William M. Redd, Jr. Park
Nature preserve
106 acres3 mi of trail
Trash Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Charles and Edith Liedlich House · Photo: Choess · CC BY-SA 4.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Newark
13% of Newark’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. 14 miles of mapped trail cross Newark, 1.5 per square mile of land. 13% of Newark’s land is conserved, about 821 acres.
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #2 of 37 in Delaware. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
821 acres · of 9.5 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
615 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
19 mi
5.6 mi lanes · 11 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Newark?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild13% of the land is conserved; a typical Delaware town, 13%.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.A trail town1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 89% of U.S. towns.History along the way56 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Newark have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Newark is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #2 of 37 in Delaware. 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 Newark’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical DE town 13% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (14 mi) · DE 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land20 acres of park per 1,000 residents (615 acres) · DE 10 · U.S. 13BParks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · DE 85% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
Delaware towns of 2,500+ (37)Ahead of 97%
Delaware towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 13%; the U.S., 4%), so Newark’s 13% is ahead of 50% of Delaware towns, while its trails per square mile lead 97% 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 William M. Redd, Jr. Park, with 3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Newark Resevoir Park
Park
82 acres1.7 mi of trail
Steven H. Amick Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rittenhouse Park
Park
58 acres1.7 mi of trail
Rittenhouse Trail / Mason-Dixon TrailRittenhouse Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Rahway Park
Park
24 acres0.7 mi of trail
Rittenhouse Trail / Mason-Dixon Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Folk Memorial Park
Park
20 acres0.4 mi of trail
Folk Park Loop / Mason-Dixon Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Karpinski Park
Park
7 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 31 parks & preserves
William M. Redd, Jr. Park106 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsNewark Resevoir Park82 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsRittenhouse Park58 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsRahway Park24 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Folk Memorial Park20 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsKarpinski Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Phillips Park18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsElan Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Olan Thomas Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWhite Clay Creek State Park43 acres · Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
DirectionsCurtis Mill Park19 acres
DirectionsNorma B. Handloff Park16 acres
DirectionsCoverdale Park15 acres
Old Paper Mill Road Park13 acres
DirectionsWhite Chapel Park9 acres
Hillside Park8 acres
DirectionsEdna C. Dickey Park8 acres
DirectionsDorothy Miller Park7 acres
DirectionsColeman Park7 acres
Fairfield Park6 acres
DirectionsLeroy Hill Park6 acres
DirectionsRidgewater Park5 acres
Lumbrook Park5 acres
DirectionsFairfield Crest Park5 acres
DirectionsGeorge Wilson Center5 acres
DirectionsDevon Park5 acres
Kells Park5 acres
DirectionsKershaw Park4 acres
DirectionsLewis Park4 acres
DirectionsGeorge Read Park2 acres
DirectionsStafford Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
821 conserved acres
13% of Newark’s land. Who manages Newark’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city147 ac
State parks44 ac
Other state land42 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government4 ac
Not recorded586 ac
Local Park · 404 acLocal Other or Unknown · 231 acResearch or Educational Area · 61 acState Other or Unknown · 44 acState Park · 43 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 55 of 80 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Reservoir Local Park | Not recorded | 111 | Unknown |
| Valley Stream Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 100 | Unknown |
| William M. Redd Park Local Park | Not recorded | 69 | Unknown |
| Rittenhouse Park Local Park | Not recorded | 62 | Unknown |
| White Clay Creek State Park State Park | State parks | 43 | Open |
| Newark High School Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 36 | Unknown |
| Christina Parkway Open Space State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 34 | Open |
| Folk Memorial Park Local Park | Not recorded | 33 | Unknown |
| Phillips Park Local Park | Not recorded | 25 | Unknown |
| Curtis Paper Co. Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 19 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Newark
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Newark
Outdoor Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Newark
17 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Newark
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.5 miUnpaved · 5.1 mi
Rittenhouse Trail / Mason-Dixon Trail4.0 mi
Steven H. Amick Trail1.4 mi
Mason-Dixon Trail0.5 mi
Rittenhouse Trail0.3 mi
Trash Trail0.2 mi
Folk Park Loop / Mason-Dixon Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
19 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
11 mi
off-road bike paths
2.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
31Tennis
22Basketball
13Baseball
8Soccer
7Football
5Multi-sport
2Skate park
2Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →56 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 17 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
England House and MillBuilding · listed 1972
About itWelsh Tract Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itWhite Clay Creek Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itCooch's Bridge Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About itAndrew Fisher HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itOld College Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1973
About itAcademy of NewarkBuilding · listed 1976
About itDean, Joseph, & Son Woolen MillBuilding · listed 1978
About itAetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company Fire Station No. 2Building · listed 1982
About itAetna Hose, Hook and Ladder Company, Fire Station No. 1Building · listed 1982
About itBaily HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itBuilding at 140 W. Main StreetBuilding · listed 1982
About it44 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Newark: April to June and August
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 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 41 | 44 | 52 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 67 | 56 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.8 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.6 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Newark →
Next door
Newark and its neighbors
Newark has the most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newark | 13% | 1.5 | 20 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Brookside | 13% | 0.2 | 6 | 93% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Newark
Where can I hike in Newark?
The longest trail networks: William M. Redd, Jr. Park, 3 miles; Newark Resevoir Park, 1.7 miles; Rittenhouse Park, 1.7 miles; Rahway Park, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Newark is conserved land?
13% 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 Newark’s trails?
William M. Park and Newark Resevoir Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Newark?
19 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.6 of painted or protected lanes, 11 of off-road paths and 2.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Newark?
26,872 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Newark or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 651 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Newark have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #2 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 Newark 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 →