J. R. Alford Greenway
Park
787 acres23.1 mi of trail
Alford LoopLongleaf TrailBluebird TrailAlford Loop/Bluebird Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Urbantallahassee · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Tallahassee
Tallahassee has 158 miles of mapped trails, 1.5 for every square mile of land
9% of Tallahassee’s land is conserved, about 6,180 acres. The biggest trail networks: J. R. Alford Greenway (23.1 mi), Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park (12.1 mi), Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway (11.9 mi). 6,263 acres are parks and preserves, 31 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #65 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
6,180 acres · of 102.6 sq mi of land
Trails
158 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,263 ac
31 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
72%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
255 mi
209 mi lanes · 43 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
33
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Tallahassee?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Tallahassee have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Tallahassee is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #65 of 638 in Florida. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Tallahassee’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical FL town 3% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (158 mi) · FL 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land31 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,263 acres) · FL 6 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home72% of residents within a half mile of a park · FL 70% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 86%
LessMore
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 90%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Tallahassee ranks #122 on Outdoors.
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 J. R. Alford Greenway, with 23.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
Nature preserve
1,164 acres12.1 mi of trail
Lake TrailRavine Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway
Park
464 acres11.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Tom Brown Park
Managed by Tallahassee Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs
272 acres5.3 mi of trail
Magnolia TrailGun RangeWest Cadillac Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Lafayette Heritage Trail Park
Managed by City of Tallahassee
334 acres5.2 mi of trail
West Lafayette Heritage TrailWest Cadillac Mountain Bike TrailEast Lafayette Heritage TrailWest Levee+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Apalachicola National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
489 acres3.4 mi of trail
Paper Cup Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
San Luis Mission Park
Managed by City of Tallahassee
73 acres2.9 mi of trail
Apalachee LoopBentura's LoopLuis Luis LoopDiego's Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 94 parks & preserves
J. R. Alford Greenway787 acres · 23.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAlfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park1,164 acres · 12.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMiccosukee Canopy Road Greenway464 acres · 11.9 mi of trail
DirectionsTom Brown Park272 acres · 5.3 mi of trail · Tallahassee Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs
DirectionsLafayette Heritage Trail Park334 acres · 5.2 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsApalachicola National Forest489 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsSan Luis Mission Park73 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsCentral Lake Park120 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsDebbie Lightsey Nature Park122 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsCapital Circle Office Center Conservation Area81 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Leon County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsTallahassee Museum31 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Mission San Luis de Apalachee60 acres · 1 mi of trail · Friends of Mission San Luis, Incorporated
DirectionsGolden Aster Nature Preserve28 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsIndian Head Acres Park28 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsGovernor's Park62 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsLafayette Park22 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsBarnette W. Allen Nature Preserve14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsJack L. McLean Junior Park49 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Tallahassee Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs
DirectionsGuyte P. McCord Park23 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsBrinkley Glen Park10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
Carter - Howell - Strong Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
The Grove9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Florida Department of State
DirectionsOptimist Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
Myers Park33 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Tallahassee Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Affairs
DirectionsWalker-Ford Community Center10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Dorothy B Oven Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee Parks
Waverly Pond Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
