Photo: Dudemanfellabra · CC BY-SA 3.0Meridian has 3,544 acres of parks, 104 for every 1,000 residents
12% of Meridian’s land is conserved, about 4,019 acres. The biggest trail networks: Q V Sykes Park (0.8 mi). 8.1 miles of mapped trail cross Meridian, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns · #4 of 101 in Mississippi. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Meridian?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Meridian have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Meridian is ahead of 66% of U.S. towns, #4 of 101 in Mississippi. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
Few Mississippi towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Meridian’s 12% is ahead of 90% of Mississippi towns, while its trails per square mile lead 52% 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 Q V Sykes Park, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sammy Davidson Park
All 9 parks & preserves
4,019 conserved acres
12% of Meridian’s land. Who manages Meridian’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonita Lakes Park Local Park | Town or city | 3,280 | Open |
| Mississippi 16th Section Public School Trust Lands State Resource Management Area | State land board | 603 | Open |
| Northeast Park Local Park | Town or city | 66 | Open |
| Sammy Davidson Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 49 | Open |
| Meridian Soccer Complex State Recreation Area | Other state land | 35 | Open |
| Highland Park Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Velma Young Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Phil Hardin Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Skewes Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
22 places to go in Meridian
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 16 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
12 lakes & rivers
0.0 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.
41 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
29 more on the History page.
May is the best month for walking in Meridian
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) | 10.2 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 14.3 | 14.1 | 13.3 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 10.0 |
| High (°F) | 57 | 62 | 69 | 77 | 84 | 89 | 91 | 91 | 87 | 78 | 67 | 59 |
| Rain (in) | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 5.3 |
September is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 91 °F). 5.6 inches fall in January, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 91 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Meridian →
Questions about parks and trails in Meridian
Where can I hike in Meridian?
The longest trail networks: Q V Sykes Park, 0.8 miles; Velma Young Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Meridian is conserved land?
12% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Mississippi town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Meridian’s trails?
Q V Sykes Park and Velma Young Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Meridian?
6,060 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Meridian or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,544 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Meridian have?
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #4 of 101 in Mississippi. 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 Meridian 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 →