Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park
Managed by City of Riverside
1,416 acres27.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Aaron Guzman · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Riverside
Riverside has 162 miles of mapped trails, 2.0 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park (27.2 mi), Santa Ana River Wildlife Area (4.4 mi), Challen Park (3 mi). 8% of Riverside’s land is conserved, about 4,100 acres. 83% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #270 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
4,100 acres · of 81.1 sq mi of land
Trails
162 mi
2.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,898 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
83%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
172 mi
146 mi lanes · 26 mi paths
Highest peak
1,896 ft
Sugarloaf Mountain
Lakes & rivers
11
What kind of outdoors town is Riverside?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Riverside have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Riverside is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #270 of 847 in California. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Riverside’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails2.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (162 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4APark land12 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,898 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home83% 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 82%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 68%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Riverside ranks #165 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park, with 27.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Santa Ana River Wildlife Area
Nature preserve
478 acres4.4 mi of trail
Coyote TrailBowie Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Challen Park
Managed by City of Riverside
35 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mount Rubidoux Park
Managed by City of Riverside
177 acres2.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Fairmount Park
Managed by City of Riverside
220 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
La Sierra Park
Managed by City of Riverside
24 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Box Springs Mountain Open Space (City)
Managed by City of Riverside
43 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 58 parks & preserves
Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park1,416 acres · 27.2 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsSanta Ana River Wildlife Area478 acres · 4.4 mi of trail
DirectionsChallen Park35 acres · 3 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsMount Rubidoux Park177 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsFairmount Park220 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsReid Park44 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLa Sierra Park24 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsBox Springs Mountain Open Space (City)43 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · City of Riverside
Doty-Trust Park12 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsBox Springs Mountain Reserve131 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District
DirectionsJohn Bryant Park18 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsRutland Park10 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsOrange Terrace Community Park24 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsIslander Park22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Riverside
Arlington Heights Sports Park33 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsDon Derr Park27 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHunt Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsCollett Park6 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsTaft Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Rancho Loma Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Arlington Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsCarlson Bark Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRyan Bonaminio Park42 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsVillegas Park17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsThundersky Park13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Myra Linn Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsRiverwalk7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAndulka Park36 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Castleview Park33 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Sycamore Highlands Park13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsDon Lorenzi Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsBergmont Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lincoln Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Riverside
Loring Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Riverwalk Bark Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTim Strack Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsHighland Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsWhite Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Riverside
DirectionsPatterson Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMartha McLean-Anza Narrows Park37 acres
DirectionsQuail Run Open Space34 acres · City of Riverside
Hunter Hobby Park31 acres · City of Riverside
DirectionsBordwell Park23 acres · City of Riverside
Bobby Bonds Park15 acres · City of Riverside
Nichols Park12 acres
DirectionsMount Vernon Park12 acres · Riverside Public Utilities
A D Shamel Park9 acres
DirectionsMountain View Park7 acres
Harrison Park6 acres · City of Riverside
Don Jones Park6 acres
Dario Vasquez Park2 acres
DirectionsAlkali Meadow2 acres
DirectionsNorth Park1 acres · City of Riverside
La Sierra Univeristy Softball Field1 acres
DirectionsSwanson Park1 acres
Low Park1 acres
DirectionsRobert M. Howie Plaza1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,100 conserved acres
8% of Riverside’s land. Who manages Riverside’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,882 ac
County481 ac
State parks251 ac
State fish & wildlife223 ac
Regional agency180 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits146 ac
Local Park · 1,592 acLocal Conservation Area · 1,347 acLocal Other or Unknown · 307 acLocal Recreation Area · 255 acState Historic or Cultural Area · 251 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 100 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 1,278 | Open |
