Mott Park Recreation Area
Managed by City of Flint
76 acres2.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Durant-Dort Carriage Company Office · Photo: Andrew Jameson · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Flint
9% of Flint’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Mott Park Recreation Area (2.6 mi), Pierce Park (1.6 mi), Windiate Park (0.9 mi). 9% of Flint’s land is conserved, about 1,857 acres. 1,987 acres are parks and preserves, 25 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #167 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
1,857 acres · of 33.4 sq mi of land
Trails
14 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,987 ac
25 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
28 mi
9.1 mi lanes · 17 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Flint?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Flint have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Flint is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #167 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Flint’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (14 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land25 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,987 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home96% 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 82%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 76%
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 Mott Park Recreation Area, with 2.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pierce Park
Managed by City of Flint
66 acres1.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Windiate Park
Managed by City of Flint
11 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Happy Hollow Nature Area
Park
83 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 74 parks & preserves
Mott Park Recreation Area76 acres · 2.6 mi of trail · City of Flint
DirectionsPierce Park66 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · City of Flint
DirectionsWindiate Park11 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · City of Flint
Kearsley Park56 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHappy Hollow Nature Area83 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsOphelia Bonner Park20 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverside Park199 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lincoln Park79 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Flint
DirectionsVietnam Veterans Memorial Park47 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFlint Lake Park44 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Flint
DirectionsApplewood Estate34 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Ruth Mott Foundation
DirectionsCummings Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Woodlawn Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Spring Grove Wetland Restoration Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHasselbring Park31 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSwartz Creek Valley Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Flint
Cronin Derby Downs21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Flint
DirectionsBrennan Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
McKinley Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHilborn Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAtherton East Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Flint
DirectionsSarginson Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Flint
Dewey Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Flint
Gerholz Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Riverbank Park, Playground Block4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWilliam Durant Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Flint
DirectionsAldrich Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Flint
DirectionsRiverbank Park Archimedes Screw Block2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsUniversity Community Garden1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
UAW Sitdowners Monuments and Memorial Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Rivertbank Park Wonderwall Block1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThread Lake Park137 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsMax Brandon Park102 acres · City of Flint
Chevy Commons71 acres
DirectionsWhaley Park69 acres
DirectionsRiverside Park East51 acres · City of Flint
Bassett Park39 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsLongway Park32 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsKellar Park19 acres
DirectionsCook Park16 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsUnion City Fields16 acres
Genessee County Recreational Area14 acres
DirectionsBurroughs Park12 acres
DirectionsSarvis Park12 acres · City of Flint
Rollingwood Park11 acres
Mott Park11 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsFarnumwood Park10 acres · City of Flint
Ballenger Park10 acres · William Ballenger Estate
DirectionsIroquois Park10 acres · City of Flint
Oak Park8 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsBerston Park7 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsEldorado Vista Park6 acres · City of Flint
Dayton Park6 acres
Hardenbrook Park5 acres · City of Flint
Memorial Park4 acres
DirectionsMartin Park3 acres
Fleming Park3 acres · City of Flint
Dort Park2 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsWillson Park2 acres
DirectionsMobley Park2 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsRamona Park2 acres · City of Flint
Bundy Park1 acres · City of Flint
Wilkins Park1 acres
Mann Hall Park1 acres · City of Flint
McCallum Park1 acres · City of Flint
Riverbank Park, Marketstalls Block1 acres
DirectionsLongway Greenway1 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsRiverbank park, Amphitheater Block1 acres
DirectionsDougherty Park1 acres · City of Flint
Metawaneenee Park1 acres · City of Flint
DirectionsChester and Cynthia Simmons Memorial Parkway1 acres
DirectionsRiverbank Park, Grand Fountain Block1 acres
DirectionsOgema Triangle1 acres · City of Flint
Exploration Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,857 conserved acres
9% of Flint’s land. Who manages Flint’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,610 ac
Private owners234 ac
County9 ac
Other state land6 ac
Local Park · 1,360 acLocal Recreation Area · 237 acPrivate Park · 217 acLocal Conservation Area · 40 acConservation Easement · 6 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 303 | Open |
| Kearsley Lake Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 211 | Restricted |
| City of Flint Park Local Park | Town or city | 195 | Open |
| Flint Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 126 | Restricted |
| Max Brandon Park Local Park | Town or city | 100 | Open |
| Mott Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 91 | Restricted |
| Thread Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 84 | Open |
| Broome Park Local Park | Town or city | 79 | Open |
| Whaley Park Local Park | Town or city | 68 | Open |
| Kearsley Park Local Park | Town or city | 46 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
82 places to go in Flint
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Flint
Mott Park PlaygroundIn Mott Park
Directions78 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Flint
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Flint
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Trails & water
8 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
28 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
17 mi
off-road bike paths
1.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
58Basketball
57Tennis
51Baseball
8Football
6Soccer
6Beach volleyball
4Tracks
2Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →27 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Superintendent's CottageBuilding · listed 1975
About itElks Lodge BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itApplewoodBuilding · listed 1979
About itCivic Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itRobert J. Whaley HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itMorris A. Knight HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itH. Elmer Thayer HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itPaterson, William A., Factory ComplexBuilding · listed 1984
About itIndustrial Savings Bank BuildingBuilding · listed 1984
About itCapitol Theatre BuildingBuilding · listed 1985
About itAbner C. Johnson HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About it15 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Flint: July 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 44 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 3.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Flint →
Next door
Flint and its neighbors
Flint has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Flint14 miBurton12 miGenesee Township7.3 miFlint Township3.6 miMount Morris Township1.1 miMundy Township0.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flint | 9% | 0.4 | 25 | 96% | A− |
| Flint Township | 4% | 0.2 | 7 | 35% | C |
| Genesee Township | 19% | 0.3 | 168 | 42% | B+ |
| Burton | 8% | 0.5 | 23 | 53% | B+ |
| Mount Morris Township | 3% | under 0.1 | 13 | 26% | C |
| Mundy Township | 2% | under 0.1 | 17 | 29% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Flint
Where can I hike in Flint?
The longest trail networks: Mott Park Recreation Area, 2.6 miles; Pierce Park, 1.6 miles; Windiate Park, 0.9 miles; Kearsley Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Flint is conserved land?
9% 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 Flint’s trails?
Mott Park Recreation Area and Pierce Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Flint?
28 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.1 of painted or protected lanes, 17 of off-road paths and 1.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Flint?
16,921 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Flint or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,987 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Flint have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #167 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 Flint 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 →