American River Parkway
Managed by Sacramento County Parks
2,129 acres20.6 mi of trail
Levee PathAmerican River Levee Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Sacramento
9% of Sacramento’s land is conserved, and 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park
102 miles of mapped trail cross Sacramento, 1.0 per square mile of land. 9% of Sacramento’s land is conserved, about 5,899 acres. The biggest trail networks: American River Parkway (20.6 mi), William Land Park (3.2 mi), Capitol Park (2.6 mi).
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #264 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
5,899 acres · of 98.7 sq mi of land
Trails
102 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,092 ac
9.6 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
454 mi
320 mi lanes · 117 mi paths
Highest peak
33 ft
Whisky Hill
Lakes & rivers
15
5 beaches · 6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Sacramento?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Sacramento have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Sacramento is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #264 of 847 in California. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Sacramento’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (102 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land9.6 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,092 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home97% 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 83%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 69%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Sacramento ranks #162 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 American River Parkway, with 20.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sutter's Landing Regional Park
Park
220 acres2 mi of trail
Levee Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
North Natomas Regional Park
Park
232 acres1.7 mi of trail
Unpaved
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
North Natomas Community Park
Park
37 acres1.2 mi of trail
large rock path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
San Juan Reservoir Park
Park
31 acres1.1 mi of trail
Fisherman’s Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hansen Ranch Park
Park
263 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 168 parks & preserves
American River Parkway2,129 acres · 20.6 mi of trail · Sacramento County Parks
DirectionsWilliam Land Park234 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCapitol Park38 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsSutter's Landing Regional Park220 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Natomas Regional Park232 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Natomas Community Park37 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSan Juan Reservoir Park31 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Hansen Ranch Park263 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Sutter's Fort State Historic Park7 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMcKinley Park28 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsCurtis Park21 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMcClatchy Park16 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHagginwood Park13 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsParkway Oaks Park11 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Granite Park67 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsNatomas Oaks Park12 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsFrederick Miller Regional Park33 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
DirectionsSouthside Park20 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsGlenbrook Park18 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsMcClatchy School Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsBurberry Community Park13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Jefferson Park7 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsOld Sacramento State Historic Park56 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · California Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsTahoe Park17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsManuel J Barandes Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Orchard Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsAirfield Park9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Egret Park9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Peregrine Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Woodlake Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSwainson's Hawk Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Gateway Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Blackbird Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Natomas Aquatic Complex10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFranklin Boyce Community Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert Brookins Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKokomo Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Oakbrook Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMuir Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFremont Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRegency Community Park42 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsShasta Community Park18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWestlake Community Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRenfree Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Tahoe Tallac Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
DirectionsAutumn Meadow Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lawrence Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
