Holloway Park
Managed by City of Lakeland
323 acres4.8 mi of trail
Holloway Park Hiking TrailHollway Park 3k
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Connor J. Williams · CC BY 3.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Lakeland
6% of Lakeland’s land is conserved: 2,500 acres
The biggest trail networks: Holloway Park (4.8 mi), Bonnet Springs Park (1 mi), Westside Park (0.7 mi). 1,099 acres are parks and preserves, 9.2 per 1,000 residents. 54% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 51% of U.S. towns · #313 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
2,500 acres · of 66.6 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,099 ac
9.2 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
70 mi
52 mi lanes · 19 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
27
2 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lakeland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lakeland is ahead of 51% of U.S. towns, #313 of 638 in Florida. Conserved land holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lakeland’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical FL town 3% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (22 mi) · FL 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land9.2 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,099 acres) · FL 6 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home54% of residents within a half mile of a park · FL 70% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 51%
LessMore
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 51%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Lakeland ranks #354 on Outdoors.
Water is 12% of Lakeland’s area (9 of 75 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 5%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B. 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 Holloway Park, with 4.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bonnet Springs Park
Park
124 acres1 mi of trail
North Garden TrailGopher Tortoise TrailSouth Garden Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Westside Park
Park
20 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Dobbins Park
Park
10 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Peterson Park
Park
36 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dirt Walkway
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 20 parks & preserves
Holloway Park323 acres · 4.8 mi of trail · City of Lakeland
DirectionsBonnet Springs Park124 acres · 1 mi of trail
Westside Park20 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Dobbins Park10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Peterson Park36 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCommon Grounds Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Lakeland
Munn Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsField at Common Ground2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Lakeland
Hilochee Wildlife Management Area233 acres · Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Adair Park8 acres
DirectionsInterlachen Park5 acres
Thomas B. Mack Park4 acres
Drane Park4 acres
Sertoma Park3 acres
Interlarchen playground2 acres
DirectionsThe Park at Cortona Park area2 acres
Tenoroc Fish Management Area1 acres
Handley Park1 acres
Washington Park1 acres
Park at Cortona Park area1 acres
Who protects it
2,500 conserved acres
6% of Lakeland’s land. Water is left out: Lakeland has 66.6 square miles of land and 8.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Lakeland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife1,531 ac
Town or city585 ac
Regional agency319 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits65 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,531 acLocal Park · 693 acLocal Recreation Area · 211 acUnknown Easement · 65 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 65 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenoroc Fish Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,298 | Restricted |
| Holloway Park Local Park | Regional agency | 319 | Open |
| Hilochee Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 232 | Restricted |
| Lake Bonny Park/Lakeland Skate Park Local Park | Town or city | 75 | Open |
| Lake Parker Park Local Park | Town or city | 75 | Open |
| Tigertown Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 72 | Open |
| Thomas R. Shaw Outdoor Recreation Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Cypress Youth Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| Lake Crago Dog Park Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Kells Park Local Park | Town or city | 30 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
29 places to go in Lakeland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Lakeland
Kelly Recreation Complex
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Lakeland
Petersen Park PlaygroundIn Peterson Park
DirectionsTown Park Estates Playground 1
DirectionsPlus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Lakeland
Dog Leg Woods
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Lakeland
Petersen Park Boatramp
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Lakeland
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Lakeland
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Lakeland
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 27 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 5.8 mi
Holloway Park Hiking Trail2.5 mi
Hollway Park 3k1.8 mi
North Garden Trail0.2 mi
Gopher Tortoise Trail0.1 mi
South Garden Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Curtis LakereservoirFish LakeLake BentleyLake BeulahLake BonnetLake BonnyLake ConcertolakeLake CragoLake HarmonylakeLake HollingsworthLake HorneyLake HunterLake JohnLake LarchreservoirLake MelodylakeLake MirrorLake MortonLake ParkerLake PollocklakeLake SomersetlakeLake SonotalakeLake SymphonylakeLake WireMeadow View LakeRegional PondreservoirSherwood Forest LakeWilliams Fishing Holereservoir
Biking & sports
70 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
52 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
19 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
61Tennis
29Baseball
15Pickleball
11Basketball
8Soccer
4Football
3Beach volleyball
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →19 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
★
Florida Southern College Architectural DistrictNational Historic Landmark · District · listed 1975
About itLake Mirror PromenadeStructure · listed 1983
About itSouth Lake Morton Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1985
About itBeacon Hill-Alta Vista Residential DistrictDistrict · listed 1993
About itPolk Theatre and Office BuildingBuilding · listed 1993
About itEast Lake Morton Residential DistrictDistrict · listed 1993
About itLakeland High School, OldBuilding · listed 1993
About itDixieland Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1994
About itOates BuildingBuilding · listed 1995
About itHenley Field Ball ParkBuilding · listed 1997
About itMunn Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1997
About itCentral Avenue SchoolBuilding · listed 1999
About it7 more on the History page.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Lakeland
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) | 10.5 | 11.2 | 11.9 | 12.8 | 13.5 | 13.9 | 13.8 | 13.1 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 10.4 |
| High (°F) | 72 | 75 | 79 | 84 | 89 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 90 | 85 | 78 | 74 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 6.9 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 2.6 |
November is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 8.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Lakeland →
Next door
Lakeland and its neighbors
Lakeland has the most mapped trails of the 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | 6% | 0.3 | 9 | 54% | B− |
| Combee Settlement | 2% | under 0.1 | 4 | 32% | D |
| Polk City | 2% | 0.4 | 16 | 66% | B− |
| Plant City | 4% | 0.5 | 18 | 63% | B |
| Lakeland Highlands | 4% | 0.2 | 1 | 30% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lakeland
Where can I hike in Lakeland?
The longest trail networks: Holloway Park, 4.8 miles; Bonnet Springs Park, 1 miles; Westside Park, 0.7 miles; Dobbins Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lakeland is conserved land?
6% 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 Lakeland’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Holloway Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lakeland?
70 miles of bike routes are on the map: 52 of painted or protected lanes and 19 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Lakeland?
34,470 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lakeland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,099 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Lakeland have?
Ahead of 51% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #313 of 638 in Florida. 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 Lakeland 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 →