Photo: Thomsonmg2000 · Public domain18% of Apalachicola’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. 18% of Apalachicola’s land is conserved, about 228 acres. 65 acres are parks and preserves, 27 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Apalachicola?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Apalachicola have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Apalachicola is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
Water is 27% of Apalachicola’s area (1 of 3 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 14%.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Lafayette Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Chapman Botanical Gardens
All 12 parks & preserves
228 conserved acres
18% of Apalachicola’s land. Water is left out: Apalachicola has 1.9 square miles of land and 0.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Apalachicola’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve State Conservation Area | State conservation | 179 | Restricted |
| Battery Park & Marina Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Orman House Historic State Park State Historic or Cultural Area | State parks | 10 | Open |
| Chapman Botanical Garden Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Apalachicola City Ball Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Lafayette Park & Fishing Pier Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Apalachicola Bayside Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Apalachicola City Basketball Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Three Soldiers Monument Local Historic or Cultural Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Apalachicola City Square Park And Community Garden Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
14 places to go in Apalachicola
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
7 boat launches without a name on the map.
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
5 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 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Apalachicola: April and May
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) | 10.4 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.6 | 14.0 | 13.9 | 13.2 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 10.6 | 10.2 |
| High (°F) | 64 | 66 | 72 | 77 | 85 | 89 | 90 | 90 | 88 | 81 | 73 | 66 |
| Rain (in) | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 7.8 | 6.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
May is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 7.8 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Apalachicola →
Questions about parks and trails in Apalachicola
Where can I hike in Apalachicola?
The longest trail networks: Lafayette Park, 0.4 miles; Chapman Botanical Gardens, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Apalachicola is conserved land?
18% of its land, against a typical 3% for a Florida town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Apalachicola’s trails?
Lafayette Park and Battery Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Apalachicola?
13,063 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Apalachicola or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 65 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Apalachicola have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Apalachicola neighbors.
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 →