River Rouge Park
Managed by City of Detroit
903 acres13 mi of trail
Rouge Park MTB TrailPrairie PathwayStone Bridge Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
McGregor Memorial Conference Center · Photo: Matt Joseph · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Detroit
Detroit has 107 miles of mapped trails, 0.8 for every square mile of land
95% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: River Rouge Park (13 mi), Belle Isle (11.7 mi), Palmer Park (4.2 mi). 6% of Detroit’s land is conserved, about 5,611 acres.
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns · #242 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
5,611 acres · of 138.7 sq mi of land
Trails
107 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,755 ac
9.0 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
187 mi
88 mi lanes · 65 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
16
2 beaches · 21 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Detroit?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Detroit have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Detroit is ahead of 75% of U.S. towns, #242 of 701 in Michigan. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Detroit’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (107 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land9.0 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,755 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home95% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 75%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 66%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Detroit ranks #237 on Outdoors.
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 River Rouge Park, with 13 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Belle Isle
Nature preserve
895 acres11.7 mi of trail
Nashua TrailDriker TrailTrout Lily TrailWildwood Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Eliza Howell Park
Managed by City of Detroit
248 acres3.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park
Park
22 acres2.2 mi of trail
Nature Walk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Riverside Park
Managed by City of Detroit
30 acres2 mi of trail
Detroit Riverwalk
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 296 parks & preserves
River Rouge Park903 acres · 13 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsBelle Isle895 acres · 11.7 mi of trail
DirectionsPalmer Park296 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEliza Howell Park248 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsFarwell Field86 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRalph C. Wilson, Jr. Centennial Park22 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsChandler Park201 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Park30 acres · 2 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsJayne Playfield48 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsClark Park30 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsFort Wayne75 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsStoepel Park No. 128 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsO'Hair Park81 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Detroit Parks and Recreation
Balduck Memorial Park57 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Detroit Parks & Recreation Department
DirectionsMaheras-Gentry Park56 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsAlfred Brush Ford Park31 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsRiverfront-Lakewood East Park25 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsWilliam G. Milliken State Park21 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAdams Butzel Recreation Complex31 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPingree Park19 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsComstock Playground27 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHart Plaza10 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHope Playground17 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsRoosevelt Park11 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsPeterson Playfield19 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsLittlefield Playfield12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Krainz Park11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
LaSalle Park5 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Rogell Park125 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsPatton Park65 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRomanowski Park26 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsStein Playground23 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsJoe Louis Park13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Nardin Park5 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsOptimist-Stout Playground5 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCass Park5 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsAlfonso Wells Memorial Playground5 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Van Antwerp Park20 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLipke Playground15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Milan Playground11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Wish Egan Field10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSimanek Playfield8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsForest Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDad Butler Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Stoepel Park Number 236 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Gabriel Richard Park17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHeilmann Playfield15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLasky Park14 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDelray Recreation Center10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsJoseph Walker Williams Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFields Playground7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMessmer Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Piwok Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPerrien Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Margaret Simmons Playground5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Calimera Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Grand Circus Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKern Playground4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Corrigan Playground4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCullen Plaza3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRussell Woods Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Circle Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · DTE
