZ town 14% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (67 mi) · AZ 1.1 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land65 acres of park per 1,000 residents (812 acres) · AZ 8 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home76% of residents within a half mile of a park · AZ 56% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
Arizona towns of 2,500+ (140)Ahead of 96%
Arizona towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 14%; the U.S., 4%), so Cottonwood’s 65% is ahead of 94% of Arizona towns, while its trails per square mile lead 86% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. 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 Coconino National Forest, with 31.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Riverfront Park
Managed by City of Cottonwood
101 acres3.3 mi of trail
Jail Trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
11,740 conserved acres
65% of Cottonwood’s land. Who manages Cottonwood’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service9,920 ac
State Department of Land1,125 ac
State parks697 ac
Town or city17 ac
National Forest · 9,920 acState Resource Management Area · 1,125 acState Park · 697 acLocal Park · 17 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coconino National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 7,814 | Open |
| Prescott National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 2,106 | Open |
| State Trust Land State Resource Management Area | State Department of Land | 1,125 | Restricted |
| Verde River Greenway State Natural Area State Park | State parks | 369 | Open |
| Dead Horse Ranch State Park State Park | State parks | 328 | Open |
| Cottonwood Ranch Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Fairgrounds Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Recreation Center Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Garrison Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
23 places to go in Cottonwood
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Cottonwood
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Cottonwood
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Cottonwood
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Cottonwood
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Cottonwood
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Cottonwood
Blackhawk Loop Campground
DirectionsCooper's Hawk Loop Campground
DirectionsQuail Loop Campground
DirectionsRaven Loop Campground
DirectionsRed-Tail Hawk Loop Campground
DirectionsDisc golf in Cottonwood
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Cottonwood
Cottonwood Community GardenIn Riverfront Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 23.6 miHorses · 9.6 miUnpaved · 26.1 mi
Lime Kiln Trail4.4 mi
Bill Ensign Trail2.8 mi
Raptor Hill Trail2.1 mi
Verde River Greenway1.6 mi
Cliffrose Loop1.3 mi
Rust Bucket Trail1.2 mi
Hickey Ditch Trail1.2 mi
River Loop Trail1.2 mi
Blowout Trail1.2 mi
Mesa Trail1.1 mi
15 more trails
Verde View
1.0 miJail Trail
0.9 miBackbone
0.9 miKish Trail
0.9 miOld Highway 279
0.8 miForest Service Road 525A
0.8 miEast Lagoon Loop Trail
0.7 miForest Loop Trail
0.5 miThumper Trail
0.5 miCoconino Trail
0.4 miMiddle Lagoon Loop Trail
0.4 miZalesky Loop
0.4 miWest Lagoon Loop Trail
0.4 miUpper Loop
0.4 miArroyo Nature Trail
0.3 miBiking & sports
4.8 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
3.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Coconino LoopBike route
4.1 miCourts & fields
15Baseball
13Tennis
12Pickleball
5Basketball
2Football
1Soccer
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →9 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Building at 826 North Main StreetBuilding · listed 1986
About itClemenceau Public SchoolBuilding · listed 1986
About itEdens HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itMaster Mechanic's HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itSmelter Machine ShopBuilding · listed 1986
About itUVX Smelter Operations ComplexBuilding · listed 1986
About itWillard HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itSuperintendent's ResidenceBuilding · listed 1986
About itCottonwood Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2021
About itWhen to get out
April is the best month for walking in Cottonwood
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) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 59 | 63 | 70 | 77 | 86 | 97 | 99 | 97 | 92 | 81 | 69 | 58 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 1.3 |
June is the driest month (0.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 99 °F). 2.4 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 99 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Cottonwood →
Next door
Cottonwood and its neighbors
Cottonwood has the most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood | 65% | 2.4 | 65 | 76% | A+ |
| Verde Village | 12% | 0.5 | 11 | 12% | B− |
| Clarkdale | 28% | 2.4 | 22 | 93% | A+ |
| Cornville | 38% | 1.1 | 45 | 2% | A− |
| Camp Verde | 51% | 0.8 | 8 | 29% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Cottonwood
Where can I hike in Cottonwood?
The longest trail networks: Coconino National Forest, 31.7 miles; Riverfront Park, 3.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cottonwood is conserved land?
65% of its land, against a typical 14% for an Arizona town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Cottonwood’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Riverfront Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cottonwood?
4.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.8 of painted or protected lanes and 3.0 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Coconino Loop.
Is there public land near Cottonwood?
239,996 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cottonwood or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 10,762 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Cottonwood have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #7 of 140 in Arizona. 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 Cottonwood 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 →