Photo: Nyttend · Public domainMarion has 190 acres of parks, 6.9 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Matter Park (0.8 mi). 1.5 miles of mapped trail cross Marion, 0.1 per square mile of land. 75% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 30% of U.S. towns · #339 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
How much outdoors does Marion have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Marion is ahead of 30% of U.S. towns, #339 of 593 in Indiana. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Marion’s 1% is ahead of 35% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 42% 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 Matter Park, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lincoln Park
Sunnay Acres Park
All 14 parks & preserves
73 conserved acres
1% of Marion’s land. Who manages Marion’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matter Park Local Park | Town or city | 56 | Open |
| South Marion Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Westlea Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Franklin Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Barnes Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Home Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Seventh Michigan Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
24 places to go in Marion
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 21 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
2 lakes & rivers
5.6 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.
12 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The walking year in Marion
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 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 38 | 49 | 62 | 73 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Marion →
Questions about parks and trails in Marion
Where can I hike in Marion?
The longest trail networks: Matter Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Marion is conserved land?
1% 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 Marion’s trails?
Matter Park and Lincoln Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Marion?
5.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Marion?
6,564 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Marion or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 190 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Marion have?
Ahead of 30% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #339 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 Marion 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 →