Lake Roland
Managed by Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks
452 acres12.9 mi of trail
Red TrailYellow TrailPurple TrailPink Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Aspifi · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Towson
Towson has 30 miles of mapped trails, 2.1 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Lake Roland (12.9 mi), Essex Farms Park (0.9 mi), Glen Arboretum (0.6 mi). 87% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 7% of Towson’s land is conserved, about 597 acres.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #85 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
597 acres · of 14.2 sq mi of land
Trails
30 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
587 ac
10 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
87%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.1 mi
7.0 mi lanes · 0.4 mi paths
Highest peak
509 ft
Abell Ridge
Lakes & rivers
6
What kind of outdoors town is Towson?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Towson have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Towson is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #85 of 261 in Maryland. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Towson’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical MD town 9% · U.S. 4%B+Trails2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (30 mi) · MD 0.5 · U.S. 0.4APark land10 acres of park per 1,000 residents (587 acres) · MD 9 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home87% of residents within a half mile of a park · MD 87% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 80%
LessMore
Maryland towns of 2,500+ (261)Ahead of 68%
Maryland towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 9%; the U.S., 4%), so Towson’s 7% is ahead of 38% of Maryland towns, while its trails per square mile lead 91% 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 Lake Roland, with 12.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Essex Farms Park
Managed by Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks
16 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Roland Run Greenway
Managed by Baltimore County Department of Public Works
37 acres0.4 mi of trail
Royal Farms Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 19 parks & preserves
Lake Roland452 acres · 12.9 mi of trail · Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks
DirectionsEssex Farms Park16 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks
DirectionsGlen Arboretum10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRoland Run Greenway37 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Baltimore County Department of Public Works
DirectionsRidervale Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks
West Towson Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Baltimore County Government
Radabaugh Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGlendale Park15 acres
DirectionsOverlook Park12 acres
Campus Hills Park8 acres
DirectionsForge Park7 acres
DirectionsRiderwood Hills Park4 acres
DirectionsTowson Manor Park2 acres · Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks
DirectionsRidgely Manor Park2 acres · NeighborSpace of Baltimore County
Patriot Plaza1 acres
DirectionsTot Lot1 acres
Idlewood Park1 acres · Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks
Cancer Survivors Park1 acres
DirectionsJones Falls Greenway1 acres · Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks
Who protects it
597 conserved acres
7% of Towson’s land. Who manages Towson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County80 ac
State natural resources63 ac
Other state land46 ac
State conservation44 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government22 ac
Joint7 ac
Not recorded453 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 380 acLocal Park · 129 acConservation Easement · 89 acUnknown Easement · 51 acForest Stewardship Easement · 28 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 76 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 24 of 51 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert E. Lee Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 308 | Unknown |
| Jones Fall Park Local Park | Not recorded | 53 | Unknown |
| Essex Farm Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 40 | Unknown |
| Glendale Park Local Park | County | 29 | Open |
| Drainage And Utility Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
| Lp5014 Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 15 | Open |
| Bunting Acquisition (Met) State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 13 | Open |
| Riverdale Park Local Park | County | 13 | Open |
| Local Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 10 | Unknown |
| Overlook Park Local Park | County | 7 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
88 places to go in Towson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Towson
Avalon Swimming Pool
DirectionsWiltondale Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Towson
Acorn HillIn Lake Roland
DirectionsCarroll’s Gill’s Nature Nook
Directions58 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Towson
Paw Point Dog ParkIn Lake Roland
DirectionsRodgers Forge Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Towson
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Towson
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Towson
Abandoned QuarryIn Lake Roland
DirectionsOld Transmission Tower
DirectionsQuarry OverlookIn Lake Roland
DirectionsPeaks in Towson
Abell Ridge509 ft elevation
DirectionsLuskins Hill472 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Towson
15 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Community gardens in Towson
Avalon Courtyard 1Avalon
DirectionsAvalon Courtyard 2Avalon
DirectionsTrails & water
21 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.3 miHorses · 2.0 miUnpaved · 26.5 mi
Red Trail1.9 mi
Yellow Trail1.1 mi
Blue Trail0.8 mi
Pink Trail0.6 mi
Purple Trail0.6 mi
Green Trail0.5 mi
North Centrail Railroad Towson Spur (unbuilt)0.5 mi
Orange Trail0.5 mi
White Trail0.4 mi
Field Loop Path0.4 mi
11 more trails
Royal Farms Trail
0.4 miRidge Trail
0.3 miKingfisher Wetland Trail
0.3 miRed Trail Alternate
0.3 miLight Rail Boardwalk
0.3 miGoucher College Wooded Trails
0.2 miQuercus Familius
0.2 miPaved Loop
0.1 miBrown Dot Trail
0.1 miOld Blue Trail
0.1 miNature Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.0 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.4 mi
off-road bike paths
0.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
East Coast Greenway (MD)Bike route
0.5 miCourts & fields
121Tennis
31Baseball
25Pickleball
18Basketball
17Soccer
12Multi-sport
10Tracks
9Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →18 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 59 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital and GatehouseNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1971
About itBaltimore County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itAuburn HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itVilla AnneslieBuilding · listed 1977
About itBare Hills HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itSt. John's ChurchBuilding · listed 1982
About itTyrconnellBuilding · listed 1985
About itTowson AcademyBuilding · listed 1985
About itLake Roland Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1992
About itAigburth ValeBuilding · listed 1999
About itStoneleigh Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itGoucher CollegeDistrict · listed 2007
About it6 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Towson: April to June and August
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 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 45 | 54 | 66 | 75 | 84 | 88 | 85 | 79 | 68 | 56 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 4.7 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Towson →
Next door
Towson and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Baltimore85 miHampton44 miTowson30 miPikesville7.2 miMays Chapel6.3 miParkville1.0 miLutherville0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Towson | 7% | 2.1 | 10 | 87% | A− |
| Baltimore | 9% | 1.1 | 10 | 98% | A− |
| Pikesville | 7% | 0.6 | 1 | 49% | C+ |
| Parkville | 3% | 0.2 | 2 | 96% | B− |
| Hampton | 46% | 7.4 | 68 | 85% | A+ |
| Mays Chapel | 7% | 1.4 | 7 | 67% | B+ |
| Lutherville | 3% | 0.3 | 6 | 66% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Towson
Where can I hike in Towson?
The longest trail networks: Lake Roland, 12.9 miles; Essex Farms Park, 0.9 miles; Glen Arboretum, 0.6 miles; Roland Run Greenway, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Towson is conserved land?
7% 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 Towson’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Lake Roland (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Towson?
8.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.0 of painted or protected lanes, 0.4 of off-road paths and 0.6 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: East Coast Greenway (MD).
Is there public land near Towson?
20,973 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Towson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 587 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Towson have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #85 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 Towson 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 →