Mallard Creek Community Park
Park
242 acres4.6 mi of trail
Mallard Creek 5k Course
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Precisionviews · CC BY-SA 4.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Charlotte
7% of Charlotte’s land is conserved: 13,434 acres
The biggest trail networks: Mallard Creek Community Park (4.6 mi), Reedy Creek Regional Park (4.2 mi), Park Road Park (3.1 mi). 139 miles of mapped trail cross Charlotte, 0.4 per square mile of land. 9,094 acres are parks and preserves, 10 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns · #71 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
13,434 acres · of 312.1 sq mi of land
Trails
139 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
9,094 ac
10 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
66%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
414 mi
199 mi lanes · 163 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
65
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Charlotte have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Charlotte is ahead of 60% of U.S. towns, #71 of 290 in North Carolina. Conserved land holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Charlotte’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical NC town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (139 mi) · NC 0.2 · U.S. 0.4BPark land10 acres of park per 1,000 residents (9,094 acres) · NC 8 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home66% of residents within a half mile of a park · NC 51% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 60%
LessMore
North Carolina towns of 2,500+ (290)Ahead of 76%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Charlotte ranks #323 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B+. 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 Mallard Creek Community Park, with 4.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Reedy Creek Regional Park
Park
299 acres4.2 mi of trail
Sierra Loop TrailDragonfly Pond TrailSassafras Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Park Road Park
Park
97 acres3.1 mi of trail
Park Road Park Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ribbonwalk Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
189 acres2.8 mi of trail
Wetlands TrailBeech Walk TrailTricklin' Stream TrailHardwood Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
McAlpine Creek Park
Park
150 acres2.6 mi of trail
Larry McAfee Course At McAlpine Creek Park
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ballantyne Community Park
Park
97 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Marion Diehl Park
Park
86 acres2.2 mi of trail
Marion Diehl
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 180 parks & preserves
Mallard Creek Community Park242 acres · 4.6 mi of trail
DirectionsReedy Creek Regional Park299 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPark Road Park97 acres · 3.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRibbonwalk Nature Preserve189 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMcAlpine Creek Park150 acres · 2.6 mi of trail
DirectionsJames Boyce Park71 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBallantyne Community Park97 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMarion Diehl Park86 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNevin Regional Park195 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFreedom Park100 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Charlotte Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsColonel Francis J. Beatty Regional Park256 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsEvergreen Nature Preserve76 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsClarks Creek Greenway115 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsClarks Creek Nature Preserve41 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFlat Branch Park39 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsChantilly Ecological Sanctuary29 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBack Creek Greenway174 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsLatta Park28 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsIndependence Park20 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsThomas M. Winget Regional Park147 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsRandolph Road Park22 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMarshall Park7 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthside Community Park19 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHornets Nest Park142 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsFirestone Park58 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Cordelia Park16 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsStream Park6 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBig Rock Nature Reserve22 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Frazier Park20 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsDruid Hills Park9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Pearl Street Park7 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsClanton Park67 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsFlat Branch Nature Preserve46 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsCoulwood Park23 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsVeterans Park19 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMonroe Road Park10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Romare Bearden Park4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMallard Creek Greenway289 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsRenaissance Park152 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBallantyne's Backyard115 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsShuffletown Park52 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKilborne Park46 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsKirk Farm Fields35 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsFriendship Sportsplex22 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRevolution Park16 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCedarwood Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
