Civic Center Park
Park
96 acres3.9 mi of trail
RedYellowGreenBlue
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Dave Parker · CC BY 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Southfield
Southfield has 25 miles of mapped trails, 0.9 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Civic Center Park (3.9 mi), Beech Woods Park (2.2 mi), Bauervic Woods Nature Preserve (2.1 mi). 81% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 5% of Southfield’s land is conserved, about 848 acres.
Ahead of 69% of U.S. towns · #295 of 701 in Michigan. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
848 acres · of 26.3 sq mi of land
Trails
25 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
733 ac
9.6 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
81%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
25 mi
4.4 mi lanes · 21 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
What kind of outdoors town is Southfield?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Southfield have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Southfield is ahead of 69% of U.S. towns, #295 of 701 in Michigan. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Southfield’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical MI town 5% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (25 mi) · MI 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land9.6 acres of park per 1,000 residents (733 acres) · MI 33 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home81% 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 69%
LessMore
Michigan towns of 2,500+ (701)Ahead of 58%
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 Civic Center Park, with 3.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Beech Woods Park
Managed by City of Southfield
78 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bauervic Woods Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
79 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
42 acres1.5 mi of trail
Yellow TrailRed TrailPurple Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Valley Woods Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
127 acres1.4 mi of trail
Valley Woods Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Catalpa Oaks County Park
Park
24 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lincoln Woods Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
22 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 27 parks & preserves
Civic Center Park96 acres · 3.9 mi of trail
DirectionsBeech Woods Park78 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · City of Southfield
DirectionsBauervic Woods Nature Preserve79 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCarpenter Lake Nature Preserve42 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsValley Woods Nature Preserve127 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsInglenook Park41 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCatalpa Oaks County Park24 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsLincoln Woods Nature Preserve22 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsPebble Creek Park16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBedford Woods16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsFreeway Park11 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsRobbie Gage Memorial Park Site17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMary Thompson Farm14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBurgh Historical Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAmerican Commerce Centre Nature Preserve15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStratford Woods Commons5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Bridge Street Nature Preserve23 acres
DirectionsHunters Lane Woods22 acres
DirectionsLahser Woods Park17 acres
DirectionsHorsetail Woods16 acres
John R Miller Park9 acres
DirectionsCode House7 acres
John Grace Park & Recreation Center4 acres
DirectionsBrace Park4 acres
DirectionsSimms Park4 acres
City Centre Plaza1 acres
DirectionsSeminole Street Parklet1 acres
Who protects it
848 conserved acres
5% of Southfield’s land. Who manages Southfield’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city601 ac
Private owners206 ac
County23 ac
Other state land18 ac
Local Park · 432 acPrivate Park · 206 acLocal Conservation Area · 178 acConservation Easement · 18 acLocal Historic or Cultural Area · 14 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plum Hollow Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 148 | Restricted |
| Valley Woods Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 128 | Open |
| Bauervic Woods Park Local Park | Town or city | 80 | Open |
| City Centre Park Local Park | Town or city | 80 | Open |
| Evergreen Hills Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 58 | Restricted |
| Inglenook Park Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve Local Park | Town or city | 41 | Open |
| Valley Woods South Park Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Catalpa Oaks County Park Local Park | County | 23 | Open |
| Lincoln Woods Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
45 places to go in Southfield
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Southfield
43 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Scenic views in Southfield
Lake OverlookIn Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
8 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 13.6 miUnpaved · 1.3 mi
Valley Woods Trail0.6 mi
Red0.5 mi
Yellow Trail0.4 mi
Red Trail0.3 mi
Purple Trail0.2 mi
Yellow0.1 mi
Green0.1 mi
Blue0.1 mi
Biking & sports
25 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
21 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
41Tennis
27Baseball
12Soccer
11Basketball
6Pickleball
3Volleyball
1Hockey rinks
1Golf
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →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.
When to get out
The best walking months in Southfield: June, 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) | 32 | 35 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.1 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
February is the driest month (1.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 3.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Southfield →
Next door
Southfield and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Detroit107 miFarmington Hills82 miSouthfield25 miSouthfield Township12 miBeverly Hills7.2 miBingham Farms2.9 miOak Park2.2 miFranklin1.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southfield | 5% | 0.9 | 10 | 81% | B+ |
| Southfield Township | 2% | 1.5 | 6 | 78% | B |
| Beverly Hills | 3% | 1.8 | 7 | 81% | B+ |
| Bingham Farms | under 1% | 2.4 | 2 | 67% | C+ |
| Oak Park | 3% | 0.4 | 4 | 98% | B |
| Franklin | 1% | 0.6 | 6 | 74% | C+ |
| Farmington Hills | 5% | 2.4 | 10 | 84% | A− |
| Detroit | 6% | 0.8 | 9 | 95% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Southfield
Where can I hike in Southfield?
The longest trail networks: Civic Center Park, 3.9 miles; Beech Woods Park, 2.2 miles; Bauervic Woods Nature Preserve, 2.1 miles; Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Southfield is conserved land?
5% 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 Southfield’s trails?
Civic Center Park and Beech Woods Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Southfield?
25 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.4 of painted or protected lanes and 21 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Southfield?
19,513 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Southfield or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 733 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Southfield have?
Ahead of 69% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #295 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 Southfield 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 →