Fort Massac State Park
Managed by Illinois Department of Natural Resources
1,292 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Nyttend · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in Metropolis
35% of Metropolis’ land is conserved: 1,336 acres
874 acres are parks and preserves, 149 per 1,000 residents. 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Fort Massac State Park (2.6 mi), Metropolis Sportspark (0.5 mi).
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns · #14 of 768 in Illinois. What drives it
Conserved land
35%
1,336 acres · of 6.0 sq mi of land
Trails
3.7 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
874 ac
149 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.6 mi
1.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
4 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Metropolis?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Metropolis have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Metropolis is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns, #14 of 768 in Illinois. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Metropolis’ overall grade.
Conserved land35% of the land · typical IL town 4% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · IL 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land149 acres of park per 1,000 residents (874 acres) · IL 15 · U.S. 13AParks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · IL 88% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 96%
LessMore
Illinois towns of 2,500+ (768)Ahead of 98%
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 Fort Massac State Park, with 2.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 7 parks & preserves
Fort Massac State Park1,292 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · Illinois Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMetropolis Sportspark22 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMetropolis Soccer Fields22 acres
DirectionsFranklin Park3 acres
DirectionsLincoln Park2 acres
DirectionsWashington Park1 acres
Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,336 conserved acres
35% of Metropolis’ land. Who manages Metropolis’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources1,185 ac
State conservation419 ac
Town or city103 ac
Other state land48 ac
State Conservation Area · 1,185 acConservation Easement · 419 acLocal Recreation Area · 80 acState Other or Unknown · 48 acLocal Park · 23 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Massac State Park State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1,185 | Open |
| Metropolis Sports Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 80 | Open |
| Ohio River (RM 940.7 to 943.3) Outstanding Resource Water State Other or Unknown | Other state land | 48 | Open |
| Dorothy Miller Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Carrell Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Franklin Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Lincoln Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Lindsey Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Washington Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
8 places to go in Metropolis
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Metropolis
Fairmount Apartments Playset
DirectionsPlus 2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Metropolis
Massac County SP
DirectionsOhio River
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Metropolis
1 campground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
1.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
8Soccer
6Baseball
5Tennis
4Basketball
3Softball
1Football
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The walking year in Metropolis
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) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 44 | 49 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 86 | 89 | 88 | 83 | 71 | 58 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 |
August is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 5.1 inches fall in April, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Metropolis →
Questions about parks and trails in Metropolis
Where can I hike in Metropolis?
The longest trail networks: Fort Massac State Park, 2.6 miles; Metropolis Sportspark, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Metropolis is conserved land?
35% of its land, against a typical 4% for an Illinois town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Metropolis’ trails?
Fort Massac State Park and Metropolis Sportspark don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Metropolis?
1.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Metropolis?
14,169 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Metropolis or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 934 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Metropolis have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #14 of 768 in Illinois. 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 Metropolis 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 →