2800 Acre Water Bank
Park
2,905 acres8.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Bakersfield
Bakersfield has 107 miles of mapped trails, 0.7 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: 2800 Acre Water Bank (8.9 mi), Kern River Parkway Park (4.6 mi), City in the Hills Park (1 mi). 6% of Bakersfield’s land is conserved, about 6,220 acres. 2,730 acres are parks and preserves, 6.6 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns · #415 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
6,220 acres · of 150.4 sq mi of land
Trails
107 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,730 ac
6.6 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
75%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
146 mi
100 mi lanes · 40 mi paths
Highest peak
945 ft
Ant Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
1 boat launch
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bakersfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bakersfield is ahead of 63% of U.S. towns, #415 of 847 in California. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bakersfield’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (107 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land6.6 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,730 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home75% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 63%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 51%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Bakersfield ranks #307 on Outdoors.
Park acres per resident are where Bakersfield trails most U.S. towns: 6.6 per 1,000 against 12.6 typical, since 422,165 people share 2,730 acres.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− 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 2800 Acre Water Bank, with 8.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Kern River Parkway Park
Park
1,155 acres4.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
City in the Hills Park
Park
11 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
River Oaks Park
Park
15 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Greystone Park
Park
14 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 80 parks & preserves
2800 Acre Water Bank2,905 acres · 8.9 mi of trail
DirectionsKern River Parkway Park1,155 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCity in the Hills Park11 acres · 1 mi of trail
Almondale Park11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRiver Oaks Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Greystone Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Jastro Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverlakes Ranch Park27 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBridle Creek Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Bakersfield
Panorama Park29 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Metropolitan Recreation Center98 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCollege Park14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCampus Park S.12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Central Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsQuailwood Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Granite Pointe Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Solera Gardens Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Polo Community Park31 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Park at River Walk31 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSilver Creek Park14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMadison Grove Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTevis Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Kroll Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Coral Keys Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Rattlesnake Canyon123 acres
Beach Park41 acres
DirectionsAera Park37 acres
DirectionsLiberty Park22 acres
DirectionsStockdale River Ranch Community Park21 acres · North of the River Recreation and Parks District
DirectionsPatriots Park21 acres
DirectionsHeritage Park16 acres
DirectionsYokuts Park16 acres
DirectionsPin Oak Park15 acres
DirectionsMartin Luther King Park15 acres
DirectionsBelle Terrace Park15 acres
DirectionsLowell Park15 acres
San Lauren Park15 acres
Wayside Park14 acres
DirectionsWindsor Park14 acres
Mondavi Park12 acres
Campus Park N.11 acres
Seasons Park11 acres
Kern Delta Park11 acres
DirectionsCentennial Park11 acres
DirectionsWestdale Park11 acres · North of the River Recreation and Park District
DirectionsGrissom Park10 acres
DirectionsEmerald Cove Park10 acres
North Rosedale Park10 acres
Saunders Park10 acres
DirectionsBelcourt Park10 acres · City of Bakersfield
Wilson Park10 acres
DirectionsDeer Peak Park10 acres
DirectionsWilderness Park10 acres
DirectionsHaggin Oaks Park9 acres
DirectionsJefferson Park9 acres
Planz Park9 acres
DirectionsSiemon Park9 acres
DirectionsKern River County Park7 acres
Casa Loma County Park7 acres
West Park7 acres
DirectionsWestwood Park7 acres
DirectionsBeale Park7 acres
Castle Park7 acres
Weston Park6 acres
Rivers Edge Park6 acres
Lake Ming County Park5 acres
DirectionsHart Memorial Park5 acres
Tradewinds Park5 acres
Stiern Park5 acres
DirectionsWindermere Park5 acres
Stone Creek Park5 acres
Corvallis Park5 acres
Challenger Park5 acres
Garden Park4 acres
DirectionsAmberton Park2 acres
Bill Park Greens2 acres
Hughes Park2 acres
DirectionsAustin Creek Park1 acres
Weill Park1 acres
Sagepointe Park1 acres
Who protects it
6,220 conserved acres
