Pawnee Prairie Park
Park
454 acres11.7 mi of trail
Air Capital Memorial Park West Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Wichita
Wichita has 103 miles of mapped trails, 0.6 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Pawnee Prairie Park (11.7 mi), Clapp Memorial Park (4 mi), North Chisholm Creek Park (2.8 mi). 4% of Wichita’s land is conserved, about 4,498 acres. 70% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns · #43 of 151 in Kansas. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
4,498 acres · of 165.1 sq mi of land
Trails
103 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,091 ac
13 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
70%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
87 mi
20 mi lanes · 67 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
26
5 beaches · 4 boat launches
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Wichita have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Wichita is ahead of 63% of U.S. towns, #43 of 151 in Kansas. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Wichita’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical KS town 2% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (103 mi) · KS 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land13 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,091 acres) · KS 13 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home70% of residents within a half mile of a park · KS 76% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 63%
LessMore
Kansas towns of 2,500+ (151)Ahead of 72%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Wichita ranks #305 on Outdoors.
Few Kansas towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Wichita’s 4% is ahead of 78% of Kansas towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% 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 Pawnee Prairie Park, with 11.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Clapp Memorial Park
Managed by City of Wichita
87 acres4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
North Chisholm Creek Park
Park
58 acres2.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Great Plains Nature Center
Park
236 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Central Riverside Park
Managed by City of Wichita
58 acres1.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Edgemoor Park
Managed by City of Wichita
35 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Air Capital Memorial Park
Park
19 acres1.7 mi of trail
Air Capital Memorial Park West LoopAir Capital Memorial Park East LoopAir Capital Memorial Park North Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 103 parks & preserves
Pawnee Prairie Park454 acres · 11.7 mi of trail
DirectionsClapp Memorial Park87 acres · 4 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsNorth Chisholm Creek Park58 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsGreat Plains Nature Center236 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPracht Wetlands Park94 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Riverside Park58 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsEdgemoor Park35 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsAir Capital Memorial Park19 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Lakes Park216 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsChapin Park168 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsEvergreen Park27 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Swanson Park90 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLinwood Park South48 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Murdock Park16 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Southview Park30 acres · 1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsDr. Glen Dey Park128 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsNorth Riverside Park30 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of Wichita
O.J. Watson Park131 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsCessna East Park23 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsOrchard Park14 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHarrison Park37 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsHerman Hill Park34 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsCollege Hill Park30 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsAley Park14 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsPlainview Park120 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsCypress Park11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsMinisa Park11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Woodland North Park9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Hyde Park4 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Brown Thrush Park43 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSunset Park19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsBoston Park19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsFairmount Park18 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsSouth Riverside Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsColumbine Park12 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsPiatt Memorial Park4 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Buffalo Park43 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsOsage Park18 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsWest Douglas Park18 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsHarvest Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsA. Price Woodward Jr. Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsMcAdams Park55 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsMeadows Park48 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Arthur B. Sim Memorial Park44 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsCessna West Park21 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Linwood Park North19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Veterans’ Memorial Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsWestlink Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSpruce Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsK-96 Lake Park90 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsKiwanis Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLynette Woodard Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsMeadowlark Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Elm Neighborhood Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Emporia Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsGlenn Village Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Naftzger Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsThird & Piatt Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Oak Park34 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Garvey Park28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsWest Side Athletic Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsSycamore Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEastview Park18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsPeachtree Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Claude Lambe Park14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Schweiter Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsWoodland Park South9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Schell Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
MacDonald Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Leon Robinson Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsDelano Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsGoldenrod Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Henry Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Prospect Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsMayor's Pine Grove2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsMillwood Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
Grandview Heights Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Wichita
DirectionsSouth Arkansas River Greenway170 acres · City of Wichita
Hellers Park28 acres · City of Wichita
Emery Memorial Park25 acres · City of Wichita
DirectionsCottonwood Park23 acres · City of Wichita
DirectionsDistrict II Land14 acres
DirectionsMeridian Park14 acres · City of Wichita
Indian Hills Greenway9 acres · City of Wichita
DirectionsTowne Park9 acres · City of Wichita
Big Arkansas River Park9 acres · City of Wichita
DirectionsRed Barn Park9 acres
Redbud Park9 acres
Riverview Park9 acres · City of Wichita
Bridgeport Soccer Fields7 acres · City of Wichita
DirectionsPalisade Park7 acres
Sleepy Hollow Park4 acres · City of Wichita
Friendship Park4 acres · City of Wichita
DirectionsMead Island4 acres · City of Wichita
Pocket Park4 acres
Otis Park4 acres · City of Wichita
Phyllis Hall Memorial Park2 acres · City of Wichita
Seneca Park2 acres · City of Wichita
Pat Garcia Veterans Memorial Park2 acres · City of Wichita
Sterling Park2 acres
DirectionsBarrington Park2 acres
Longview Neighborhood Park2 acres · City of Wichita
Who protects it
4,498 conserved acres
4% of Wichita’s land. Who manages Wichita’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city4,014 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government441 ac
Private owners41 ac
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service7 ac
Local Park · 3,648 acLocal Recreation Area · 808 acPrivate Park · 41 acFederal Other or Unknown · 7 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crystal Prairie Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 429 | Open |
| Pawnee Prairie Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 420 | Open |
| South Lakes Park Local Park | Town or city | 239 | Open |
| Auburn Hills Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 197 | Open |
| Tex Consolver Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 186 | Open |
| Chapin Park Local Park | Town or city | 175 | Open |
| South Arkansas River Greenway Local Park | Town or city | 149 | Open |
| Dr. Glen Dey Park Local Park | Town or city | 143 | Open |
| Alfred MacDonald Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 140 | Open |
| Planeview Park Local Park | Town or city | 131 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
185 places to go in Wichita
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Wichita
5 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Wichita
Plus 2 public pools without a name on the map.