Kleman Plaza5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsSilver Lake Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsOx Bottom Park Nature Preserve89 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsL Kirk Edwards State Wildlife and Environment Area75 acres
FSU Rec Sports Complex74 acres · Florida State University
A.J. Henry Park74 acres
DirectionsJames Messer Park57 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsTimberlane Ravine Park46 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsCascades Park30 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsJames Messer Fields North29 acres
DirectionsLake Elberta Park26 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsCapital Park25 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsMabry Manor Park24 acres · City of Tallahassee
James Messer Fields South23 acres
DirectionsSouthwood Regional Park22 acres · City of Tallahassee Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Affairs
DirectionsCharles Billings Greenway21 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsFred O. Drake Park at Lake Ella19 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsSpringsax Park17 acres · City of Tallahassee
Campbell Pond Park15 acres · City of Tallahassee
Winthrop Park12 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsMacon Community Park11 acres · City of Tallahassee
Harriman Circle Park10 acres · City of Tallahassee
Tallahassee Junction8 acres
Levy Park8 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsLake Henrietta Park6 acres · Leon County Parks and Recreation
Doctor Charles L. Evans Pond Park6 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsJohn G Riley Park6 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsTrousdell6 acres · City of Tallahassee
Blair Stone Forest Nature Preserve6 acres · City of Tallahassee
Sweetbay Swamp Nature Preserve5 acres · City of Tallahassee
Lichgate5 acres · The Laura Jepsen Institute
DirectionsCountry Club Park5 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsLee Park4 acres · City of Tallahassee
Palmer Munroe Teen Center4 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsShannon Lakes Park4 acres · Killearn Homes Association
DirectionsLeVerne F. Payne Community Center4 acres · City of Tallahassee
Concord Pond4 acres · City of Tallahassee
Kouchy Park3 acres · City of Tallahassee
South Mabry Manor Park3 acres · City of Tallahassee
Speed-Spencer-Stephens Park3 acres · City of Tallahassee
Jake Gaither Center3 acres · City of Tallahassee
Los Robles Park3 acres · City of Tallahassee
Velda Mound Park3 acres
Henry Hill Park2 acres
Evelyn W Randolph Park2 acres · City of Tallahassee
Chittenden Park2 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsNinth and Terrace Park2 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsCapital Cascades Trail Park1 acres
DirectionsOld Fort Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
Curtis L Waller Park1 acres
DirectionsLangford Green1 acres
DirectionsCordell park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
Overlook Park1 acres
DirectionsCherokee Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
Lewis Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
Genevieve Randolph Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
E. Peck Greene Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsSmokey Hollow Historic Site1 acres
DirectionsIberville Park1 acres
Doug Burnette Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsBoulevard Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
McCarty Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsPonce de Leon Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsBloxham Park1 acres · City of Tallahassee
Enclave Park1 acres
DirectionsBob Smith Park1 acres
Pearlie Mae Butler Playground1 acres
Who protects it
6,180 conserved acres
9% of Tallahassee’s land. Who manages Tallahassee’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,804 ac
County1,456 ac
State parks1,164 ac
U.S. Forest Service489 ac
Other state land198 ac
State fish & wildlife103 ac
State conservation3 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 2,112 acState Recreation Area · 1,246 acState Park · 1,159 acLocal Park · 791 acNational Forest · 489 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 197 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 87 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park State Park | State parks | 1,157 | Open |
| Lafayette Heritage Trail Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 804 | Open |
| J. R. Alford Greenway State Recreation Area | County | 783 | Open |
| Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 657 | Open |
| Apalachicola National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 489 | Open |
| Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway State Recreation Area | County | 456 | Open |
| Governors Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 188 | Open |
| Rec Sportsplex Local Park | Other state land | 110 | Open |
| Delta Industrial Local Other or Unknown | County | 107 | Unknown |
| Capital Circle Office Complex Conservation Area State Conservation Area | Other state land | 83 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
194 places to go in Tallahassee
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Swimming spots in Tallahassee
Lake Hall Swimming AreaIn Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park
DirectionsPublic pools in Tallahassee
8 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Tallahassee
Capital Cascades Trail Playground
DirectionsDade Community Center Park
DirectionsDiscovery GardenIn Cascades Park
