Photo: John Trainor from Roswell, GA, USA · CC BY 2.0McDonough has 433 acres of parks, 14 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Richard Craig Park (0.9 mi), Heritage Park (0.7 mi), Jonesboro Road Park (0.7 mi). 4% of McDonough’s land is conserved, about 337 acres. 67% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 55% of U.S. towns · #64 of 264 in Georgia. What drives it
How much outdoors does McDonough have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, McDonough is ahead of 55% of U.S. towns, #64 of 264 in Georgia. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
Few Georgia towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so McDonough’s 4% is ahead of 73% of Georgia towns, while its trails per square mile lead 62% of them.
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 Richard Craig Park, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Red Hawk Baseball Complex and Nature Preserve
All 10 parks & preserves
337 conserved acres
4% of McDonough’s land. Who manages McDonough’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 12 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hawk Nature Preserve Park/ Henry Soccer Complex Local Park | County | 137 | Open |
| Windy Hill Park Local Recreation Area | County | 33 | Open |
| Richard Craig Park Local Recreation Area | County | 32 | Open |
| Heritage Park Local Recreation Area | County | 21 | Open |
| Wesley Lake Park Local Park | County | 21 | Open |
| Henry County Diamond Complex Local Park | County | 20 | Open |
| Mcdonough Memorial Cemetery Local Other or Unknown | Other or Unknown Local Government | 20 | Unknown |
| Avalon Park Local Recreation Area | County | 17 | Open |
| McDonough Elementary Track Local Recreation Area | County | 15 | Open |
| Alexander Park Local Recreation Area | County | 13 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
7 places to go in McDonough
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
2 lakes & rivers
2.3 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.
6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in McDonough: 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) | 10.2 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 54 | 59 | 67 | 75 | 82 | 88 | 90 | 89 | 84 | 75 | 65 | 56 |
| Rain (in) | 4.7 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.8 |
May is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.0 inches fall in March, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in McDonough →
Questions about parks and trails in McDonough
Where can I hike in McDonough?
The longest trail networks: Richard Craig Park, 0.9 miles; Heritage Park, 0.7 miles; Jonesboro Road Park, 0.7 miles; Red Hawk Baseball Complex and Nature Preserve, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of McDonough is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Georgia town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on McDonough’s trails?
Richard Craig Park and Heritage Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in McDonough?
2.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.3 of painted or protected lanes.
Is there public land near McDonough?
6,755 acres of parks and open public land lie inside McDonough or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 433 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does McDonough have?
Ahead of 55% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #64 of 264 in Georgia. 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 McDonough 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 →