First Ward Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSymphony Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWesterly Hills Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Lakewood Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSedgefield Neighborhood Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Lower McAlpine Creek Greenway280 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWilliam R. Davie Regional Park106 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle Sugar Creek Greenway39 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOlde Providence Park30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Mecklenburg County Government
DirectionsTuckaseegee Park17 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAlbemarle Road Park15 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Fred Alexander Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEva B. Barber Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Elizabeth Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMidwood Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCherry Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPatrick Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRobert L. Smith Regional Park208 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThomas M. Winget Nature Preserve112 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsEastway Park91 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSugaw Creek Park71 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthwest Park58 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAmay James Park45 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMason Wallace Park30 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHuntingtowne Farms Park29 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMartin Luther King Park28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDerita Creek Park26 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEastover Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBryant Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSeversville Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMethodist Home Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsForest Pawtuckett Neighborhood Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Sheffield Neighborhood Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHowie Acres Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEdgehill Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAnita Stroud Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBiddleville Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPine Valley Neighborhood Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMcIntyre Historic Site3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGreenville Center1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBaxter Street Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDevonshire Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Wilmore Centennial Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Green1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEagles Landing Neighborhood Park 1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Berewick Regional Park197 acres
DirectionsBack Creek Park125 acres
Harrisburg Road Regional Park103 acres
DirectionsRamblewood District Park102 acres
DirectionsMcMullen Creek Greenway99 acres
DirectionsLong Creek Greenway97 acres · Mecklenburg County
Briar Creek Greenway68 acres
DirectionsFour Mile Creek Greenway46 acres
DirectionsProvidence Nature Preserve46 acres
Toby Creek Greenway41 acres
DirectionsSteele Creek Athletic Association Complex39 acres
DirectionsReddman Park38 acres
Reedy Creek Nature Preserve36 acres
Clarks Creek Community Park36 acres · Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation
DirectionsStewart Creek Greenway35 acres · Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBriarwood Park32 acres
DirectionsNewell Park32 acres
Doby Creek Tributary Greenway26 acres
DirectionsCamp Greene Park25 acres
DirectionsL.C. Coleman Neighborhood Park22 acres
DirectionsMcKee Community Park20 acres
Reid Neighborhood Park20 acres
DirectionsWalker Branch Greenway20 acres
DirectionsShuffletown Prairie Nature Preserve20 acres
Hidden Valley Park19 acres
DirectionsAllen Hills Park19 acres
DirectionsCampbell Creek Park17 acres
Double Oaks Park15 acres
DirectionsThereasea Clark Elder Park15 acres
DirectionsWinterfield Neighborhood Park15 acres
Julian Underwood Park15 acres
Springfield Park15 acres
Hoover Creek Greenway13 acres · Mecklenburg County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsGrayson Park10 acres
DirectionsLincoln Heights Neighborhood Park10 acres
DirectionsDelta Creek Neighborhood Park10 acres
Five Points Park10 acres
DirectionsCarmel Road Park10 acres
DirectionsEnderly Park9 acres
DirectionsTom Hunter Neighborhood Park9 acres
DirectionsArchdale Park7 acres
DirectionsStoney Creek Greenway7 acres
Abbott Park7 acres
DirectionsChantilly Park7 acres
DirectionsUniversity Meadows Park7 acres
DirectionsUnity Park7 acres
Airport Overlook6 acres
DirectionsPressley Road Park6 acres
Oakhurst Park6 acres
DirectionsWaddell Street Park6 acres
Clarks Creek Tributary Greenway4 acres
Alexander Street Park4 acres
DirectionsGrier Heights Park4 acres
DirectionsBarton Creek Greenway4 acres · Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation
Reedy Creek Greenway4 acres
E.B. Moore Park4 acres
DirectionsWesley Heights Greenway4 acres · Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsThompson Park4 acres
DirectionsRiverside Drive Park3 acres
West Mecklenburg Neighborhood Park3 acres
DirectionsEdwards Branch Greenway3 acres
DirectionsYorkmont Park3 acres
John Montgomery Belk Plaza3 acres
DirectionsCherry Tree Save3 acres
DirectionsPizzo Park3 acres