Hite Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Westshore Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Linden Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWesthamptton Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Township 9 Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCove Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Marshall Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStrauch Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
DirectionsWillow Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Emiliano Zapata Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
DirectionsReichmuth Regional Park41 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJohnston Park30 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Natomas Community Park28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDanny Nunn Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
DirectionsMeadowview Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWild Rose Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Mae Fong Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Oki Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Sacramento Department of Youth, Parks and Community Enrichment
Glenn Hall Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGardenland Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsQuail Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHummingbird Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lilac Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Robert Matsui Waterfront Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLewis Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Bertha Henschel Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCamellia Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
Winner's Circle Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSundance Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPioneer Landing Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
DirectionsBrooks Truitt Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
DirectionsNeely Johnson Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Sacramento
DirectionsDel Paso Park72 acres
Niños Parkway57 acres · City of Sacramento
DirectionsTanzanite Community Park34 acres
DirectionsLaguna Verde Park20 acres
Robla Community Park16 acres
DirectionsNorthgate Park16 acres
DirectionsValley High Park15 acres
Meadows Park14 acres · City of Sacramento
DirectionsJohn Mackey Memorial Park13 acres
Northlake Community Park13 acres
Chuckwagon Park13 acres
George Sim Park11 acres · City of Sacramento
Mangan Park11 acres
DirectionsJacinto Creek Park10 acres
DirectionsEast Portal Park10 acres
DirectionsBannon Creek Park and Parkway10 acres
DirectionsRegency Park10 acres
DirectionsCooledge Park9 acres
DirectionsSeymour Park9 acres
Valley Oak Park8 acres
DirectionsWitter Ranch Park8 acres
DirectionsRichardson Village Park7 acres
Tiscornia Park7 acres
DirectionsSouthgate Park7 acres
DirectionsNatomas Park7 acres
DirectionsSteve Jones Park7 acres
DirectionsBahnfieth Park7 acres
Garden Valley Park7 acres
DirectionsSojourner Truth Park6 acres
Magnolia Park6 acres
Mesa Grande Park6 acres
California School Park6 acres
DirectionsBabcock Park6 acres
Belle Cooledge Park6 acres
DirectionsCottonwood Park6 acres
DirectionsArgonaut Park5 acres
DirectionsO'Neil Park5 acres
DirectionsAmerican Lakes School Park5 acres
DirectionsRiver View Park5 acres
Earl Warren Park5 acres
Sand Cove Park5 acres
DirectionsCharter Point Park5 acres
Sam and Bonnie Pannell Community Center Park5 acres · City of Sacramento
DirectionsBaer Park5 acres
Niños Park5 acres · City of Sacramento
Didion School Park5 acres
Hampton Park5 acres
Heron Park5 acres
DirectionsSycamore Park4 acres
DirectionsNorthborough Park4 acres
24th Street Bypass Park4 acres
DirectionsMama Marks Park4 acres
DirectionsBirney School Park4 acres
DirectionsSacramento School Park3 acres
DirectionsPrairie School Park3 acres
Dos Rios School Park3 acres
DirectionsZ'Berg Park3 acres
Stanford Park3 acres
DirectionsWinn Park3 acres
DirectionsColoma Park3 acres
DirectionsSierra School Park3 acres
DirectionsDogwood Park3 acres
DirectionsShorebird Park3 acres
Elderberry Park3 acres
Crocker Park2 acres
DirectionsUniversity Park2 acres
Cesar E. Chavez Plaza2 acres
DirectionsGrant Park2 acres
DirectionsColonial Park2 acres · City of Sacramento
Eventide Park2 acres
Roosevelt Park2 acres
DirectionsAlder Park2 acres
Potuguese Community Park2 acres
Ciavarella Field2 acres
DirectionsSparrow Park2 acres
Martin Luther King Jr. Park2 acres
Golden Poppy Park1 acres
Kemble Park1 acres
Strawberry Manor Park1 acres
Oak Park1 acres
DirectionsMirasol Village Park1 acres
DirectionsTony Court Park1 acres
Lubin School Park1 acres
Blue Oak Park1 acres
Temple Avenue Park1 acres
Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park1 acres
DirectionsP Z Cervantes Park1 acres
DirectionsGovernor's Mansion State Historic Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
5,899 conserved acres
9% of Sacramento’s land. Who manages Sacramento’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city4,020 ac
County1,080 ac
Other state land420 ac
Regional agency357 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits258 ac
State parks29 ac
State Department of Land12 ac
Local Park · 2,783 acLocal Recreation Area · 2,032 acLocal Other or Unknown · 453 acState Other or Unknown · 418 acUnknown Easement · 249 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 5 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 | 1,135 | Open |
| Ueda Parkway Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 478 | Open |
| Haggin Oaks Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 404 | Restricted |
| Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 328 | Restricted |
| American River Parkway - Discovery Park Local Park | County | 273 | Open |
| Hansen Ranch Park Site Local Park | Town or city | 247 | Open |
| North Natomas Regional Park Local Park | Town or city | 209 | Open |
