Photo: AbeEzekowitz · CC BY-SA 3.0Joplin has 886 acres of parks, 17 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Schifferdecker Park (4.6 mi), Murphy Boulevard Park (1.7 mi), Wildcat Park (1.3 mi). 52% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 14 miles of mapped trail cross Joplin, 0.4 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns · #117 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Joplin?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Joplin have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Joplin is ahead of 50% of U.S. towns, #117 of 247 in Missouri. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
Few Missouri towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Joplin’s 3% is ahead of 65% of Missouri towns, while its trails per square mile lead 58% 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 Schifferdecker Park, with 4.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Murphy Boulevard Park
Wildcat Park
Cunningham Park
Parr Hill Park
All 15 parks & preserves
664 conserved acres
3% of Joplin’s land. Who manages Joplin’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mcclelland Park Local Park | Town or city | 139 | Open |
| Joplin Athletic Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Dover Soccer Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 71 | Open |
| Landreth Park Local Park | Town or city | 67 | Open |
| Murphy Boulevard Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 67 | Open |
| Mcindoe Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Schifferdecker Park Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Ozark Park Local Park | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Dover Hill Park Local Park | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Parr Hill Park Local Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
51 places to go in Joplin
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
39 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Plus 1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
3 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
11 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.
30 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.
18 more on the History page.
The walking year in Joplin
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 | 60 | 69 | 77 | 85 | 90 | 90 | 82 | 71 | 58 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.4 | 4.9 | 6.4 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 2.5 |
January is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 6.4 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Joplin →
Joplin and its neighbors
Joplin has the most mapped trails of the 4 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joplin | 3% | 0.4 | 17 | 52% | B− |
| Webb City | 3% | 0.6 | 12 | 67% | B |
| Duenweg | 2% | under 0.1 | 33 | 75% | C+ |
| Redings Mill | — 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 Joplin
Where can I hike in Joplin?
The longest trail networks: Schifferdecker Park, 4.6 miles; Murphy Boulevard Park, 1.7 miles; Wildcat Park, 1.3 miles; Cunningham Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Joplin 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 Joplin’s trails?
Schifferdecker Park and Murphy Boulevard Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Joplin?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.1 of painted or protected lanes and 9.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Joplin?
2,048 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Joplin or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 886 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Joplin have?
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #117 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 Joplin 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 →