Fork Branch Nature Preserve
Managed by State of Delaware
265 acres1 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Dover
16% of Dover’s land is conserved: 2,472 acres
93% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Fork Branch Nature Preserve (1 mi), Silver Lake Park (0.5 mi). 852 acres are parks and preserves, 21 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns · #14 of 37 in Delaware. What drives it
Conserved land
16%
2,472 acres · of 23.9 sq mi of land
Trails
5.6 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
852 ac
21 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
93%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
9.9 mi lanes · 1.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
15
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Dover?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dover have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dover is ahead of 79% of U.S. towns, #14 of 37 in Delaware. Conserved land holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Dover’s overall grade.
Conserved land16% of the land · typical DE town 13% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (6 mi) · DE 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land21 acres of park per 1,000 residents (852 acres) · DE 10 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home93% of residents within a half mile of a park · DE 85% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 79%
LessMore
Delaware towns of 2,500+ (37)Ahead of 64%
Delaware towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 13%; the U.S., 4%), so Dover’s 16% is ahead of 58% of Delaware towns, while its trails per square mile lead 36% of them.
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 Fork Branch Nature Preserve, with 1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Silver Lake Park
Park
25 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Schutte Park
Park
163 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Dover Park
Managed by City of Dover
35 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 33 parks & preserves
Fork Branch Nature Preserve265 acres · 1 mi of trail · State of Delaware
DirectionsSilver Lake Park25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSchutte Park163 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsFirst State Heritage Park Welcome Center and Galleries6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDover Park35 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Dover
DirectionsKent County Veterans Memorial Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMemorial Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLegislative Hall (First State Heritage Park)4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFirst State Heritage Park: Legislative Mall3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBiggs Museum of American Art (First State Heritage Park)1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Old State House (First State Heritage Park)1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCapital Green/Pauls Property14 acres · City of Dover
DirectionsWilliams Park14 acres · City of Dover
Hamlet Park11 acres · City of Dover
Crossgate7 acres
Mallard Pond Park6 acres
Continental Park3 acres
Heatherfield East3 acres · City of Dover
Mayfair Park3 acres · City of Dover
DirectionsSaint Jones River Corridor3 acres · State of Delaware
DirectionsWoodburn and Hall House - The Governor's House (First State Heritage Park)2 acres
DirectionsHamlet Commons Open Space2 acres · Hamlet HOA
The Green (First State Heritage Park)2 acres · City of Dover
DirectionsMillcreek Park2 acres · City of Dover
Woodbrook Park1 acres · City of Dover
Saulsbury Park1 acres · City of Dover
DirectionsJohnson Victrola Museum (First State Heritage Park)1 acres
DirectionsRichardson Park1 acres
Westfield Park1 acres · City of Dover
The Dover Green1 acres
DirectionsKenton Road Open Space1 acres
Turner Drive Park1 acres · City of Dover
DirectionsWestwind Meadows1 acres · City of Dover
Who protects it
2,472 conserved acres
16% of Dover’s land. Who manages Dover’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land1,177 ac
Town or city415 ac
State parks265 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government95 ac
Regional agency21 ac
County12 ac
Private owners3 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 557 acState Other or Unknown · 554 acAgricultural Easement · 494 acUnknown Easement · 303 acLocal Park · 290 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 410 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 85 of 110 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Oak Road Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 371 | Unknown |
| Fork Branch Nature Preserve State Park | State parks | 304 | Open |
| Route 1 Corridor Open Space State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 282 | Open |
| Silver Lake State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 177 | Open |
| Dover Little League Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 103 | Unknown |
| West North Street Open Space State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 89 | Open |
| Terry Campus Recreation Area State Resource Management Area | Town or city | 82 | Open |
| Route 13 Open Space State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 77 | Open |
| Stonebrook East Private Conservation | Town or city | 51 | Unknown |
| William Henry Middle School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 43 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
31 places to go in Dover
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Dover
Silver Lake Park PlaygroundIn Silver Lake Park
DirectionsPlus 28 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Dover
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Dover
Fam CampDover Air Force Base
DirectionsTrails & water
15 lakes & rivers
Biking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.8 mi
off-road bike paths
1.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
30Baseball
29Tennis
12Soccer
12Basketball
5Football
3Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →18 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 39 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Old StatehouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itLoockerman HallBuilding · listed 1971
About itDelaware State Museum BuildingsBuilding · listed 1972
About itBradford-Loockerman HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itChrist ChurchBuilding · listed 1972
About itGovernor's HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itTyn Head CourtBuilding · listed 1973
About itGreenwoldBuilding · listed 1973
About itGreat GenevaBuilding · listed 1973
About itEden HillBuilding · listed 1973
About itMacomb FarmBuilding · listed 1974
About it6 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Dover: 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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 43 | 46 | 54 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 79 | 68 | 57 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.9 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.6 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Dover →
Next door
Dover and its neighbors
Dover has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 16% | 0.2 | 21 | 93% | A− |
| Rodney Village | 55% | under 0.1 | 51 | 99%+ | A− |
| Dover Base Housing | 1% | 5.9 | under 1 | 99%+ | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dover
Where can I hike in Dover?
The longest trail networks: Fork Branch Nature Preserve, 1 miles; Silver Lake Park, 0.5 miles; Schutte Park, 0.4 miles; Dover Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dover is conserved land?
16% of its land, against a typical 13% for a Delaware town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Dover’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Fork Branch Nature Preserve. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dover?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.9 of painted or protected lanes, 1.8 of off-road paths and 1.6 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Dover?
20,352 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dover or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,257 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Dover have?
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #14 of 37 in Delaware. 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 Dover 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 →