DirectionsGlendale Playground
DirectionsKillarney Park
DirectionsRosemary White Playground & Gazebo Park
DirectionsRotary Centennial PlaygroundIn Tom Brown Park
Directions151 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Tallahassee
San Luis Mission Dog ParkIn San Luis Mission Park
DirectionsPlus 6 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Tallahassee
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Tallahassee
Fishing Finger 1
DirectionsFishing Finger 2
DirectionsFishing Finger 3
DirectionsFishing Finger 4
DirectionsFishing Finger 5In Lafayette Heritage Trail Park
DirectionsFishing Finger 6
DirectionsFishing Finger 7
DirectionsScenic views in Tallahassee
6 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Tallahassee
Abandoned Elks Lodge Picnic ParkIn Barnette W. Allen Nature Preserve
DirectionsPlus 8 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Tallahassee
Tom Brown Disc Golf CourseIn Tom Brown Park · City of Tallahassee
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Tallahassee
Plantasia
DirectionsSeminole Organic GardenFlorida State University
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 33 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 39.0 miHorses · 20.5 miUnpaved · 59.9 mi
Alford Loop3.6 mi
Lake Trail2.8 mi
Magnolia Trail2.6 mi
Longleaf Trail2.4 mi
Oak Hammock2.3 mi
Ravine Trail1.9 mi
Bluebird Trail1.7 mi
Swamp Forest1.7 mi
Alford Loop/Bluebird Trail1.7 mi
Capital Circle Office Center Nature Trail1.6 mi
15 more trails
West Lafayette Heritage Trail
1.5 miEast Lafayette Heritage Trail
1.4 miWest Cadillac Mountain Bike Trail
1.3 miCoon Bottom
1.2 miHenrietta-Lake Munson-National Forest connector
1.1 miK Rash
1.0 miAlford 11
0.9 miParkway/Piney Z connector
0.7 miAlford 01
0.7 miCreek Forest
0.7 miKohl's Trail
0.6 miGun Range
0.6 miJulia Monroe Woodward Nature Trail
0.5 miTurtle Creek Trail
0.5 miBill's Trail
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Boca Chuba PondpondBonnet PondpondCampbell PondpondCentral Park LakeCharles Evans PondlakeCoal Chute PondpondDove PondEagle LakepondGum PondpondImagination FountainLake AnitapondLake Bradford/Cascade LakeLake ElbertalakeLake EllalakeLake EstherlakeLake LafayettelakeLake LeonLake OverstreetlakeLegacy FountainLittle Gum PondpondMaclay Senior FountainMoore PondlakePhilips Road PondpondPiney Z LakelakePump PondpondReflecting PoolpondSmokey Hollow PondSunny State WaterfallThe PondpondTurf PondpondWaverly PondWestcott FountainWinewood Pondpond
Biking & sports
255 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
209 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
43 mi
off-road bike paths
2.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Miccosukee GreenwayBike route
6.3 miCourts & fields
204Tennis
102Baseball
95Basketball
52Beach volleyball
31Soccer
12Football
11Tracks
10Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →53 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 32 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Union BankBuilding · listed 1971
About itBellevueBuilding · listed 1971
About itCascades ParkSite · listed 1971
About itSan Pedro y San Pablo de PataleSite · listed 1972
About itGoodwoodBuilding · listed 1972
About itBrokaw-McDougall HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itTallahassee Historic District Zones I And IIDistrict · listed 1972
About itFlorida State CapitolBuilding · listed 1973
About itFirst Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1974
About itColumns, TheBuilding · listed 1975
About itWalker, David S., LibraryBuilding · listed 1976
About it41 more on the History page.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Tallahassee
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 | 13.7 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 13.2 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 10.6 | 10.2 |
| High (°F) | 64 | 68 | 74 | 80 | 87 | 91 | 92 | 91 | 88 | 81 | 73 | 66 |
| Rain (in) | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 6.6 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 5.2 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 4.0 |
November is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 6.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Tallahassee →
Next door
Tallahassee and its neighbors
Tallahassee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tallahassee | 9% | 1.5 | 31 | 72% | A |
| Bradfordville | 6% | 0.9 | 1 | 45% | B− |
| Chaires | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Tallahassee
Where can I hike in Tallahassee?
The longest trail networks: J. Alford Greenway, 23.1 miles; Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, 12.1 miles; Miccosukee Canopy Road Greenway, 11.9 miles; Tom Brown Park, 5.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Tallahassee is conserved land?
9% 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 Tallahassee’s trails?
J. Alford Greenway and Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Tallahassee?
255 miles of bike routes are on the map: 209 of painted or protected lanes, 43 of off-road paths and 2.9 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Miccosukee Greenway.
Is there public land near Tallahassee?
114,505 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Tallahassee or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,760 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Tallahassee have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #65 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 Tallahassee 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 →