Photo: AstroDominant · CC BY 4.0Grass Valley has 14 miles of mapped trails, 2.3 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Condon Park (1.5 mi), Empire Mine State Historic Park (0.5 mi). 4% of Grass Valley’s land is conserved, about 139 acres. 142 acres are parks and preserves, 10 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns · #391 of 847 in California. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Grass Valley?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Grass Valley have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Grass Valley is ahead of 66% of U.S. towns, #391 of 847 in California. Trail miles hold 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 Condon Park, with 1.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Empire Mine State Historic Park
Devere Mautino Park
All 6 parks & preserves
139 conserved acres
4% of Grass Valley’s land. Who manages Grass Valley’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Condon Park Local Park | Town or city | 82 | Open |
| Empire Mine State Historic Park State Historic or Cultural Area | State parks | 20 | Open |
| DeVere Mautino Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Margaret G Scotten School Ballfields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 9 | Restricted |
| Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Minnie Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
14 places to go in Grass Valley
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map.
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
7 named trails
0.7 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 Grass Valley: May and June
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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 53 | 55 | 58 | 64 | 72 | 81 | 89 | 89 | 84 | 73 | 59 | 51 |
| Rain (in) | 10.0 | 9.6 | 8.5 | 4.7 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 2.9 | 5.8 | 11.0 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 11.0 inches fall in December, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Grass Valley →
Questions about parks and trails in Grass Valley
Where can I hike in Grass Valley?
The longest trail networks: Condon Park, 1.5 miles; Empire Mine State Historic Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Grass Valley is conserved land?
4% 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 Grass Valley’s trails?
Condon Park and Empire Mine State Historic Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Grass Valley?
0.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.7 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near Grass Valley?
37,845 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Grass Valley or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 142 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Grass Valley have?
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #391 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 Grass Valley 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 →