| Del Paso Regional Park Local Park | Town or city | 187 | Open |
| Bing Maloney Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 170 | Open |
| William Land Park Local Park | Town or city | 159 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
272 places to go in Sacramento
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Sacramento
5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Sacramento
Clunie Wading poolIn McKinley Park
DirectionsGlenn Hall PoolIn Glenn Hall Park
DirectionsOki Park Swimming PoolIn Oki Park
DirectionsPannell Meadowview Recreational Pool
DirectionsRiver City Commons - Pool 1
DirectionsRiver City Commons - Pool 2
DirectionsWoodlake Swim Club
Directionsspa
DirectionsPlus 8 public pools without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Sacramento
Dixieanne Tot Lot
DirectionsGrant PlaygroundIn Grant Park
DirectionsOki Park PlaygroundIn Oki Park
DirectionsSouth Natomas Community Park PlaygroundIn South Natomas Community Park
DirectionsThe Tortoise and the HareIn William Land Park
Directions186 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Sacramento
Bark Park
DirectionsRegency Community Park Off Leash Dog ParkIn Regency Community Park
DirectionsSky's Dog ParkIn Bannon Creek Park and Parkway
DirectionsTanzanite Dog ParkIn Tanzanite Community Park
DirectionsUniversity Dog Park
DirectionsValley Oak Large Dog ParkIn Valley Oak Park
DirectionsValley Oak Small Dog ParkIn Valley Oak Park
Directionslarge dog parkIn Blackbird Park
Directions1 more dog park
small dog parkIn Blackbird Park
DirectionsPlus 6 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Sacramento
Discovery Park Boat RampIn American River Parkway
DirectionsGarcia Bend Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Peaks in Sacramento
Whisky Hill33 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Sacramento
Birthday Area 1
DirectionsBirthday Area 2In William Land Park
DirectionsBirthday Area 3In William Land Park
DirectionsPooh CornerIn William Land Park
Directions33 picnic areas are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Community gardens in Sacramento
Elmhurst-Med Center Community GardenCity of Sacramento
DirectionsInternational Garden of Many Colors
DirectionsNiños Community GardenIn Niños Parkway · City of Sacramento
DirectionsStrauch Community GardenIn Strauch Park · City of Sacramento
DirectionsYermol Memorial
DirectionsPlus 5 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
9 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.4 miUnpaved · 24.0 mi
Levee Path7.3 mi
American River Levee Path1.7 mi
large rock path0.6 mi
natomas walking path0.6 mi
Laguna Trail0.5 mi
Fisherman’s Lake Trail0.4 mi
terracina walking path0.3 mi
Unpaved0.3 mi
City College Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
454 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
320 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
117 mi
off-road bike paths
16 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
200Tennis
190Basketball
96Baseball
68Soccer
32Pickleball
13Skate park
11Football
8Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →79 places on the National Register, 5 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 23 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
California Governor's MansionBuilding · listed 1970
About itCrocker, E. B., Art GalleryBuilding · listed 1971
About itCalifornia State CapitolBuilding · listed 1973
About itSouthern Pacific Railroad Company's Sacramento DepotBuilding · listed 1975
About itJ. Neely Johnson HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itHeilbron HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itVan Voorhies HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About it67 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Sacramento: 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 | 62 | 67 | 73 | 81 | 89 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 79 | 66 | 57 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 3.3 |
July is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 94 °F). 3.8 inches fall in January, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 94 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Sacramento →
Next door
Sacramento and its neighbors
Sacramento has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Sacramento102 miWest Sacramento31 miArden-Arcade17 miFlorin2.3 miMcClellan Park0.6 miLemon Hill0.4 miNorth Highlands0.1 miFruitridge Pocket0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacramento | 9% | 1.0 | 10 | 97% | A− |
| Arden-Arcade | 3% | 1.1 | 4 | 94% | B+ |
| West Sacramento | 2% | 1.5 | 7 | 98% | B+ |
| Lemon Hill | 3% | 0.2 | 1 | 99%+ | B− |
| Florin | 2% | 0.3 | 3 | 90% | C+ |
| McClellan Park | 1% | 0.1 | 14 | 98% | B− |
| North Highlands | 1% | under 0.1 | 2 | 90% | C− |
| Fruitridge Pocket | under 1% | under 0.1 | under 1 | 99%+ | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sacramento
Where can I hike in Sacramento?
The longest trail networks: American River Parkway, 20.6 miles; William Land Park, 3.2 miles; Capitol Park, 2.6 miles; Sutter's Landing Regional Park, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Sacramento is conserved land?
9% 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 Sacramento’s trails?
American River Parkway and William Land Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Sacramento?
454 miles of bike routes are on the map: 320 of painted or protected lanes, 117 of off-road paths and 16 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Sacramento?
41,200 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sacramento or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,523 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Sacramento have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #264 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 Sacramento 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 →