Photo: Pi.1415926535 · CC BY-SA 3.011% of Davis’ land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 9.4 miles of mapped trail cross Davis, 0.9 per square mile of land. 11% of Davis’ land is conserved, about 686 acres.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #227 of 847 in California. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Davis?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Davis have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Davis is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #227 of 847 in California. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
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 Arroyo Community Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Toad Hollow
Mace Ranch Community Park
All 34 parks & preserves
686 conserved acres
11% of Davis’ land. Who manages Davis’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 172 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Department of Forestry State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 58 | Open |
| Northstar Perimeter Greenbelt Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Mace Ranch Greenbelt Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Northstar Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Davis Cemetery Local Historic or Cultural Area | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Putah Creek Parkway Greenbelt Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Covell Greenbelt Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Mace Ranch Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Walnut Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
115 places to go in Davis
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
80 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Plus 8 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Plus 18 community gardens without a name on the map.
7 lakes & rivers
128 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.
4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Davis: 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) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 56 | 62 | 67 | 73 | 82 | 89 | 94 | 94 | 90 | 80 | 66 | 57 |
| Rain (in) | 4.1 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 3.7 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 94 °F). 4.1 inches fall in January, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 94 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Davis →
Davis and its neighbors
Davis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davis | 11% | 0.9 | 8 | 99%+ | A |
| University of California-Davis | 9% | 4.6 | 2 | 99%+ | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Davis
Where can I hike in Davis?
The longest trail networks: Arroyo Community Park, 0.3 miles; Toad Hollow, 0.3 miles; John Barravetto Park, 0.3 miles; Mace Ranch Community Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Davis is conserved land?
11% 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 Davis’ trails?
Arroyo Community Park and Toad Hollow don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Davis?
128 miles of bike routes are on the map: 60 of painted or protected lanes, 67 of off-road paths and 1.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Davis?
21,486 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Davis or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 594 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Davis have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #227 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 Davis 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 →