Photo: Maureen Didde from Kansas City, MO, USA · CC BY 2.0Carthage has 385 acres of parks, 25 for every 1,000 residents
2.1 miles of mapped trail cross Carthage, 0.2 per square mile of land. 69% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 3% of Carthage’s land is conserved, about 240 acres.
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns · #103 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
How much outdoors does Carthage have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Carthage is ahead of 54% of U.S. towns, #103 of 247 in Missouri. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
Few Missouri towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Carthage’s 3% is ahead of 70% of Missouri towns, while its trails per square mile lead 40% of them.
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
The longest trail network is Central Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Carter Park
All 7 parks & preserves
240 conserved acres
3% of Carthage’s land. Who manages Carthage’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carthage Municipal Park Local Park | Town or city | 83 | Open |
| Fair Acres Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | County | 67 | Open |
| Kellogg Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| Carter Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Battle Of Carthage State Historic Site State Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
| Central Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Griggs Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
13 places to go in Carthage
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
3.1 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.
7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The walking year in Carthage
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) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 45 | 50 | 59 | 69 | 77 | 85 | 90 | 89 | 82 | 71 | 58 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 2.2 | 3.5 | 4.9 | 6.3 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 2.6 |
January is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 6.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Carthage →
Questions about parks and trails in Carthage
Where can I hike in Carthage?
The longest trail networks: Central Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Carthage is conserved land?
3% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Missouri town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Carthage’s trails?
Central Park and Carthage Municipal Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Carthage?
3.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.9 of painted or protected lanes, 0.1 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Carthage?
1,455 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Carthage or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 385 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Carthage have?
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #103 of 247 in Missouri. 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 Carthage 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 →