River's Edge Natural Area
Nature preserve
128 acres3.4 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Jared Winkler · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Loveland
15% of Loveland’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
15% of Loveland’s land is conserved, about 3,577 acres. 38 miles of mapped trail cross Loveland, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: River's Edge Natural Area (3.4 mi), Mehaffey Park (1.3 mi), Fairgrounds Park (1.1 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #49 of 159 in Colorado. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
3,577 acres · of 36.2 sq mi of land
Trails
38 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,592 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
126 mi
104 mi lanes · 21 mi paths
Highest peak
5,256 ft
Mariana Butte
Lakes & rivers
15
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Loveland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Loveland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Loveland is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #49 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 Loveland’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical CO town 7% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (38 mi) · CO 1.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land20 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,592 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 92%
LessMore
Colorado towns of 2,500+ (159)Ahead of 70%
Colorado towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 7%; the U.S., 4%), so Loveland’s 15% is ahead of 76% of Colorado towns, while its trails per square mile lead 38% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 River's Edge Natural Area, with 3.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Mehaffey Park
Managed by City of Loveland
68 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Fairgrounds Park
Managed by City of Loveland
85 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mariana Butte Natural Area
Nature preserve
25 acres1 mi of trail
Mariana Butte TrailHidden Hogback TrailTrail to the Top
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Chapungu Sculture Park at Centerra
Park
27 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Morey Wildlife Reserve
Nature preserve
28 acres0.7 mi of trail
No dogs
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Meadowbrook Natural Area
Nature preserve
26 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Oxbow Natural Area
Nature preserve
19 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 41 parks & preserves
River's Edge Natural Area128 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMehaffey Park68 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · City of Loveland
DirectionsFairgrounds Park85 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · City of Loveland
DirectionsMariana Butte Natural Area25 acres · 1 mi of trail
Chapungu Sculture Park at Centerra27 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMorey Wildlife Reserve28 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Meadowbrook Natural Area26 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsOxbow Natural Area19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Lake Park38 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsOsborn Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Loveland
DirectionsKings Crossing Natural Area12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCottonwood Run Natural Area74 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Centennial Park32 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKroh Park25 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSunnyside Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Loveland
Plum Creek Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Loveland Sports Park71 acres · City of Loveland
DirectionsBenson Sculpture Garden16 acres
DirectionsEagleview Park13 acres · City of Loveland
Emerald Glen Natural Area10 acres
DirectionsSeven Lakes Park10 acres · City of Loveland
Loch Lon Park10 acres
Dwayne Webster Park6 acres
DirectionsMcKee Park4 acres
DirectionsWoodmere Park4 acres
Silver Glen Park4 acres
Silver Lake Park4 acres · City of Loveland
DirectionsSunset Vista Natural Area3 acres
DirectionsSherri Mar Park3 acres
Derby Hill Park3 acres
Edmondson Park3 acres
Garfield Park2 acres
Frank Farm Park2 acres
Glen Arbor Park2 acres
DirectionsEstrella Park2 acres
Westside Park1 acres
Kirkview Park1 acres
Allendale Park1 acres
Loch Mount Park1 acres
Big Sandy Park1 acres
Independence Park1 acres
Who protects it
3,577 conserved acres
15% of Loveland’s land. Who manages Loveland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,205 ac
Regional agency346 ac
County238 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits182 ac
State fish & wildlife26 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 2,175 acLocal Conservation Area · 472 acLocal Recreation Area · 456 acConservation Easement · 429 acLocal Park · 402 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 302 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 87 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins-Loveland Airport Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 1,035 | Closed |
| City of Loveland City Land - Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 415 | Open |
| Thompson R2-J School District School District Land - General Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 338 | Unknown |
| The Ranch Local Other or Unknown | County | 231 | Open |
| Mariana Butte Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 150 | Open |
| Olde Course Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 129 | Open |
| River's Edge Natural Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 128 | Open |
| Cottonwood Run Natural Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 80 | Restricted |
| Willow Bend Natural Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 79 | Closed |
| Loveland Sports Park Local Park | Town or city | 75 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
67 places to go in Loveland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Loveland
Lake Loveland Swim beachIn North Lake Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Loveland
Woodmere Park PlaygroundIn Woodmere Park
Directions59 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Loveland
4 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Loveland
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Loveland
Mariana Butte5,256 ft elevation · In Mariana Butte Natural Area
DirectionsCherry Hill5,052 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.0 miUnpaved · 12.2 mi
Mariana Butte Trail0.7 mi
Hidden Hogback Trail0.5 mi
Kings Crossing Natural Area Trail0.3 mi
Greenbriar Trail0.2 mi
Louden ditch trail0.2 mi
Grasslands Trail0.1 mi
Trail to the Top0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bass PondBuckingham LakeCattail Reservoir Number 1reservoirCity of Greeley Water SupplyreservoirDragonfly PondEqualizer LakereservoirFoote LagoonpondHeinricy LakereservoirHorseshoe LakelakeHouts ReservoirreservoirLake LovelandreservoirLower Hoffman LakelakeSandpiper PondSilver LakereservoirUpper Hoffman Lakelake
Biking & sports
126 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
104 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
21 mi
off-road bike paths
0.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
33Tennis
29Baseball
23Soccer
22Basketball
18Pickleball
5Football
4Skate park
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Colorado and Southern Railway DepotBuilding · listed 1982
About itRialto TheaterBuilding · listed 1988
About itLoveland State AmoryBuilding · listed 2001
About itWilliam H. McCreery HouseBuilding · listed 2001
About itA.S. Benson HouseBuilding · listed 2004
About itMaude Stanfield Harter Borland HouseBuilding · listed 2004
About itFirst United Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 2004
About itGustav and Annie Swanson FarmBuilding · listed 2005
About itHenry K. and Mary E. Shaffer HouseBuilding · listed 2007
About itPeep O Day ParkDistrict · listed 2011
About itMilner-Schwarz HouseBuilding · listed 2014
About itDowntown Loveland Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2015
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Loveland: 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) | 44 | 47 | 56 | 63 | 72 | 84 | 89 | 87 | 79 | 65 | 53 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
January is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 2.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Loveland →
Next door
Loveland and its neighbors
Loveland has the second most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Loveland
Where can I hike in Loveland?
The longest trail networks: River's Edge Natural Area, 3.4 miles; Mehaffey Park, 1.3 miles; Fairgrounds Park, 1.1 miles; Mariana Butte Natural Area, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Loveland is conserved land?
15% 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 Loveland’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at River's Edge Natural Area (on leash) and Mehaffey Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Loveland?
126 miles of bike routes are on the map: 104 of painted or protected lanes, 21 of off-road paths and 0.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Loveland?
40,172 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Loveland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,592 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Loveland have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #49 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 Loveland 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 →