Josephine Jones Natural Area
Nature preserve
45 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Peter Romero · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Greeley
7% of Greeley’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
51 miles of mapped trail cross Greeley, 1.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Josephine Jones Natural Area (2.1 mi), Signature Bluffs Natural Area (1.9 mi), Bittersweet Park (1.5 mi). 7% of Greeley’s land is conserved, about 2,112 acres.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #70 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
2,112 acres · of 50.6 sq mi of land
Trails
51 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,947 ac
18 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
91 mi
68 mi lanes · 22 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
7
What kind of outdoors town is Greeley?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Greeley have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Greeley is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #70 of 159 in Colorado. 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 Greeley’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical CO town 7% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (51 mi) · CO 1.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land18 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,947 acres) · CO 14 · U.S. 13BParks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · CO 97% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 86%
LessMore
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 56%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Greeley ranks #125 on Outdoors.
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Greeley’s 7% is ahead of 50% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 35% of them.
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 Josephine Jones Natural Area, with 2.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Signature Bluffs Natural Area
Managed by City of Greeley
119 acres1.9 mi of trail
Signature Bluffs TrailCottonwood Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto CR 29 Trailhead
Sheep Draw Natural Area
Managed by City of Greeley
160 acres0.9 mi of trail
abandonded trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Promontory Park
Managed by Promontory North HOA
27 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cranford Park
Managed by University of Northern Colorado
5 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
McCloskey Natural Area
Managed by City of Greeley
44 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 48 parks & preserves
Josephine Jones Natural Area45 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
Signature Bluffs Natural Area119 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · City of Greeley
DirectionsBittersweet Park36 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSheep Draw Natural Area160 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of Greeley
Promontory Park27 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Promontory North HOA
DirectionsCranford Park5 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · University of Northern Colorado
DirectionsMcCloskey Natural Area44 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Greeley
DirectionsSanborn Park33 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsGlenmere Park12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHomestead Park9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsGateway Lakes Natural Area23 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Centennial Village7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLincoln Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsIsland Grove Regional Park124 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Greeley
DirectionsCentennial Park22 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsEast Memorial Park15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Greeley
Balsam Sports Complex13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCountry Club West Natural Area10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDelta Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Allen Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Greeley
DirectionsThe Garden5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGunter Green2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · University of Northern Colorado
DirectionsTriple Creek Open Space49 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Greeley
Twin Rivers Park43 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHunters Cove Natural Area31 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Greeley
Mountain Shadows Natural Area10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Greeley
Epple Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sherwood Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Luther Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCharlie and Laura Archibeque Memorial Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Westmoor Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Cottonwood Bend Natural Area183 acres · City of Greeley
Pumpkin Ridge Natural Area39 acres · City of Greeley
Greeley West Park39 acres
DirectionsPeak View Park9 acres
DirectionsPheasant Run Park8 acres
Northridge Estates Natural Area7 acres · City of Greeley
Cottonwood Park7 acres
Wood Briar Park6 acres
Broadview Park6 acres
Farr Park5 acres
Brentwood Park5 acres
DirectionsHoshiko Park5 acres
DirectionsMontview Park4 acres
DirectionsGlenmere Urban Wildlife Sanctuary3 acres · City of Greeley
Natural Area3 acres · City of Greeley
Gallery Green Natural Area1 acres
DirectionsKiwanis Park1 acres
Who protects it
2,112 conserved acres
7% of Greeley’s land. Who manages Greeley’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,169 ac
Joint354 ac
Private owners116 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits35 ac
State fish & wildlife3 ac
Local Park · 922 acConservation Easement · 756 acLocal Recreation Area · 436 acLocal Conservation Area · 182 acLocal Other or Unknown · 160 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 299 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 85 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boomerang Muni. Golf Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 170 | Open |
| Sheep Draw / Poudre River Corridor - Rivers Initiative Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 159 | Open |
| Island Grove Park Local Park | Town or city | 142 | Open |
| Highland Hills Muni. Golf Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 141 | Open |
| Greeley Country Club Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 116 | Restricted |
| Poudre Ponds Rec Fishery Local Park | Town or city | 89 | Open |
| Poudre River Ranch Nature Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 86 | Open |
| Mc Closkey Trail Property Local Park | Town or city | 83 | Closed |
| Greeley Youth Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 71 | Open |
| Poudre Learning Center Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 62 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
45 places to go in Greeley
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Greeley
Centennial PoolIn Centennial Park
DirectionsMountainview Condominiums
DirectionsMountainview Condominiums
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Greeley
Brentwood Park Playground
DirectionsFarr Park PlaygroundIn Farr Park
DirectionsFarr Park PlaygroundIn Farr Park
DirectionsGlenmere Park PlaygroundIn Glenmere Park
Directions35 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Greeley
Rover Run Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Greeley
3 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Community gardens in Greeley
2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 17.8 miUnpaved · 8.6 mi
Signature Bluffs Trail1.3 mi
Cottonwood Loop Trail0.5 mi
abandonded trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
91 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
68 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
22 mi
off-road bike paths
0.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
54Tennis
29Baseball
21Basketball
19Soccer
10Football
9Softball
9Pickleball
5Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →16 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Meeker Memorial MuseumBuilding · listed 1970
About itWeld County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itGreeley High School and Grade SchoolBuilding · listed 1981
About itJoseph A. Woodbury HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itFirst Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 1987
About itGlazier HouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itGreeley Union Pacific Railroad DepotBuilding · listed 1993
About itGreeley High SchoolBuilding · listed 1999
About itNettleton-Mead HouseBuilding · listed 2002
About itGreeley Junior High SchoolBuilding · listed 2003
About itGreeley Masonic TempleBuilding · listed 2004
About itWhite-Plumb FarmDistrict · listed 2005
About it4 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Greeley: 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 43 | 46 | 56 | 63 | 72 | 84 | 90 | 88 | 80 | 66 | 52 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.4 |
January is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 2.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Greeley →
Next door
Greeley and its neighbors
Greeley has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Greeley
Where can I hike in Greeley?
The longest trail networks: Josephine Jones Natural Area, 2.1 miles; Signature Bluffs Natural Area, 1.9 miles; Bittersweet Park, 1.5 miles; Sheep Draw Natural Area, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Greeley is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 7% for a Colorado town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Greeley’s trails?
Josephine Jones Natural Area and Signature Bluffs Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Greeley?
91 miles of bike routes are on the map: 68 of painted or protected lanes, 22 of off-road paths and 0.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Greeley?
8,168 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Greeley or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,970 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Greeley have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #70 of 159 in Colorado. 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 Greeley 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 →