American River Parkway
Managed by Sacramento County Parks
1,344 acres12.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
American River Grange Hall No. 172 · Photo: Asilvero · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Rancho Cordova
11% of Rancho Cordova’s land is conserved, and 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park
11% of Rancho Cordova’s land is conserved, about 2,347 acres. 28 miles of mapped trail cross Rancho Cordova, 0.8 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: American River Parkway (12.8 mi), River Bend Park (6 mi), Stone Creek Community Park (1.1 mi).
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns · #211 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
2,347 acres · of 34.6 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,663 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
99 mi
70 mi lanes · 29 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Rancho Cordova?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Rancho Cordova have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rancho Cordova is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns, #211 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Rancho Cordova’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land20 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,663 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13BParks close to home95% of residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 87%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 75%
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 American River Parkway, with 12.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
River Bend Park
Managed by Sacramento County Parks
239 acres6 mi of trail
Pioneer Express Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Stone Creek Community Park
Park
24 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Heron Landing Park
Park
20 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Labyrinth Community Park
Managed by Cordova Recreation and Park District
7 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Lincoln Village Park
Managed by Cordova Parks and Recreation District
17 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 28 parks & preserves
American River Parkway1,344 acres · 12.8 mi of trail · Sacramento County Parks
DirectionsRiver Bend Park239 acres · 6 mi of trail · Sacramento County Parks
DirectionsStone Creek Community Park24 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Heron Landing Park20 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHagan Community Park76 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsWhiterock Park13 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLabyrinth Community Park7 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Cordova Recreation and Park District
Lincoln Village Park17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Cordova Parks and Recreation District
DirectionsArgonaut Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Kavala Ranch Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Tiemann Law Firm Fields at San Juan Complex10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · San Juan Soccer Club
Tuscany Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Eagle's Nest Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Dave Roberts Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Taylor Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sun River Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sandpiper Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Rockrose Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Federspiel Park 22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pyramid Peak Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Larchmont Rossmoor Park9 acres
Hillside Park8 acres
Ahlstron Park7 acres
Sunridge Park5 acres
Federspiel Park3 acres · Cordova Recreation and Park District
Countryside Park2 acres
Cypress Grove Park1 acres · Cordova Recreation and Park District
Lennar Paisleyshire Park1 acres · Cordova Recreation and Park District
Who protects it
2,347 conserved acres
11% of Rancho Cordova’s land. Who manages Rancho Cordova’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County1,316 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits785 ac
Regional agency307 ac
Local Recreation Area · 1,387 acUnknown Easement · 672 acLocal Park · 220 acPrivate Conservation · 55 acConservation Easement · 52 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 669 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| American River Parkway Local Recreation Area | County | 1,305 | Open |
| Montelena Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 49 | Closed |
| Cordova Recreation & Park District Community Trail Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 41 | Open |
| Mather Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 33 | Open |
| Hagan Community Park Local Park | Regional agency | 32 | Open |
| Heron Landing Community Park Local Park | Regional agency | 20 | Open |
| Dave Roberts Community Park Local Park | Regional agency | 19 | Open |
| Stone Creek Community Park Local Park | Regional agency | 19 | Open |
| Lincoln Village Park Local Park | Regional agency | 17 | Open |
| Taylor Park Local Park | Regional agency | 13 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
31 places to go in Rancho Cordova
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Rancho Cordova
Federspiel Park 2 PlagroundIn Federspiel Park 2
DirectionsKids Empire
DirectionsTuscany Park PlaygroundIn Tuscany Park
DirectionsPlus 22 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Rancho Cordova
Hagan Community Dog ParkIn Hagan Community Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Rancho Cordova
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Rancho Cordova
Group Picnic AreaIn Lincoln Village Park
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.4 miHorses · 0.6 miUnpaved · 5.7 mi
Pioneer Express Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
99 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
70 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
29 mi
off-road bike paths
0.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
33Tennis
32Basketball
14Baseball
6Soccer
2Pickleball
2Softball
2Skate park
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
American River Grange Hall No. 172Building · listed 1996
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Rancho Cordova: 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) | 9.7 | 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 | 61 | 67 | 72 | 81 | 89 | 95 | 94 | 89 | 79 | 65 | 57 |
| Rain (in) | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 3.7 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 95 °F). 4.3 inches fall in January, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 95 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Rancho Cordova →
Next door
Rancho Cordova and its neighbors
Rancho Cordova has the second most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Cordova | 11% | 0.8 | 20 | 95% | A |
| Carmichael | 9% | 1.2 | 10 | 96% | A− |
| Mather | 21% | 1.0 | 258 | 83% | A+ |
| Fair Oaks | 22% | 3.7 | 48 | 81% | A+ |
| La Riviera | 12% | 4.8 | 13 | 99%+ | A |
| Gold River | 11% | 0.8 | 24 | 98% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rancho Cordova
Where can I hike in Rancho Cordova?
The longest trail networks: American River Parkway, 12.8 miles; River Bend Park, 6 miles; Stone Creek Community Park, 1.1 miles; Heron Landing Park, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Rancho Cordova 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 Rancho Cordova’s trails?
American River Parkway and River Bend Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Rancho Cordova?
99 miles of bike routes are on the map: 70 of painted or protected lanes, 29 of off-road paths and 0.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Rancho Cordova?
30,071 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rancho Cordova or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,680 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Rancho Cordova have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #211 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 Rancho Cordova 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 →