Photo: User:Mingusboodle · Public domainFranklin Township has 542 acres of parks, 8.2 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Southeastway Park (1.4 mi), Franklin Township Community Park (1.3 mi). 5.7 miles of mapped trail cross Franklin Township, 0.1 per square mile of land. 2% of Franklin Township’s land is conserved, about 478 acres.
Ahead of 32% of U.S. towns · #320 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
How much outdoors does Franklin Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Franklin Township is ahead of 32% of U.S. towns, #320 of 593 in Indiana. All four inputs are below most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park comes closest.
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Franklin Township’s 2% is ahead of 52% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 49% 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 Southeastway Park, with 1.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Franklin Township Community Park
All 10 parks & preserves
478 conserved acres
2% of Franklin Township’s land. Who manages Franklin Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastway Park Local Park | Town or city | 185 | Open |
| Franklin Township Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 97 | Open |
| Wolf Run Park Local Park | Town or city | 52 | Open |
| Five Points & Edgewood Park Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Century Park Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Acton Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Hornet Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Copper Grove Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Wildwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Thompson Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
64 places to go in Franklin Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
60 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
3 lakes & rivers
13 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.
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.
August is the best month for walking in Franklin 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) | 9.7 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 40 | 51 | 63 | 73 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 78 | 65 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Franklin Township →
Franklin Township and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Township | 2% | 0.1 | 8 | 52% | C |
| Warren Township | 4% | 0.2 | 12 | 60% | B− |
| Perry Township | 1% | 0.4 | 4 | 43% | C |
| Indianapolis | 6% | 0.5 | 15 | 61% | B |
| Beech Grove | 3% | 0.1 | 6 | 94% | C+ |
| Greenwood | 2% | 0.3 | 5 | 82% | C+ |
| Sugar Creek Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 6 | 26% | D |
| Pleasant Township | 1% | 0.3 | 5 | 81% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Franklin Township
Where can I hike in Franklin Township?
The longest trail networks: Southeastway Park, 1.4 miles; Franklin Township Community Park, 1.3 miles; Thompson Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Franklin 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 Franklin Township’s trails?
Southeastway Park and Franklin Township Community Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Franklin Township?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.8 of painted or protected lanes and 11 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Franklin Township?
7,375 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Franklin Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 542 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Franklin Township have?
Ahead of 32% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #320 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 Franklin Township 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 →