University of Central Florida Arboretum
Park
135 acres3.2 mi of trail
Wildflower LoopCypress TrailFire LoopTransition Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
A−Outdoors
Outdoors in University
University has 11 miles of mapped trails, 1.2 for every square mile of land
10% of University’s land is conserved, about 578 acres. The biggest trail networks: University of Central Florida Arboretum (3.2 mi), Recreation & Wellness Center Park (0.8 mi). 82% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #122 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
578 acres · of 9.1 sq mi of land
Trails
11 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
363 ac
8.7 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
82%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
24 mi
19 mi lanes · 3.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
20
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is University?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does University have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, University is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #122 of 638 in Florida. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of University’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical FL town 3% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (11 mi) · FL 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land8.7 acres of park per 1,000 residents (363 acres) · FL 6 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home82% 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 77%
LessMore
Florida towns of 2,500+ (638)Ahead of 81%
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 University of Central Florida Arboretum, with 3.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Leidos SAIC Recreational Walking Trails
Park
8 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
University of Central Florida Arboretum135 acres · 3.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRecreation & Wellness Center Park60 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsUCF Arboretum Park13 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMail Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Leidos SAIC Recreational Walking Trails8 acres
DirectionsPointe at Central's Private Park1 acres
Hickory Cove Park1 acres · Nice Dog Play Area
Who protects it
578 conserved acres
10% of University’s land. Who manages University’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land578 ac
State Other or Unknown · 337 acState Recreation Area · 175 acState Conservation Area · 42 acLocal Park · 24 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Central Florida Pond Pine State Recreation Area | Other state land | 164 | Open |
| University of Central Florida McKay Tract State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 133 | Open |
| University of Central Florida Northwest Parcel State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 93 | Open |
| University of Central Florida East Parcel State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 61 | Open |
| University of Central Florida Riparian Area State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 46 | Open |
| University of Central Florida Natural Area State Conservation Area | Other state land | 35 | Open |
| Rwc Park Local Park | Other state land | 24 | Open |
| University of Central Florida Lake Lee State Recreation Area | Other state land | 11 | Open |
| University of Central Florida Arboretum State Conservation Area | Other state land | 8 | Open |
| University of Central Florida Student Union Cypress Dome State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 3 | Open |
Things to do
13 places to go in University
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in University
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in University
8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in University
Happy Paws Pet Resort
DirectionsCommunity gardens in University
Community Farm and GardenIn UCF Arboretum Park
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 20 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 8.3 mi
Wildflower Loop1.1 mi
Cypress Trail0.2 mi
Fire Loop0.2 mi
Transition Trail0.1 mi
Oak Hammock Trail0.1 mi
Biking & sports
24 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
19 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.6 mi
off-road bike paths
0.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
31Tennis
24Basketball
10Soccer
6Beach volleyball
6Volleyball
6Field hockey
4Football
4Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in University
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 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 14.0 | 13.8 | 13.2 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 10.7 | 10.3 |
| High (°F) | 71 | 74 | 78 | 83 | 88 | 91 | 92 | 92 | 89 | 84 | 78 | 73 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 8.3 | 6.9 | 7.5 | 6.6 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
November is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 8.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in University →
Next door
University and its neighbors
University 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University | 10% | 1.2 | 9 | 82% | A− |
| Alafaya | 2% | 0.2 | 2 | 52% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in University
Where can I hike in University?
The longest trail networks: University of Central Florida Arboretum, 3.2 miles; Recreation & Wellness Center Park, 0.8 miles; UCF Arboretum Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of University is conserved land?
10% 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 University’s trails?
University of Central Florida Arboretum and Recreation & Wellness Center Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in University?
24 miles of bike routes are on the map: 19 of painted or protected lanes, 3.6 of off-road paths and 0.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near University?
27,601 acres of parks and open public land lie inside University or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 702 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does University have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #122 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 University 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 →