Rodgers Theatre Building · Photo: Michael Gäbler · CC BY-SA 3.0Poplar Bluff has 22 miles of mapped trails, 1.6 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: McLane Park (1.2 mi), Bacon Memorial Park (0.7 mi). 2% of Poplar Bluff’s land is conserved, about 144 acres. 56% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 56% of U.S. towns · #92 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Poplar Bluff?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Poplar Bluff have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Poplar Bluff is ahead of 56% of U.S. towns, #92 of 247 in Missouri. Trail miles hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
Few Missouri towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Poplar Bluff’s 2% is ahead of 42% of Missouri towns, while its trails per square mile lead 97% 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 McLane Park, with 1.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 6 parks & preserves
144 conserved acres
2% of Poplar Bluff’s land. Who manages Poplar Bluff’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerry F Mcclane Park And Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 65 | Open |
| Whiteley Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Bacon Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Hillcrest Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Sportsmans Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Hendrickson Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Ferguson Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Mark Twain National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 4 | Open |
| Line Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
9 places to go in Poplar Bluff
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
5.0 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.
21 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
9 more on the History page.
The walking year in Poplar Bluff
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 | 14.4 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 45 | 50 | 59 | 70 | 79 | 87 | 90 | 89 | 82 | 72 | 58 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.1 |
January is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.5 inches fall in April, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Poplar Bluff →
Questions about parks and trails in Poplar Bluff
Where can I hike in Poplar Bluff?
The longest trail networks: McLane Park, 1.2 miles; Bacon Memorial Park, 0.7 miles; Whiteley Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Poplar Bluff is conserved land?
2% 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 Poplar Bluff’s trails?
McLane Park and Bacon Memorial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Poplar Bluff?
5.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.7 of painted or protected lanes and 4.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Poplar Bluff?
42,311 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Poplar Bluff or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 168 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Poplar Bluff have?
Ahead of 56% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #92 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 Poplar Bluff 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 →