Dr. P.K. VYAS MD Community Park
Park
9 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Gerry D · CC BY-SA 4.0C+Outdoors
Outdoors in Benson
Benson has 46 acres of parks, 11 for every 1,000 residents
54% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2% of Benson’s land is conserved, about 46 acres. 0.8 miles of mapped trail cross Benson, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 42% of U.S. towns · #136 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
46 acres · of 3.2 sq mi of land
Trails
0.8 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
46 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Benson have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Benson is ahead of 42% of U.S. towns, #136 of 290 in North Carolina. All four inputs are below most U.S. towns; park acres per resident come closest.
C+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Benson’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical NC town 3% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (1 mi) · NC 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (46 acres) · NC 8 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home54% of residents within a half mile of a park · NC 51% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 42%
LessMore
North Carolina towns of 2,500+ (290)Ahead of 53%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be C+. 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 Dr. P.K. VYAS MD Community Park, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Community Park Expantion
Park
6 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Benson Dog Park
Park
5 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Singing Grove
Park
2 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 5 parks & preserves
Dr. P.K. VYAS MD Community Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Community Park Expantion6 acres
Benson Dog Park5 acres
Singing Grove2 acres
parks & rec playground1 acres
Who protects it
46 conserved acres
2% of Benson’s land. Who manages Benson’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city25 ac
Not recorded34 ac
Local Recreation Area · 24 acLocal Park · 22 acLocal Other or Unknown · 13 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 5 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Benson - Benson Parks and Recreation Department Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
| Town of Benson Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 13 | Unknown |
| Municipal Park & Civic Center Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Dr. P.K. Vyas Md Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Mitchell Nance Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 3 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Benson
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Benson
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
9Baseball
2Tennis
1Basketball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Benson: April and May
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) | 10.0 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 53 | 57 | 64 | 74 | 80 | 87 | 90 | 88 | 83 | 74 | 64 | 56 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Benson →
Questions about parks and trails in Benson
Where can I hike in Benson?
The longest trail networks: Dr. P.K. VYAS MD Community Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Benson is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 3% for a North Carolina town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Benson’s trails?
Dr. VYAS MD Community Park and Community Park Expantion don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Benson?
359 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Benson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 46 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Benson have?
Ahead of 42% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #136 of 290 in North Carolina. 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 Benson 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 →