Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Howland has 12 miles of mapped trails, 0.3 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Old Tannery Park (0.7 mi). 19% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 22 acres are parks and preserves, 16 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 40% of U.S. towns. What drives it
How much outdoors does Howland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Howland is ahead of 40% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
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 Old Tannery Park, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Howland Research Forest
Pond Farm Wildlife Management Area
612 conserved acres
3% of Howland’s land. Who manages Howland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 5 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howland Research Forest Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 589 | Closed |
| Pond Farm Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 317 | Closed |
3 places to go in Howland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 5 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.
The best walking months in Howland: May to September
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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 30 | 39 | 52 | 66 | 74 | 80 | 79 | 70 | 57 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.8 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Howland →
Howland and its neighbors
Howland has the most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howland | 3% | 0.3 | 16 | 19% | C+ |
| Maxfield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Edinburg | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lagrange | — 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 Howland
Where can I hike in Howland?
The longest trail networks: Old Tannery Park, 0.7 miles; Howland Research Forest, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Howland is conserved land?
3% of its land, against a typical 6% for a Maine town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Howland’s trails?
Old Tannery Park and Howland Research Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Howland?
63 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Howland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 22 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Howland have?
Ahead of 40% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Howland 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 →