Hieronymus Park
Managed by City Of Hamilton
59 acres2.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Itsa Ortiz · CC BY 2.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Hamilton
17% of Hamilton’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 7.7 miles of mapped trail cross Hamilton, 3.0 per square mile of land. 17% of Hamilton’s land is conserved, about 281 acres.
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns · #2 of 42 in Montana. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
281 acres · of 2.6 sq mi of land
Trails
7.7 mi
3.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
213 ac
42 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.9 mi
2.9 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Hamilton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild17% of the land is conserved; a typical Montana town, 10%.A trail town3.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 97% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way28 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hamilton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hamilton is among the top 1% of U.S. towns, #2 of 42 in Montana. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hamilton’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical MT town 10% · U.S. 4%ATrails3.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (8 mi) · MT 0.7 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land42 acres of park per 1,000 residents (213 acres) · MT 14 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · MT 91% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Among the top 1%
LessMore
Montana towns of 2,500+ (42)Ahead of 98%
Montana towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 10%; the U.S., 4%), so Hamilton’s 17% is ahead of 73% of Montana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 85% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Hieronymus Park, with 2.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Skalkaho Bend Park
Managed by City Of Hamilton
57 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the trailhead
Steve Powell Park
Managed by City Of Hamilton
21 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 9 parks & preserves
Hieronymus Park59 acres · 2.9 mi of trail · City Of Hamilton
DirectionsSkalkaho Bend Park57 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · City Of Hamilton
DirectionsRiver Park56 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City Of Hamilton
DirectionsSteve Powell Park21 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City Of Hamilton
DirectionsVestor Wilson Athletic Complex5 acres
DirectionsClaudia Driscoll Park4 acres
DirectionsStonegate Park2 acres
DirectionsKiwanis Park1 acres
DirectionsAmerican Legion Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
281 conserved acres
17% of Hamilton’s land. Who manages Hamilton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government280 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits22 ac
Town or city17 ac
Local Other or Unknown · 280 acUnknown Easement · 22 acLocal Park · 12 acLocal Recreation Area · 5 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 7 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Other or Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Other or Unknown Local Government | 280 | Unknown |
| Kiwanis Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Vestor Wilson Athletic Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Claudia Driscoll Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Hamilton Dog Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| American Legion Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
12 places to go in Hamilton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Hamilton
11 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Hamilton
Hamilton Dog Park
DirectionsTrails & water
1 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.9 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
11Baseball
5Tennis
5Basketball
4Pickleball
3Soccer
2Football
1Skate park
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →28 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Canyon Creek Laboratory of the U.S. Public Health ServiceBuilding · listed 1970
About itDaly, Marcus, Memorial HospitalBuilding · listed 1978
About itRavalli County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itHamilton Town HallBuilding · listed 1980
About itRiversideBuilding · listed 1987
About itAllison-Reinkeh HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itCharles Granke HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itCharles Hoffman HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itConway HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itDaniel V. Bean HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itDrinkenberg's, F. H., First HomeBuilding · listed 1988
About itE. G. Ellis HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About it16 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hamilton: May to September
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) | 9.0 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 40 | 50 | 58 | 68 | 75 | 86 | 84 | 74 | 58 | 43 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 |
August is the driest month (0.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 1.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Hamilton →
Questions about parks and trails in Hamilton
Where can I hike in Hamilton?
The longest trail networks: Hieronymus Park, 2.9 miles; Skalkaho Bend Park, 2.3 miles; River Park, 1.2 miles; Steve Powell Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hamilton is conserved land?
17% of its land, against a typical 10% for a Montana town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Hamilton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Skalkaho Bend Park and River Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hamilton?
2.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.9 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Hamilton?
37,759 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hamilton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 213 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Hamilton have?
Among the top 1% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #2 of 42 in Montana. 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 Hamilton neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
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 →