97% of residents live within a half mile of a park in Mississippi State
21 acres are parks and preserves, 4.5 per 1,000 residents. 1% of Mississippi State’s land is conserved, about 17 acres. 0.7 miles of mapped trail cross Mississippi State, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 47% of U.S. towns · #26 of 101 in Mississippi State. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Mississippi State?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Mississippi State have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Mississippi State is ahead of 47% of U.S. towns, #26 of 101 in Mississippi State. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
Few Mississippi State towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Mississippi State’s 1% is ahead of 41% of Mississippi State towns, while its trails per square mile lead 82% 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 The Junction, with 0.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
17 conserved acres
1% of Mississippi State’s land. Who manages Mississippi State’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| University Open Space Local Park | Other state land | 7 | Open |
| Campus Square Local Park | Other state land | 6 | Open |
| The Junction Local Park | Other state land | 4 | Open |
5 places to go in Mississippi State
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
2 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
2 lakes & rivers
5.5 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.
2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 18 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
May is the best month for walking in Mississippi State
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 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 54 | 59 | 67 | 75 | 82 | 89 | 91 | 91 | 87 | 76 | 65 | 57 |
| Rain (in) | 5.2 | 5.8 | 5.4 | 6.0 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 5.6 |
October is the driest month (3.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 91 °F). 6.0 inches fall in April, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 91 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Mississippi State →
Mississippi State and its neighbors
Mississippi State has the second most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi State | 1% | 0.3 | 5 | 97% | B− |
| Starkville | 5% | 0.1 | 7 | 60% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Mississippi State
Where can I hike in Mississippi State?
The longest trail networks: The Junction, 0.1 miles; Bell Island, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Mississippi State is conserved land?
1% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Mississippi State town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Mississippi State’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Drill Field and Bell Island. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Mississippi State?
5.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.8 of painted or protected lanes, 2.0 of off-road paths and 1.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Mississippi State?
205 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Mississippi State or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 21 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Mississippi State have?
Ahead of 47% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #26 of 101 in Mississippi State. 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 Mississippi State 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 →