Playgrounds in Wichita
Adventure PlayscapeFee
DirectionsButtonwood Tree Playground
DirectionsCedarbrooke Playground
DirectionsChadsworth playground
DirectionsHampton Lakes Playground
DirectionsLincoln Park
DirectionsSGNA Playground
DirectionsSleepy Hollow Playground
Directions1 more playground
Sterling PlaygroundIn Sterling Park
Directions158 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Wichita
Cedarbrooke Dog Park
DirectionsClaremont Dog Park
DirectionsCountry Acres Dog Park
DirectionsFox Run Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 5 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Wichita
4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Wichita
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Disc golf in Wichita
Evergreen Disc Golf CourseIn Evergreen Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Wichita
2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 26 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.3 miHorses · 8.8 miUnpaved · 9.1 mi
Air Capital Memorial Park West Loop1.0 mi
levee0.6 mi
Air Capital Memorial Park East Loop0.5 mi
Air Capital Memorial Park North Loop0.4 mi
Pathway between buildings0.4 mi
Levee0.2 mi
Meadows Park0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Blackbird PondpondCadillac LakereservoirDillons PondHoneysuckle LakeLockmoorLonglakeLower Autumn LakeMeadows of Shadybrook PondpondPaul's PondPicnic LakePolo PondSouth LakelakeSpring Branch Tributary NorthreservoirSunflower PondpondSunrise LakeSunset LakeTurtle PondUpper Autumn LakeWaterfall LakeWillow LakeWoodland PondArkansas RiverCowskin CreekFourmile CreekLittle Arkansas RiverM.S. "Mitch" Mitchell Floodway
Biking & sports
87 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
20 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
67 mi
off-road bike paths
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
239Tennis
117Baseball
59Soccer
57Basketball
41Golf
32Pickleball
27Football
13Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →140 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 14 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Knightley's Parking GarageBuilding
About itUniversity Hall, Friends UniversityBuilding · listed 1971
About itOld Sedgwick County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itWichita City HallBuilding · listed 1971
About itCarey HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itScottish Rite TempleBuilding · listed 1972
About itHenry J. Allen HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itB. H. Campbell HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itRock Island DepotBuilding · listed 1973
About itHillside CottageBuilding · listed 1976
About itArkansas Valley Lodge No. 21, Prince Hall MasonsBuilding · listed 1977
About itChester I. Long HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About it128 more on the History page.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Wichita
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) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 44 | 49 | 59 | 68 | 78 | 88 | 93 | 91 | 83 | 71 | 57 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 5.2 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.2 |
January is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 93 °F). 5.2 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 93 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Wichita →
Next door
Wichita and its neighbors
Wichita has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Wichita103 miMinneha Township12 miGypsum Township11 miRiverside Township5.2 miKechi Township3.1 miPark Township2.2 miAttica Township1.5 miMaize0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | 4% | 0.6 | 13 | 70% | B |
| Minneha Township | under 1% | 1.3 | 6 | 44% | C+ |
| Riverside Township | 2% | 0.4 | 15 | 88% | B |
| Attica Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 2 | 21% | D |
| Park Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 1 | 22% | D |
| Kechi Township | 1% | 0.2 | 14 | 87% | B− |
| Gypsum Township | under 1% | 0.3 | 18 | 46% | C+ |
| Maize | under 1% | 0.1 | 3 | 28% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Wichita
Where can I hike in Wichita?
The longest trail networks: Pawnee Prairie Park, 11.7 miles; Clapp Memorial Park, 4 miles; North Chisholm Creek Park, 2.8 miles; Great Plains Nature Center, 2.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Wichita is conserved land?
4% 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 Wichita’s trails?
Pawnee Prairie Park and Clapp Memorial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wichita?
87 miles of bike routes are on the map: 20 of painted or protected lanes, 67 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Wichita?
7,343 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wichita or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,091 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Wichita have?
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #43 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 Wichita 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 →