Paint Branch Stream Valley Park
Managed by Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
202 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Blacktupelo · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in College Park
12% of College Park’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
12% of College Park’s land is conserved, about 440 acres. The biggest trail networks: Paint Branch Stream Valley Park (0.8 mi), Lakeland Park (0.5 mi). 4.3 miles of mapped trail cross College Park, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #93 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
440 acres · of 5.6 sq mi of land
Trails
4.3 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
210 ac
6.1 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
26 mi
8.4 mi lanes · 10 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is College Park?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does College Park have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, College Park is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #93 of 261 in Maryland. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of College Park’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical MD town 9% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · MD 0.5 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land6.1 acres of park per 1,000 residents (210 acres) · MD 9 · U.S. 13CParks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · MD 87% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 80%
LessMore
Maryland towns of 2,500+ (261)Ahead of 65%
Maryland towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 9%; the U.S., 4%), so College Park’s 12% is ahead of 67% of Maryland towns, while its trails per square mile lead 65% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. 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 Paint Branch Stream Valley Park, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Lakeland Park
Managed by City of College Park
17 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lake Artemesia Park
Managed by Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
86 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
College Park Airport
Managed by Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
39 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 21 parks & preserves
Paint Branch Stream Valley Park202 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLakeland Park17 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of College Park
DirectionsCollege Park Woods Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLake Artemesia Park86 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsPaint Branch Parkway Park14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsJTTC11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCalvert Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCollege Park Community Center6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsHerbert W. Wells Ice Skating Center3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNorthgate Urban Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCollege Park Airport39 acres · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsPaint Branch Golf Complex18 acres · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsIndian Creek Stream Valley Park12 acres · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsDuvall Field6 acres
DirectionsCherry Hill Park5 acres · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsEllen E. Linson Aquatic Center5 acres · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsFormer Ninety-Fourth Aero Squadron Restaurant4 acres · Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLa Plata Beach2 acres
DirectionsSunnyside Neigborhood Park1 acres
DirectionsCalvert Hills Playground & Athletic Field1 acres
Old Town Playground1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
440 conserved acres
12% of College Park’s land. Who manages College Park’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County121 ac
Other state land98 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government17 ac
Regional agency7 ac
Not recorded353 ac
State Other or Unknown · 327 acConservation Easement · 128 acForest Stewardship Easement · 93 acLocal Other or Unknown · 26 acLocal Park · 22 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 65 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 51 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Creek Stream Valley Park State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 235 | Unknown |
| Cherry Hill Road Community Park State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 36 | Unknown |
| Paint Branch Stream Valley Park State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 30 | Unknown |
| Paint Branch Golf Course Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
| Acredale Community Park State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 23 | Unknown |
| Hollywood Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 15 | Open |
| College Park Woods Park Local Park | Regional agency | 7 | Open |
| Calvert Community Park State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 4 | Unknown |
Things to do
51 places to go in College Park
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in College Park
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in College Park
Branchville Playground
Directions37 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in College Park
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Scenic views in College Park
College Park AirportIn Paint Branch Stream Valley Park
DirectionsPaint BranchIn Paint Branch Stream Valley Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in College Park
6 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Community gardens in College Park
Community Learning Garden
DirectionsPlus 2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.2 mi
Wooded Hillock Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
26 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
10 mi
off-road bike paths
7.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
31Tennis
19Basketball
7Baseball
5Football
4Soccer
3Volleyball
3Beach volleyball
2Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in College Park: April to June
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 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 43 | 47 | 55 | 67 | 75 | 84 | 88 | 86 | 79 | 68 | 57 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 4.5 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in College Park →
Next door
College Park and its neighbors
College Park has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Greenbelt17 miCollege Park4.3 miBeltsville4.2 miRiverdale Park1.9 miAdelphi0.4 miBerwyn Heights0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Park | 12% | 0.8 | 6 | 99% | A− |
| Adelphi | 10% | 0.1 | 5 | 90% | B |
| Beltsville | 6% | 0.6 | 6 | 97% | B+ |
| Greenbelt | 40% | 2.8 | 10 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Riverdale Park | 27% | 1.2 | 15 | 99%+ | A |
| Berwyn Heights | 2% | 0.1 | 2 | 99%+ | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in College Park
Where can I hike in College Park?
The longest trail networks: Paint Branch Stream Valley Park, 0.8 miles; Lakeland Park, 0.5 miles; Lake Artemesia Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of College Park is conserved land?
12% of its land, against a typical 9% for a Maryland town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on College Park’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Lake Artemesia Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in College Park?
26 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.4 of painted or protected lanes, 10 of off-road paths and 7.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near College Park?
16,968 acres of parks and open public land lie inside College Park or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 210 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does College Park have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #93 of 261 in Maryland. 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 College Park 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 →