Van Raalte Farm City Park
Park
154 acres5.2 mi of trail
River TrailMeadowlark LoopCottontail TrailSwamp Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: BenHerrera1979 · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Holland
Holland has 18 miles of mapped trails, 1.1 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Van Raalte Farm City Park (5.2 mi), Paw Paw Park (3.6 mi), Kollen Park (1.9 mi). 91% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 6% of Holland’s land is conserved, about 628 acres.
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns · #178 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
628 acres · of 16.9 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
600 ac
17 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
91%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
20 mi
15 mi lanes · 3.9 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Holland?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Holland have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Holland is ahead of 82% of U.S. towns, #178 of 701 in Michigan. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Holland’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%BTrails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land17 acres of park per 1,000 residents (600 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13BParks close to home91% of residents within a half mile of a park · MI 50% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 82%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 75%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Van Raalte Farm City Park, with 5.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Paw Paw Park
Park
164 acres3.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Window on the Waterfront
Park
38 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Maplewood Recreation Area
Park
11 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Windmill Island Gardens
Park
36 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
The Pine Grove
Managed by Hope College
3 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 22 parks & preserves
Van Raalte Farm City Park154 acres · 5.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPaw Paw Park164 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
DirectionsKollen Park27 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWindow on the Waterfront38 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMaplewood Recreation Area11 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWindmill Island Gardens36 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DeGraaf Nature Center16 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Pine Grove3 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Hope College
DirectionsSmallenburg Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsProspect Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHeinz Waterfront Walkway2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsVan Bragt Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRosa Parks Green4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLakeview City Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Matt Urban Park23 acres
Holland Heights Park8 acres
32nd Street Park7 acres
Centennial Park7 acres · City of Holland
DirectionsMoran Park4 acres
DirectionsMorningside Park1 acres · Hope College
Michigan Avenue Park1 acres
Hallacy Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
628 conserved acres
6% of Holland’s land. Who manages Holland’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city366 ac
County152 ac
Other state land134 ac
Local Park · 471 acConservation Easement · 134 acLocal Recreation Area · 33 acLocal Conservation Area · 13 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 110 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Van Raalte Farm Park Local Park | Town or city | 149 | Open |
| Paw Paw Park East Local Park | County | 107 | Open |
| Smallenburg Park Local Park | Town or city | 60 | Open |
| Paw Paw Park West Local Park | County | 45 | Open |
| Windmill Island Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Riverview Park Local Park | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Matt Urban Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Kollen Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Degraaf Nature Center Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Maplewood Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 11 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Holland
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Holland
Prospect Park PlaygroundIn Prospect Park
DirectionsPlus 19 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Holland
Dog Park at Van Raalte Farm (Large Dog Side)In Van Raalte Farm City Park
DirectionsDog Park at Van Raalte Farm (Small Dog Side)In Van Raalte Farm City Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Holland
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Holland
3 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Holland
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Holland
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Holland
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.5 miUnpaved · 9.4 mi
River Trail1.3 mi
Meadowlark Loop0.7 mi
Cottontail Trail0.5 mi
Swamp Trail0.4 mi
Thornapple Loop0.3 mi
Heinz Waterfront Walkway0.3 mi
Window on the Waterfront0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
20 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
15 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.9 mi
off-road bike paths
0.8 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
51Tennis
16Baseball
13Basketball
9Pickleball
8Soccer
6Football
1Volleyball
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 6 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Third Reformed Church of HollandBuilding · listed 1971
About itHolland Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itIsaac Cappon HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itHolland Old City Hall and Fire StationBuilding · listed 1985
About itOld Wing MissionBuilding · listed 1986
About itBenjamin Van Raalte HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itHolland Reformed Protestant Dutch ChurchBuilding · listed 1990
About itHolland Downtown Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1990
About itThomas and Anna Morrissey HouseBuilding · listed 1999
About itDe Zwaan WindmillSite · listed 2018
About itWashington Square Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2026
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Holland: 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 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 45 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 61 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Holland →
Next door
Holland and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Laketown Township36 miPark Township32 miHolland18 miHolland Township8.5 miFillmore Township7.1 miBeechwood0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holland | 6% | 1.1 | 17 | 91% | A− |
| Holland Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Fillmore Township | under 1% | 0.3 | 56 | 14% | C |
| Beechwood | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Laketown Township | 9% | 1.7 | 213 | 56% | A |
| Park Township | 7% | 1.7 | 55 | 83% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Holland
Where can I hike in Holland?
The longest trail networks: Van Raalte Farm City Park, 5.2 miles; Paw Paw Park, 3.6 miles; Kollen Park, 1.9 miles; Window on the Waterfront, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Holland 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 Holland’s trails?
Van Raalte Farm City Park and Paw Paw Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Holland?
20 miles of bike routes are on the map: 15 of painted or protected lanes, 3.9 of off-road paths and 0.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Holland?
21,983 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Holland or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 600 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Holland have?
Ahead of 82% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #178 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 Holland 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 →