DirectionsOudolf Garden Detroit1 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsErma Henderson Park36 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsO'Shea Playground21 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsElmwood Central Park17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Campau Park14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSt. Hedwig Park13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGmeiner Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBrewer Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Marruso Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
David P Kelley Jr Playground5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Dueweke Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRiordan Playground4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Belton-Mark Twain Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGreenview-Wadsworth Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Syracuse Playground4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Mallett Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
State Fair Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert C. Valade Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBale Playground3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsArthur Playground3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Walter & Mae Reuther Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEdmore and Marbud Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Stockton Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Howarth Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Knudsen Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Scripps Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsDequindre Cut Greenway25 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLafayette Plaisance Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAretha Franklin Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDelray Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMariner Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsLafayette Central Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsBradby Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Ze Mound4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreene Playground4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
St. Martins Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLloyd H. Ryan Playground4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHardstein Playground4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Clinton Park (DPS)3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Weaver-Penrod Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Tuttle Playground3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Varrier Playground3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Votrobeck Playground3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRalph Bunche Cooperative Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHackett Playground3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Viola Liuzzo Playground3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsYates Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCommunity Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMarx Playground2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDiack Playground2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Gorham Playground2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Doan Playground2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCook Playground2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Dean Savage Memorial Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHansen Playground2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Detroit
DirectionsSawyer Playground2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Harold Cross Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Military-Regular Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Mollicone Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJohnson Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Rosemont-Acacia Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLaker Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
McDuffy Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
O'Brien Playground1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Greening of Detroit Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWalter Sak Playground1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Douglas Ramsay Memorial Playground1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions30th-Herbert Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Riverfront Garden Rooms1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGordon Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Weiss Playground1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
