South Pasadena Library Park
Park
3 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Wehwalt · CC BY-SA 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in South Pasadena
5% of South Pasadena’s 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. 2.2 miles of mapped trail cross South Pasadena, 0.6 per square mile of land. 81 acres are parks and preserves, 3.1 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns · #360 of 847 in California. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
119 acres · of 3.4 sq mi of land
Trails
2.2 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
81 ac
3.1 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.5 mi
3.4 mi lanes · 0.3 mi paths
What kind of outdoors town is South Pasadena?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does South Pasadena have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, South Pasadena is ahead of 70% of U.S. towns, #360 of 847 in California. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of South Pasadena’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical CA town 4% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (2 mi) · CA 0.9 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land3.1 acres of park per 1,000 residents (81 acres) · CA 5 · U.S. 13C−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · CA 91% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 70%
LessMore
California towns of 2,500+ (847)Ahead of 58%
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 South Pasadena Library Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Arroyo Park
Managed by South Pasadena
11 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
San Pascual Park
Managed by LA Parks
6 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
South Pasadena Library Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Pasadena Woodland and Wildlife Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · South Pasadena
Arroyo Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · South Pasadena
DirectionsGarfield Park8 acres
DirectionsSan Pascual Park6 acres · LA Parks
DirectionsOrange Grove Park1 acres
DirectionsEddie Park1 acres
Legion Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
119 conserved acres
5% of South Pasadena’s land. Who manages South Pasadena’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city117 ac
Local Recreation Area · 48 acLocal Park · 39 acLocal Other or Unknown · 24 acLocal Conservation Area · 5 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arroyo Seco Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 31 | Restricted |
| Arroyo Seco Park Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Open |
| Lot 117 in the Altos de Monterey tract Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Garfield Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Arroyo Seco Racquet Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 7 | Restricted |
| Arroyo Woodland and Wildlife Nature Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| San Pascual Stables Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 5 | Restricted |
| San Pascual Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Orange Grove Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Skate Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
13 places to go in South Pasadena
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in South Pasadena
10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in South Pasadena
South Pawsadena Dog Park
DirectionsPeaks in South Pasadena
Oneonta Knoll
DirectionsCommunity gardens in South Pasadena
South Pasadena Community Garden
DirectionsBiking & sports
5.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.3 mi
off-road bike paths
1.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
42Tennis
19Basketball
18Pickleball
7Baseball
4Equestrian
3Soccer
3Tracks
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →9 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Miltimore HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itGarfield HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itWynyateBuilding · listed 1973
About itAdobe FloresBuilding · listed 1973
About itOaklawn Bridge and Waiting StationStructure · listed 1973
About itHoward Longley HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itRialto TheatreBuilding · listed 1978
About itSouth Pasadena Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1982
About itMerwin HouseBuilding · listed 2013
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in South Pasadena: April to 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) | 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) | 68 | 69 | 71 | 74 | 77 | 82 | 87 | 89 | 87 | 81 | 74 | 68 |
| Rain (in) | 4.0 | 4.6 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.7 |
August is the driest month (under 0.1 in) and the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 4.6 inches fall in February, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in South Pasadena →
Next door
South Pasadena and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Pasadena | 5% | 0.6 | 3 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Los Angeles | 15% | 1.5 | 9 | 83% | A− |
| Pasadena | 14% | 1.7 | 10 | 87% | A |
| San Marino | 10% | 2.4 | 19 | 83% | A |
| Alhambra | 4% | 0.3 | 1 | 90% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in South Pasadena
Where can I hike in South Pasadena?
The longest trail networks: South Pasadena Library Park, 0.3 miles; Arroyo Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of South Pasadena is conserved land?
5% 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 South Pasadena’s trails?
South Pasadena Library Park and Arroyo Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in South Pasadena?
5.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.4 of painted or protected lanes, 0.3 of off-road paths and 1.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near South Pasadena?
22,421 acres of parks and open public land lie inside South Pasadena or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 81 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does South Pasadena have?
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #360 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 South Pasadena 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 →