Griffy Lake Nature Preserve
Managed by Bloomington Parks & Recreation
841 acres11.8 mi of trail
South Shore TrailHiking TrailNorth Shore TrailNorth Shore Loop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Yahala · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Bloomington
Bloomington has 34 miles of mapped trails, 1.4 for every square mile of land
13% of Bloomington’s land is conserved, about 1,901 acres. 92% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Griffy Lake Nature Preserve (11.8 mi), Wapehani Mountain Bike Park (5.2 mi), RCA Community Park (1.4 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #8 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
1,901 acres · of 23.3 sq mi of land
Trails
34 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,971 ac
25 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
92%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
79 mi
19 mi lanes · 53 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Bloomington?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bloomington have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bloomington is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #8 of 593 in Indiana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bloomington’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (34 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4APark land25 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,971 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home92% of residents within a half mile of a park · IN 51% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)#8 of 593
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Bloomington’s 13% is ahead of 95% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 98% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Griffy Lake Nature Preserve, with 11.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Wapehani Mountain Bike Park
Managed by Bloomington Parks & Recreation
83 acres5.2 mi of trail
Wapehani Mountain Bike Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
RCA Community Park
Managed by Bloomington Parks & Recreation
50 acres1.4 mi of trail
RCA community park dirt path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Winslow Woods Park
Managed by Bloomington Parks & Recreation
38 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Olcott Park
Managed by Bloomington Parks & Recreation
32 acres1 mi of trail
Olcott XC Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Twin Lakes Sports Park
Managed by Bloomington Parks & Recreation
55 acres0.9 mi of trail
Twin Lakes Natural Surface Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lower Cascades Park
Managed by Bloomington Parks & Recreation
81 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
James C Muller Park Nature and Hiking Area
Park
9 acres0.5 mi of trail
Twin Lakes Natural Surface Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 27 parks & preserves
Griffy Lake Nature Preserve841 acres · 11.8 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWapehani Mountain Bike Park83 acres · 5.2 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRCA Community Park50 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWinslow Woods Park38 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsOlcott Park32 acres · 1 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsTwin Lakes Sports Park55 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsLower Cascades Park81 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsJames C Muller Park Nature and Hiking Area9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLatimer Woods11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPark Square Park6 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSherwood Oaks Park15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWinslow Sports Park37 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsBryan Park31 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsBuilding Trades Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsThe Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park (Third Street Park)3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSwitchyard Park75 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsGoat Farm Park33 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSoutheast Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSeminary Square Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBroadview Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Upper Cascades Park38 acres · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsCrestmont Park14 acres · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRev. Ernest D. Butler Park10 acres · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsMiller-Showers Park9 acres · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSchmalz Farm Park6 acres · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
DirectionsPark Ridge East Park6 acres · Bloomington Parks & Recreation
Cathcart Park4 acres
Who protects it
1,901 conserved acres
13% of Bloomington’s land. Who manages Bloomington’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,684 ac
Other state land238 ac
Private owners1 ac
State Conservation Area · 827 acLocal Park · 596 acLocal Recreation Area · 225 acState Recreation Area · 190 acLocal Conservation Area · 44 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 9 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 40 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Griffy Lake Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | Town or city | 587 | Restricted |
| Griffy Woods Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | Town or city | 240 | Restricted |
| The Pfau Course at Indiana University Local Recreation Area | Other state land | 184 | Open |
| Cascades Golf Course State Recreation Area | Town or city | 155 | Open |
| Cascades Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 128 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 82 | Open |
| Twin Lakes Sports Park Local Park | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| RCA Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Wapehani Mountain Bike Park Local Park | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Olcott Park Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
69 places to go in Bloomington
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Bloomington
Mills Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Bloomington
Broadview Park PlaygroundIn Broadview Park
DirectionsHarmony School Playground
DirectionsLower Cascades Park PlaygroundIn Lower Cascades Park
DirectionsSteeplechase Playground
DirectionsTot Lot PlaygroundIn Bryan Park
DirectionsUniversity School Playground
DirectionsWalnut Woods Community Playground
Directions53 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Bloomington
Large Dog ParkIn Switchyard Park
DirectionsSmall Dog ParkIn Switchyard Park
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Bloomington
Boat DockIn Griffy Lake Nature Preserve
DirectionsWaterfalls in Bloomington
Cascades FallsIn Lower Cascades Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bloomington
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Bloomington
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Bloomington
Butler Park Community GardenIn Rev. Ernest D. Butler Park · City of Bloomington, Indiana
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
16 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.9 miUnpaved · 7.8 mi
South Shore Trail4.4 mi
Hiking Trail1.7 mi
RCA community park dirt path1.1 mi
North Shore Trail1.0 mi
Olcott XC Trail0.9 mi
North Shore Loop Trail0.9 mi
Huckleberry Ridge0.7 mi
Blue Ridge Trail0.7 mi
Griffy Creek Trail0.6 mi
Meadowood Connectors0.5 mi
6 more trails
Twin Lakes Natural Surface Trail
0.4 miLanam Trail
0.3 miNature Trail
0.3 miWetlands Trail
0.2 miSouth Shore/North Shore Trail Connection
0.2 miWapehani Natural Surface Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
79 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
53 mi
off-road bike paths
7.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
88Tennis
38Basketball
22Baseball
19Pickleball
10Soccer
8Football
8Beach volleyball
2Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →32 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Monroe County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itAndrew Wylie HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itSeminary Square ParkSite · listed 1977
About itMonroe Carnegie LibraryBuilding · listed 1978
About itCochran-Helton-Lindley HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itOld Crescent, TheBuilding · listed 1980
About itElias Abel HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itBlair-Dunning HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itMorgan HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itWicks BuildingBuilding · listed 1983
About itPrincess TheatreBuilding · listed 1983
About itIllinois Central Railroad Freight DepotBuilding · listed 1983
About it20 more on the History page.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Bloomington
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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 42 | 53 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 66 | 53 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.1 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Bloomington →
Next door
Bloomington and its neighbors
Bloomington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington | 13% | 1.4 | 25 | 92% | A |
| Bloomington Township | 8% | 0.6 | 44 | 88% | A |
| Richland Township | 2% | 0.3 | 31 | 34% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bloomington
Where can I hike in Bloomington?
The longest trail networks: Griffy Lake Nature Preserve, 11.8 miles; Wapehani Mountain Bike Park, 5.2 miles; RCA Community Park, 1.4 miles; Winslow Woods Park, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bloomington is conserved land?
13% of its land, against a typical 2% for an Indiana town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bloomington’s trails?
Griffy Lake Nature Preserve and Wapehani Mountain Bike Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bloomington?
79 miles of bike routes are on the map: 19 of painted or protected lanes, 53 of off-road paths and 7.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Bloomington?
59,620 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bloomington or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,971 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Bloomington have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #8 of 593 in Indiana. 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 Bloomington 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 →