Minnetrista
Park
36 acres1.7 mi of trail
Minnetrista Nature Area TrailOakhurst Garden Path
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
C+Outdoors
Outdoors in Center Township
Center Township has 7.0 miles of mapped trails, 0.2 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Minnetrista (1.7 mi), Dutro-Ernst Woods (1.2 mi). 440 acres are parks and preserves, 6.8 per 1,000 residents. 73% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 41% of U.S. towns · #264 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
518 acres · of 34.5 sq mi of land
Trails
7.0 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
440 ac
6.8 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
73%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
25 mi
6.5 mi lanes · 17 mi paths
Highest peak
945 ft
Spider Hill
Lakes & rivers
6
What kind of outdoors town is Center Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Center Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Center Township is ahead of 41% of U.S. towns, #264 of 593 in Indiana. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
C+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Center Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land6.8 acres of park per 1,000 residents (440 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home73% of residents within a half mile of a park · IN 51% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 41%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 56%
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Center Township’s 2% is ahead of 59% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 59% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B−. 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 Minnetrista, with 1.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Dutro-Ernst Woods
Managed by Red-tail Land Conservancy
32 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
John Craddock Wetlands Nature Preserve
Managed by Ret Tail Conservancy
23 acres0.4 mi of trail
Craddock Wetlands Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Tuhey Park
Managed by City of Muncie
10 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 24 parks & preserves
Minnetrista36 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsDutro-Ernst Woods32 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Red-tail Land Conservancy
DirectionsJohn Craddock Wetlands Nature Preserve23 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Ret Tail Conservancy
Ball Community Park10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHeekin Park59 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTuhey Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Muncie
DirectionsCooley Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMansfield Park22 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMcCulloch Park86 acres
DirectionsWestside Park22 acres
DirectionsHughes Nature Preserve13 acres · Red Tail Conservancy
DirectionsThomas Park9 acres
DirectionsRose Park6 acres
DirectionsCowing Park4 acres
Aultshire Park4 acres
Riverview Park4 acres
Maring-Hunt Park3 acres
DirectionsHalteman Park3 acres
DirectionsGuthrie Park3 acres
Jack's Park2 acres
DirectionsCanan Commons2 acres · City of Muncie
DirectionsMorningside Park1 acres
DirectionsMatthews Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
518 conserved acres
2% of Center Township’s land. Who manages Center Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city344 ac
Private owners151 ac
County38 ac
Local Park · 290 acPrivate Park · 140 acLocal Conservation Area · 38 acLocal Recreation Area · 38 acState Conservation Area · 16 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crestview Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 127 | Open |
| McCulloch Park Local Park | Town or city | 84 | Open |
| Heekin Park Local Park | Town or city | 60 | Open |
| Minnetrista Nature Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Delaware County Fairgrounds Local Recreation Area | County | 38 | Open |
| Cardinal Greenway Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Mansfield Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| White River Bicentennial Park (Westside Park) Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| White River Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Muncie Nature Preserve State Conservation Area | Town or city | 16 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
56 places to go in Center Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Center Township
Tuhey Kiddie PoolIn Tuhey Park
DirectionsTuhey PoolIn Tuhey Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Center Township
48 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Center Township
Emerson Dog Park
DirectionsPeaks in Center Township
Spider Hill945 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Center Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Center Township
3 community gardens without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.3 mi
Turkey Lady Trail0.6 mi
Minnetrista Nature Area Trail0.5 mi
Oakhurst Garden Path0.4 mi
Craddock Wetlands Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
25 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
17 mi
off-road bike paths
1.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
53Tennis
25Basketball
21Baseball
9Beach volleyball
7Soccer
4Pickleball
4Football
3Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Center Township
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 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 39 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 84 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 51 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Center Township →
Next door
Center Township and its neighbors
Center Township has the most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Center Township | 2% | 0.2 | 7 | 73% | C+ |
| Liberty Township | 1% | 0.1 | 1 | 15% | D |
| Muncie | 3% | 0.3 | 7 | 73% | C+ |
| Yorktown | 2% | under 0.1 | 9 | 36% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Center Township
Where can I hike in Center Township?
The longest trail networks: Minnetrista, 1.7 miles; Dutro-Ernst Woods, 1.2 miles; John Craddock Wetlands Nature Preserve, 0.4 miles; Ball Community Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Center Township is conserved land?
2% 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 Center Township’s trails?
Minnetrista and Dutro-Ernst Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Center Township?
25 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.5 of painted or protected lanes, 17 of off-road paths and 1.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Center Township?
5,508 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Center Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 440 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Center Township have?
Ahead of 41% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #264 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 Center Township 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 →