Photo: Kaethesson · CC BY-SA 3.0Parsons has 8.0 miles of mapped trails, 0.8 for every square mile of land
93% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Forest Park (0.9 mi), Parsons Arboretum (0.7 mi). 222 acres are parks and preserves, 24 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #23 of 151 in Kansas. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Parsons?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Parsons have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Parsons is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #23 of 151 in Kansas. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
Few Kansas towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Parsons’ 3% is ahead of 67% of Kansas towns, while its trails per square mile lead 81% 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 Forest Park, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Parsons Arboretum
Circle Park
Prarie West Park
All 9 parks & preserves
208 conserved acres
3% of Parsons’ land. Who manages Parsons’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tolen Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 69 | Open |
| Marvel Park Local Park | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Winway Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Glenwood Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Forest Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Arvon Phillips Recreation Center Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Circle Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Prairie West Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Mcelhaney Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Railroad Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
16 places to go in Parsons
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
13 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 disc golf course without a name on the map.
2 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
0.0 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). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The walking year in Parsons
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) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 44 | 49 | 59 | 69 | 77 | 86 | 90 | 90 | 82 | 71 | 58 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 1.5 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 4.7 | 6.7 | 5.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.1 |
January is the driest month (1.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 6.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Parsons →
Parsons and its neighbors
Parsons has the most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parsons | 3% | 0.8 | 24 | 93% | A− |
| Osage Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Parsons
Where can I hike in Parsons?
The longest trail networks: Forest Park, 0.9 miles; Parsons Arboretum, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Parsons is conserved land?
3% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Kansas town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Parsons’ trails?
Forest Park and Parsons Arboretum don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Parsons?
456 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Parsons or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 222 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Parsons have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #23 of 151 in Kansas. 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 Parsons 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 →