Photo: Myotus · CC BY 4.012% of Virginia’s land is conserved: 1,487 acres
88% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 12 miles of mapped trail cross Virginia, 0.6 per square mile of land. 164 acres are parks and preserves, 20 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns · #88 of 274 in Minnesota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Virginia?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Virginia have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Virginia is ahead of 83% of U.S. towns, #88 of 274 in Minnesota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pepelnjak Southside Park
All 6 parks & preserves
1,487 conserved acres
12% of Virginia’s land. Who manages Virginia’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miscellaneous State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1,336 | Open |
| Childrens Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 65 | Open |
| Olcott Park Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Miners Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Pepelnjak Southside Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Rotary Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Veterans Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
38 places to go in Virginia
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
25 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 named trail and 6 lakes & rivers
7.3 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.
18 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
6 more on the History page.
The walking year in Virginia
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) | 8.8 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 15.9 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°F) | 17 | 23 | 37 | 51 | 65 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 67 | 52 | 35 | 22 |
| Rain (in) | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 1.0 |
February is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Virginia →
Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 12% | 0.6 | 20 | 88% | A− |
| Mountain Iron | 13% | 0.6 | 19 | 70% | A− |
| Gilbert | 11% | 0.7 | 482 | 86% | A |
| Wuori Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Eveleth | 5% | 1.1 | 11 | 95% | A− |
| Biwabik Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Virginia
Where can I hike in Virginia?
The longest trail networks: Pepelnjak Southside Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Virginia is conserved land?
12% of its land, against a typical 5% for a Minnesota town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Virginia’s trails?
Olcott Park and Miners Memorial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Virginia?
7.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of painted or protected lanes and 7.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Virginia?
65,885 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Virginia or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,523 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Virginia have?
Ahead of 83% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #88 of 274 in Minnesota. 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 Virginia 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 →