Stewart-Studebaker House · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainBluffton has 214 acres of parks, 20 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Wells County 4H Park (0.8 mi). 83% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 1.9 miles of mapped trail cross Bluffton, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns · #134 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Bluffton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Bluffton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bluffton is ahead of 58% of U.S. towns, #134 of 593 in Indiana. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Bluffton’s 3% is ahead of 66% of Indiana 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 Wells County 4H Park, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lancaster Park
All 12 parks & preserves
162 conserved acres
3% of Bluffton’s land. Who manages Bluffton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 30 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluffton Park Local Park | Town or city | 71 | Open |
| Lancaster Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Roush Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Lions Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Renollet Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Hickory Hill Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 5 | Open |
| Deam Arboretum Private Conservation | Private owners | 4 | Closed |
| Wells Community Pool Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Kehoe Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Washington Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
14 places to go in Bluffton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
11 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
3.4 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.
4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
September is the best month for walking in Bluffton
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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 37 | 48 | 62 | 72 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 77 | 64 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Bluffton →
Questions about parks and trails in Bluffton
Where can I hike in Bluffton?
The longest trail networks: Wells County 4H Park, 0.8 miles; Pickett's Run Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bluffton is conserved land?
3% 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 Bluffton’s trails?
Wells County 4H Park and Pickett's Run Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bluffton?
3.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Bluffton?
1,814 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bluffton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 214 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Bluffton have?
Ahead of 58% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #134 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 Bluffton 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 →