Abshire Park
Managed by Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
68 acres1.8 mi of trail
Abshire Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jon Konrath from Oakland, USA · CC BY 2.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Goshen
Goshen has 15 miles of mapped trails, 0.8 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Abshire Park (1.8 mi), Witmer Woods (1.7 mi), Shanklin Park (1.5 mi). 6% of Goshen’s land is conserved, about 659 acres. 511 acres are parks and preserves, 15 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns · #80 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
659 acres · of 17.9 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
511 ac
15 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
67%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
17 mi
2.9 mi lanes · 13 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
6 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Goshen?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Goshen have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Goshen is ahead of 70% of U.S. towns, #80 of 593 in Indiana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Goshen’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (15 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land15 acres of park per 1,000 residents (511 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13BParks close to home67% 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 70%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 87%
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Goshen’s 6% is ahead of 83% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 92% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B 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 Abshire Park, with 1.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Witmer Woods
Managed by Goshen College
19 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Shanklin Park
Managed by Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
98 acres1.5 mi of trail
Goshen Mill Race Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fidler Pond Park
Managed by Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
94 acres1.4 mi of trail
Fidler Pond Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pringle Park
Managed by Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
32 acres0.9 mi of trail
Pringle Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Millrace Trail
Park
10 acres0.9 mi of trail
Millrace Canal Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mill Street Park
Managed by Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
12 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Millrace Park
Managed by Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
23 acres0.4 mi of trail
Millrace Canal Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 24 parks & preserves
Abshire Park68 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsWitmer Woods19 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Goshen College
DirectionsShanklin Park98 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsFidler Pond Park94 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsPringle Park32 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsMillrace Trail10 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMill Street Park12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsMillrace Park23 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsShoup-Parsons Woods Park14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHay Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsRogers Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsMullet Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
Walnut Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsChurch Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsLinway Lake Park8 acres · Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsModel School Park3 acres · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsDykstra Park3 acres · Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsOakridge Park2 acres · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsWater Tower Park2 acres · Goshen Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsRieth Park1 acres · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsBurdick Park1 acres · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsCelebration Park1 acres · Greencroft
DirectionsBakersfield Park1 acres · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
Mike Puro Maple City Greenway Trailhead Plaza1 acres · Goshen Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsWho protects it
659 conserved acres
6% of Goshen’s land. Who manages Goshen’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city495 ac
Private owners127 ac
Joint99 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)44 ac
County4 ac
Local Park · 476 acConservation Easement · 143 acPrivate Park · 127 acState Conservation Area · 19 acLocal Recreation Area · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 49 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Squirrel Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 122 | Open |
| Fidler Pond Park Local Park | Town or city | 96 | Open |
| Shanklin Park Local Park | Town or city | 89 | Open |
| Dr. Larry Beachy Classified Forest Local Park | Town or city | 74 | Open |
| John O. Abshire Park Local Park | Town or city | 71 | Open |
| Linway Lake Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Model School Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Shoup - Parsons Swamp Woods State Conservation Area | Town or city | 19 | Restricted |
| Pringle Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Allan J. Kauffman Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
81 places to go in Goshen
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Goshen
Kerry's Kids PlaygroundIn Hay Park
Directions57 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Goshen
Greencroft Goshen Dog ParkHours: sunrise-sunset
DirectionsSprocket Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Goshen
6 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Goshen
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Goshen
Meadows Picnic AreaIn Shanklin Park
DirectionsPicnic Area - 7In Shanklin Park
DirectionsPicnic Area 1In Shanklin Park
DirectionsPicnic Area 2In Shanklin Park
DirectionsPicnic Area 3In Shanklin Park
DirectionsPicnic Area 4In Shanklin Park
DirectionsPicnic Area 5In Shanklin Park
DirectionsPicnic Area 6In Shanklin Park
Directions1 more picnic area
Riverbend Picnic AreaIn Shanklin Park
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Goshen
Moose Lodge #836 Goshen
DirectionsDisc golf in Goshen
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Goshen
Burdick Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.7 miUnpaved · 10.8 mi
Fidler Pond Trail1.5 mi
Millrace Canal Trail1.3 mi
Goshen Mill Race Trail0.7 mi
Abshire Park Trail0.6 mi
Pringle Park Trail0.5 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
17 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.9 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
13 mi
off-road bike paths
0.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
26Tennis
15Basketball
11Baseball
8Pickleball
8Soccer
8Beach volleyball
6Football
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 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.
Elkhart County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itGoshen Carnegie Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1983
About itGoshen Historic DistriictDistrict · listed 1983
About itWilliam N. Violett HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itFort Wayne Street BridgeStructure · listed 2005
About itViolett-Martin House and GardensBuilding · listed 2007
About itDierdorff FarmsteadBuilding · listed 2011
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Goshen: April and September
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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 47 | 60 | 71 | 80 | 83 | 81 | 75 | 63 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.2 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Goshen →
Next door
Goshen and its neighbors
Goshen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goshen | 6% | 0.8 | 15 | 67% | B+ |
| Dunlap | 7% | 1.3 | 45 | 52% | A− |
| Concord Township | 3% | 0.3 | 12 | 64% | B− |
| Jefferson Township | 2% | 0.1 | 9 | 7% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Goshen
Where can I hike in Goshen?
The longest trail networks: Abshire Park, 1.8 miles; Witmer Woods, 1.7 miles; Shanklin Park, 1.5 miles; Fidler Pond Park, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Goshen is conserved land?
6% 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 Goshen’s trails?
Abshire Park and Witmer Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Goshen?
17 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.9 of painted or protected lanes, 13 of off-road paths and 0.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Goshen?
2,932 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Goshen or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 511 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Goshen have?
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #80 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 Goshen 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 →