| California Citrus State Historic Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 441 | Open |
| Martha McLean Anza Narrows Park Local Park | County | 260 | Open |
| Fairmount Park Local Park | Town or city | 213 | Open |
| Box Springs Mountain Park Local Park | County | 174 | Open |
| Mount Rubidoux Park Local Park | Town or city | 166 | Open |
| Sycamore Canyon Ecological Reserve State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 127 | Open |
| Hidden Valley State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 96 | Closed |
| Western Riverside County Regional Conservation Authority Conserved Land Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 89 | Open |
| Hole Lake Local Park | Town or city | 60 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
184 places to go in Riverside
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Riverside
Arlington Park PoolIn Arlington Park
DirectionsHunt Park PoolIn Hunt Park
DirectionsIslander Park PoolIn Islander Park
DirectionsJohn Pool
DirectionsPool - Alumni Pavilian
DirectionsReid Park PoolIn Reid Park
DirectionsShamel Park PoolIn A D Shamel Park
DirectionsSierra Towers Pool
Directions2 more public pools
Sippy Woodhead PoolIn Bobby Bonds Park
DirectionsVillegas Park PoolIn Villegas Park
DirectionsPlus 4 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Riverside
Fairmont PlaygroundIn Fairmount Park
DirectionsFairmount PlaygroundIn Fairmount Park
DirectionsWashington Park PlaygroundIn Washington Park
Directions95 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Riverside
Private Park
DirectionsRiverwalk Big Dog ParkIn Riverwalk Bark Park
DirectionsRiverwalk Small Dog ParkIn Riverwalk Bark Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Riverside
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Riverside
Sugarloaf Mountain1,896 ft elevation · In Box Springs Mountain Reserve
DirectionsRattlesnake Peak1,608 ft elevation · In Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park
DirectionsTwo-bit1,457 ft elevation
DirectionsPigeon Benchmark1,421 ft elevation · In Box Springs Mountain Reserve
DirectionsMount Rubidoux1,329 ft elevation · In Mount Rubidoux Park
DirectionsPachappa Hill1,175 ft elevation
DirectionsQuarry Hill1,112 ft elevation
DirectionsTwin Buttes1,050 ft elevation
Directions4 more peaks
Lionshead (Reservoir) Hill1,030 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Mount Rubidoux991 ft elevation
DirectionsVictoria Hill978 ft elevation
DirectionsNorth Hill909 ft elevation
Directions40 peaks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Picnic areas in Riverside
26 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Riverside
6th street house
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 11 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 12.6 miHorses · 7.0 miUnpaved · 40.8 mi
Gage Canal Path9.0 mi
Coyote Trail0.5 mi
walk of the just0.4 mi
game trail0.3 mi
Bowie Trail0.2 mi
old trail0.1 mi
Richard M Nixon Court0.1 mi
Biking & sports
172 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
146 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
26 mi
off-road bike paths
1.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
151Tennis
137Basketball
103Baseball
22Soccer
18Pickleball
13Football
12Beach volleyball
4Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →24 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 80 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Heritage HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itSan Pedro, Los Angeles, & Salt Lake RR DepotBuilding · listed 1977
About itRiverside Municipal Auditorium and Soldier's Memorial BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itAll Souls Universalist ChurchBuilding · listed 1978
About itFederal Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1978
About itAdministration Building, Sherman InstituteBuilding · listed 1980
About itMasonic TempleBuilding · listed 1980
About itRiverside-Arlington Heights Fruit ExchangeBuilding · listed 1980
About itSimon's, M. H., Undertaking ChapelBuilding · listed 1980
About itOld YWCA BuildingBuilding · listed 1982
About it12 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Riverside: 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) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 69 | 69 | 72 | 77 | 80 | 87 | 94 | 96 | 92 | 83 | 75 | 68 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
June is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and August the warmest (highs of 96 °F). 2.0 inches fall in February, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 96 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Riverside →
Next door
Riverside and its neighbors
Riverside has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Riverside162 miJurupa Valley93 miNorco73 miMoreno Valley35 miMarch ARB24 miWoodcrest16 miEl Sobrante14 miHighgrove3.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside | 8% | 2.0 | 12 | 83% | A− |
| El Sobrante | 13% | 1.9 | under 1 | 33% | B |
| Highgrove | 14% | 1.1 | 39 | 69% | A |
| Norco | 4% | 5.3 | 15 | 81% | A− |
| Moreno Valley | 11% | 0.7 | 18 | 81% | A− |
| Woodcrest | under 1% | 1.4 | 1 | 45% | C |
| March ARB | 3% | 2.0 | 8 | 47% | B |
| Jurupa Valley | 9% | 2.2 | 17 | 74% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Riverside
Where can I hike in Riverside?
The longest trail networks: Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park, 27.2 miles; Santa Ana River Wildlife Area, 4.4 miles; Challen Park, 3 miles; Mount Rubidoux Park, 2.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Riverside is conserved land?
8% 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 Riverside’s trails?
Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Park and Santa Ana River Wildlife Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Riverside?
172 miles of bike routes are on the map: 146 of painted or protected lanes, 26 of off-road paths and 1.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Riverside?
57,185 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Riverside or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,898 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Riverside have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #270 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 Riverside 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 →