John W. Hunter House · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.07% of Birmingham’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 5.2 miles of mapped trail cross Birmingham, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Barnum Park (1.1 mi), Linden Park (0.5 mi), Shain Park (0.5 mi).
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #131 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Birmingham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Birmingham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Birmingham is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #131 of 701 in Michigan. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull 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 Barnum Park, with 1.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Linden Park
Birmingham Historical Museum and Park
All 22 parks & preserves
207 conserved acres
7% of Birmingham’s land. Who manages Birmingham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Hills Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 62 | Open |
| Springdale Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 33 | Restricted |
| Linden Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Poppleton Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Kenning Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Booth Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Barnum Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Manor Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Birmingham Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 7 | Restricted |
| Pembroke Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
50 places to go in Birmingham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
39 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
6 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
2 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
3.0 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.
3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Birmingham: August and 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 34 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Birmingham →
Birmingham and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 7% | 1.1 | 11 | 99%+ | A |
| Bloomfield Township | 6% | 0.9 | 1 | 40% | C+ |
| Troy | 5% | 0.6 | 12 | 78% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Birmingham
Where can I hike in Birmingham?
The longest trail networks: Barnum Park, 1.1 miles; Linden Park, 0.5 miles; Shain Park, 0.5 miles; Booth Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Birmingham is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Michigan town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Birmingham’s trails?
Barnum Park and Linden Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Birmingham?
3.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.2 of painted or protected lanes and 1.7 of off-road paths. Named routes: Birmingham Neighborhood Connector.
Is there public land near Birmingham?
12,490 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Birmingham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 234 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Birmingham have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #131 of 701 in Michigan. 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 Birmingham 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 →