6% of Bakersfield’s land. Who manages Bakersfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city5,079 ac
County363 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits335 ac
State fish & wildlife263 ac
Regional agency160 ac
Private owners19 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 3,324 acLocal Park · 2,026 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 332 acState Conservation Area · 263 acLocal Recreation Area · 256 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 103 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2800 Acre Water Bank Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 3,030 | Restricted |
| Kern River Parkway Park Local Park | Town or city | 1,180 | Open |
| Panorama Vista Nature Preserve Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 332 | Open |
| Bakersfield Cactus Ecological Reserve State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 263 | Restricted |
| State Farm Sports Village Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 239 | Open |
| Kern County Fair Grounds Local Recreation Area | County | 147 | Open |
| Metropolitan Recreation Center Local Recreation Area | County | 102 | Open |
| Aera Park Local Park | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Polo Community Park Local Park | Regional agency | 31 | Open |
| The Park at River Walk Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 29 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
454 places to go in Bakersfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Bakersfield
Aquatic Center
DirectionsPlus 4 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Bakersfield
Greystone ParkIn Greystone Park
DirectionsSpray Park
DirectionsUniversity Park
DirectionsWestdale Park PlaygroundIn Westdale Park
Directions134 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Bakersfield
Bridle Creek Dog ParkIn Bridle Creek Park
DirectionsHighgate Dog Park
DirectionsKroll Dog ParkIn Kroll Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Bakersfield
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Bakersfield
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Peaks in Bakersfield
Ant Hill945 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bakersfield
307 picnic areas are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Community gardens in Bakersfield
Sister City Gardens
DirectionsTrails & water
6 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.6 miHorses · 0.5 miUnpaved · 20.8 mi
Del Rio Walking Trail2.1 mi
Morningside Court0.2 mi
Silver Creek Park Walking Path0.1 mi
Limache Place0.1 mi
Mendoza Place0.1 mi
Quito Place0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
146 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
100 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
40 mi
off-road bike paths
6.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
160Tennis
103Basketball
73Baseball
14Volleyball
11Pickleball
8Beach volleyball
7Soccer
6Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
First Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 1979
About itKern Branch, Beale Memorial LibraryBuilding · listed 1981
About itBakersfield California BuildingBuilding · listed 1983
About itJastro BuildingBuilding · listed 1983
About itTevis BlockBuilding · listed 1984
About itWoman’s Club of BakersfieldBuilding · listed 2022
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Bakersfield: 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) | 10.0 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 60 | 66 | 72 | 78 | 86 | 94 | 99 | 98 | 93 | 82 | 69 | 60 |
| Rain (in) | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.2 |
August is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 99 °F). 1.4 inches fall in February, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 99 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Bakersfield →
Next door
Bakersfield and its neighbors
Bakersfield has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Bakersfield107 miRosedale20 miOildale1.8 miEast Niles0.5 miGreenacres0.0 miLa Cresta0.0 miPotomac Park0.0 miGreenfield0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | 6% | 0.7 | 7 | 75% | B |
| Rosedale | under 1% | 0.7 | 2 | 42% | C |
| Greenacres | 1% | under 0.1 | 3 | 70% | C− |
| East Niles | under 1% | 0.1 | 1 | 47% | D |
| La Cresta | under 1% | under 0.1 | under 1 | 92% | C− |
| Potomac Park | 1% | under 0.1 | 1 | 98% | C |
| Oildale | 4% | 0.2 | 2 | 90% | B− |
| Greenfield | under 1% | under 0.1 | 1 | 94% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bakersfield
Where can I hike in Bakersfield?
The longest trail networks: 2800 Acre Water Bank, 8.9 miles; Kern River Parkway Park, 4.6 miles; City in the Hills Park, 1 miles; Almondale Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bakersfield is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 4% for a California town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bakersfield’s trails?
2800 Acre Water Bank and Kern River Parkway Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bakersfield?
146 miles of bike routes are on the map: 100 of painted or protected lanes, 40 of off-road paths and 6.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Bakersfield?
21,353 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bakersfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,770 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Bakersfield have?
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #415 of 847 in California. 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 Bakersfield 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 →