John R. Watson Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsOxygen Alley1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWigle New Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMarx-Remington Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lafayette-NYCRR Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Stanton Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHarmonie Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBryant Vermont Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRouge Valley Parkway99 acres
DirectionsOuter Drive Fullerton Park50 acres
Dorais Park30 acres
DirectionsReid Memorial Park28 acres · City of Detroit
DirectionsKemeney Park21 acres
DirectionsHammerberg Park21 acres
DirectionsConnor Playfield19 acres
Dingeman Park15 acres · Detroit Public Schools
DirectionsLodge Playground13 acres
DirectionsEngel Memorial Park11 acres · City of Detroit
Sasser Playfield11 acres
Salsinger Playground11 acres
DirectionsTolan Park9 acres
Owen Park8 acres
DirectionsButzel Playground7 acres
DirectionsManz Playfield7 acres
DirectionsLeroy Dues Playfield7 acres
DirectionsVoigt Park7 acres
Forman Park7 acres
Edward G. Heckel Park7 acres
DirectionsHunt Playground6 acres
DirectionsArthur L. Fletcher Playfield6 acres
McCabe Park6 acres
Hines Parkway5 acres
DirectionsNorth Rosedale Park Community House & Grounds5 acres
DirectionsNagel Park5 acres · City of Detroit
DirectionsSkinner Playfield5 acres
DirectionsBessy Playground5 acres
DirectionsTireman-Littlefield4 acres
Bridgeview Park4 acres
Markulis Playground4 acres
Warren-Meldrum Park4 acres
DirectionsMt. Elliot Park3 acres
DirectionsBieniek Park3 acres
Margareta Park3 acres
James Vernor Playground3 acres
DirectionsBrush Mall3 acres · Detroit Medical Center
DirectionsSchuster Playground3 acres
DirectionsSylvester-Seyburn Park3 acres
DirectionsMartz Park3 acres
Stout Park3 acres
Outer Drive-Burgess Park3 acres
DirectionsIntervale-Roselawn Park3 acres
John C. Luger Playground3 acres · Hartford Memorial Baptist Church
DirectionsAlgonquin-Goethe3 acres
Reuther Mall3 acres
DirectionsBiraga Playground3 acres
Brush Park3 acres · City of Detroit
DirectionsCastador Park3 acres
DirectionsFargo-Oakfield Park3 acres
Molena-Castle Playground3 acres
Zussman Playground3 acres
DirectionsLuce-St. Louis Playground3 acres
DirectionsFitzpatrick-Warwick Playground3 acres
DirectionsCadillac Square Park3 acres
DirectionsBringard-Boulder Park3 acres
Collins Park3 acres
DirectionsTroester-Hayes3 acres
Phelps Playground2 acres
Optimist-Parkgrove Playground2 acres
Latham Playground2 acres
Fitzpatrick Park2 acres
Fargo-Fenton Park2 acres · City of Detroit
Robinwood Park2 acres
Evans Park2 acres
Conant-Minnesota Park2 acres
DirectionsPallister Park2 acres
DirectionsShirley-Plymouth Park2 acres
Higgins Park2 acres · Detroit Public Schools
Peck Park2 acres
Bradley Playground2 acres
DirectionsRudolph Szafraniec Playground2 acres
DirectionsBeland Manning Park2 acres
Dolores Benett Park2 acres
DirectionsVirginia Park Gateway2 acres · Parks of New Center
DirectionsConner Parkway2 acres
Watson Playground2 acres
DirectionsCalcara Park2 acres
Midland-Bentler Playground2 acres
Woodward and Warren Park1 acres
DirectionsCCS Sculpture Garden1 acres
DirectionsMansfield-Diversey Playground1 acres
Saint Anthony Playground1 acres
DirectionsBoyer Playfield1 acres
DirectionsSeven Mile-Appleton Playground1 acres
Dabrowski Park1 acres
DirectionsCampus Martius Park1 acres · Downtown Detroit Partnership
DirectionsBrookins Park1 acres
Callahan Playground1 acres
John Thomas Yaksich Park1 acres
Ben Hill Playground1 acres
Circle Forest1 acres
DirectionsMcShane Park1 acres
Directions4-H Park1 acres · Brighter Detroit
DirectionsBeacon Park1 acres
DirectionsLitsitz Memorial Playground1 acres
DirectionsEwald Playground1 acres
Keast Commons1 acres
Reid Park1 acres
Ames Park1 acres
Burns-Lambert Park1 acres
Malish Playground1 acres · City of Detroit
DirectionsTraverse-McClellan1 acres
Fountain Court1 acres
DirectionsScarcyny Park & Garden1 acres
Frederick Linsell Green1 acres
DirectionsMackay-Modern Park1 acres
Wilson Park1 acres
Downey Playlot1 acres
DirectionsKeith Slappy Park1 acres
Armour-Knodell Park1 acres
Lincoln Street Art Park1 acres
DirectionsMaiullo Park1 acres · City of Detroit
DirectionsGrayfield-Glenhurst Park1 acres
DirectionsMuliett Park1 acres
DirectionsCCS Business Green1 acres
DirectionsConstance-St. Marys Park1 acres
Kiwanis Club No. 11 acres
DirectionsHyde Park1 acres
DirectionsKeidan Park1 acres
DirectionsWSU East Campus Green1 acres
DirectionsKnox Court Park1 acres · First Independence National Bank
DirectionsCoventry Park1 acres
DirectionsCentenntial Garden1 acres
Dequindre-Grixdale Park1 acres
Capitol Park1 acres
DirectionsKaraniewski Park1 acres
DirectionsBeniteau Community Park1 acres · Rebuilding Communities, Inc.
DirectionsHarvey-Junction Park1 acres
Facsko Park1 acres
Buffalo Soldiers Memorial Park1 acres
Woodward-7 Mile Park1 acres
DirectionsSirotkin Park1 acres
Twork Park1 acres
Dinning Park1 acres
Fiori Park1 acres
New Center Park1 acres
DirectionsRussell-Maderiea1 acres · City of Detroit
Murphy Playlot1 acres
DirectionsLafayette Greens1 acres
DirectionsCity Sculpture Park1 acres · Robert Sestok
Crockett Park1 acres
Directions4th Street-Charlotte Playground1 acres
DirectionsFort Street Bridge Park1 acres
DirectionsHantz Playground1 acres
DirectionsBeard Park1 acres
DirectionsBelden-Santa Maria Park1 acres
DirectionsConant Gardens Association Park1 acres · Conant Gardens Property Owners Association
DirectionsCommonwealth-Marquette Park1 acres
DirectionsPuritan-Coyle Park1 acres
Mt. Elliott-Zender Park1 acres
DirectionsCouzens-Outer Drive Park1 acres
Sherwood Park1 acres
Directions25th-Toledo Park1 acres
Canfield-Sheriden Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
5,611 conserved acres
6% of Detroit’s land. Who manages Detroit’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city5,004 ac
Private owners356 ac
State natural resources215 ac
Other state land23 ac
County7 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits4 ac
Regional agency3 ac
Local Park · 4,083 acLocal Recreation Area · 959 acPrivate Park · 350 acState Recreation Area · 187 acState Park · 28 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rouge Park Local Park | Town or city | 1,105 | Open |
| Belle Isle Local Park | Town or city | 920 | Open |
| Palmer Local Park | Town or city | 294 | Open |
| Detroit Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 283 | Restricted |
| Eliza Howell Local Park | Town or city | 250 | Open |
| Chandler Local Park | Town or city | 197 | Open |
| Michigan State Fairgrounds State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 187 | Open |
| Rogell Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 128 | Open |
| Farwell Local Park | Town or city | 89 | Open |
| O'Hair Local Park | Town or city | 78 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
494 places to go in Detroit
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Detroit
Belle Isle Beach
DirectionsHipster BeachIn Belle Isle
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Detroit
4th and Calumet Park
DirectionsBurton International Academy
DirectionsHansen PlaygroundIn Hansen Playground
DirectionsKids Row PlaygroundIn Belle Isle
DirectionsRiverfront Community PlaygroundIn Cullen Plaza
DirectionsSt. Gabriel Parish Playground
Directions421 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Detroit
Barkside Detroit
DirectionsGrand Circus Dog ParkIn Grand Circus Park
DirectionsHoly Paws Dog Park
DirectionsMacomb Park
DirectionsMidtown Dog Park
DirectionsNew Center Dog Park
DirectionsRiverside Park Dog ParkIn Riverside Park
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Detroit
Kayak/Canoe Launch
DirectionsKayak/Canoe Launch
DirectionsKayak/Canoe Launch (Marshall's Bar)
DirectionsKayak/Paddleboard Boat LaunchIn Belle Isle
DirectionsKayak/Paddleboard Boat LaunchIn Belle Isle
DirectionsKayak/Paddleboard Boat Launch
DirectionsSt. Jean Boat LaunchIn Reid Memorial Park
DirectionsPlus 14 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Detroit
4 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Detroit
Belle Isle Sunset Point
DirectionsConcrete Pyramid
DirectionsGordie Howe International Bridge ViewpointIn Delray Park
DirectionsPlus 7 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Detroit
12 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Detroit
Scout Hollow CampgroundIn River Rouge Park
DirectionsDisc golf in Detroit
Palmer Park Disc Golf CourseIn Palmer Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Detroit
Berg-Lahser Community GardenBerg-Lahser Community Association
DirectionsFeedom Freedom
DirectionsMarjorie Street Garden
DirectionsOrchard Street Community Garden
DirectionsShipherd Greens Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 8 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
13 named trails and 16 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 32.6 miUnpaved · 8.2 mi
Rouge Park MTB Trail2.2 mi
Joe Louis Greenway1.7 mi
Prairie Pathway1.5 mi
Nashua Trail0.8 mi
Driker Trail0.8 mi
Trout Lily Trail0.6 mi
Stone Bridge Nature Trail0.6 mi
Detroit Riverwalk0.6 mi
Wildwood Trail0.5 mi
Sedge Meadow Trail0.3 mi
3 more trails
Shadownook Trail
0.2 miNature Walk
0.1 miOxbow Fishing Platform
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
187 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
88 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
65 mi
off-road bike paths
34 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Detroit Slow Streets NetworkBike route
0.6 miCourts & fields
199Tennis
169Basketball
123Baseball
59Soccer
27Football
18Pickleball
9Beach volleyball
7Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →282 places on the National Register, 12 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 73 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Detroit Industry Murals, Detroit Institute of ArtsNational Historic Landmark · Object · listed 2014
About itChrist Church, DetroitBuilding · listed 1971
About it270 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Detroit: June 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 80 | 84 | 81 | 75 | 62 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 3.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Detroit →
Next door
Detroit and its neighbors
Detroit has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Detroit107 miDearborn48 miDearborn Heights7.1 miRedford Township2.9 miHarper Woods1.1 miMelvindale0.8 miRiver Rouge0.6 miGrosse Pointe Park0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 6% | 0.8 | 9 | 95% | B+ |
| Dearborn | 11% | 2.0 | 15 | 98% | A |
| River Rouge | 2% | 0.2 | 5 | 99%+ | B− |
| Grosse Pointe Park | 2% | under 0.1 | 3 | 84% | C |
| Dearborn Heights | 12% | 0.6 | 13 | 95% | A− |
| Melvindale | 2% | 0.3 | 6 | 99%+ | B |
| Harper Woods | 2% | 0.4 | 2 | 81% | C+ |
| Redford Township | 5% | 0.3 | 4 | 97% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Detroit
Where can I hike in Detroit?
The longest trail networks: River Rouge Park, 13 miles; Belle Isle, 11.7 miles; Palmer Park, 4.2 miles; Eliza Howell Park, 3.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Detroit is conserved land?
6% 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 Detroit’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Belle Isle (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Detroit?
187 miles of bike routes are on the map: 88 of painted or protected lanes, 65 of off-road paths and 34 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Detroit Slow Streets Network.
Is there public land near Detroit?
22,334 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Detroit or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,755 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Detroit have?
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #242 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 Detroit 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 →