DirectionsNorth Charlotte Park3 acres
DirectionsColonial Park3 acres
DirectionsTryon Hills Park3 acres
DirectionsAirline Bike Park1 acres · Tarheel Trailblazers
Collins Park1 acres · Mecklenburg County Parks & Rec
Wingate Park1 acres
West Charlotte Park1 acres
DirectionsFourth Ward Park1 acres
DirectionsCoulwood Hills Park1 acres · Coulwood Community Council
DirectionsShamrock Park1 acres
BBall Courts1 acres
DirectionsSixteenth Street Park1 acres
DirectionsWilmore Park1 acres
Northwoods Community Park1 acres
DirectionsOur Park1 acres
DirectionsMerry Oaks Park1 acres
DirectionsPark at Blakeney1 acres
DirectionsThe Green at Prosperity Village1 acres
DirectionsDavis Flohr Park1 acres
DirectionsDowd Park1 acres · Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation
DirectionsCharles Avenue Park1 acres
DirectionsWeston Glen Pool1 acres
DirectionsJames Dennis Rash Park1 acres
DirectionsThe Links Rea Farms Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
13,434 conserved acres
7% of Charlotte’s land. Who manages Charlotte’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County7,567 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits330 ac
State natural resources163 ac
Private owners152 ac
State conservation126 ac
Town or city19 ac
Not recorded11,865 ac
Local Conservation Area · 9,001 acLocal Park · 6,684 acLocal Other or Unknown · 2,217 acLocal Recreation Area · 1,363 acUnknown Easement · 293 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 163 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 27 of 285 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County Open Space Local Park | County | 5,589 | Open |
| City of Charlotte Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 2,049 | Unknown |
| Mecklenburg County Open Space - Reedy Creek Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 971 | Unknown |
| Mecklenburg County Open Space - McAlpine Creek Greenway Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 759 | Restricted |
| Mecklenburg County Open Space - Little Sugar Creek Greenway Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 402 | Restricted |
| Renaissance Golf Course Local Recreation Area | County | 343 | Open |
| Reedy Creek Regional Park Local Park | County | 337 | Open |
| Charles T. Myers Golf Course Local Recreation Area | County | 309 | Open |
| Mecklenburg County Open Space - Mallard Creek Park Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 308 | Restricted |
| Mecklenburg County Open Space - Thomas M. Winget Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 288 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
675 places to go in Charlotte
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Charlotte
Anthem Neighborhood Pool
DirectionsBubble Pool
DirectionsChateau Community Pool
DirectionsCordelia PoolIn Cordelia Park
DirectionsHamilton Lakes Community Pool
DirectionsJCC Pool
DirectionsNorthwoods Community Pool
DirectionsSilos Pool
Directions2 more public pools
Tidal Wave Bay
DirectionsYorkshire Neighborhood Pool
DirectionsPlus 11 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Charlotte
Clarks Creek Greenway PlaygroundIn Clarks Creek Greenway
DirectionsHarris YMCA play ground
DirectionsHawks' Club Playground
DirectionsHexaballIn Mallard Creek Greenway
DirectionsKiddy Hawk Cove
DirectionsLower School Playground
DirectionsMurtle Turtle Beach
DirectionsNorthwoods Community Playground
Directions8 more playgrounds
Pirate's Landing
DirectionsPlay60In Freedom Park
DirectionsRiver Oaks Academy Playground
DirectionsRiver Oaks Academy Playground
DirectionsRiver Oaks Academy Playground
DirectionsSeaside Splashworks
DirectionsShuffletown Park PlaygroundIn Shuffletown Park
DirectionsSplash PadIn Clarks Creek Community Park
Directions503 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Charlotte
9th Street Dog Park
DirectionsBroadstone Ayrsley Dog Park
DirectionsDog Run
DirectionsHeather Ridge Dog Park
DirectionsLarge Dogs ParkIn Clarks Creek Community Park
DirectionsLucky Dog Bark and Brew
DirectionsMcAlpine Creek Dog Park
DirectionsPet Station Dog Park
Directions3 more dog parks
Pringle Towns Dog Park
DirectionsSkiptown
DirectionsSmall Dogs ParkIn Clarks Creek Community Park
Directions87 dog parks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Fishing spots in Charlotte
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Charlotte
16 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Charlotte
13 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Charlotte
Disk Golf Practice BasketIn Reedy Creek Regional Park
DirectionsReedy Creek Disc Golf Course (Holes 1–9)In Reedy Creek Regional Park
DirectionsPlus 1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Charlotte
Avondale Giving Community Garden
DirectionsBaxter Steet Park Community GardenIn Baxter Street Park
DirectionsCentral UMC Community GardenCentral United Methodist Church
DirectionsCommunity GardenIn Clarks Creek Community Park
DirectionsCourtyardLink Apartments Mint Street
DirectionsGood Shepherd Community GardenGood Shepherd Presbyterian Church
DirectionsOakhurst Community Garden
DirectionsSustainability Village Community Garden
Directions31 community gardens are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 59 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 24.5 miHorses · 1.0 miUnpaved · 51.4 mi
Midddle Third4.8 mi
Mallard Creek 5k Course3.0 mi
Park Road Park Loop2.5 mi
Larry McAfee Course At McAlpine Creek Park2.4 mi
Nevin Park Disc Golf Course2.1 mi
Farmbrook Loop1.8 mi
Marion Diehl1.7 mi
Tech Loop1.5 mi
Wetlands Trail1.3 mi
Sierra Loop Trail1.2 mi
15 more trails
Dragonfly Pond Trail
1.0 miMyers Park High School Cross Country Trail
1.0 miUmbrella Tree Trail
1.0 miHamilton Green Nature Trail
0.9 miEvergreen Trail
0.9 miFruit Trails
0.8 miBeech Walk Trail
0.7 miBack Creek Greenway
0.7 miWeiss Main Trail
0.7 miSassafras Trail
0.6 miPond Trail
0.6 miNorthwoods Nature Trail
0.6 miTricklin' Stream Trail
0.5 miCollins
0.4 miBluebird Loop
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Ajewia LakelakeArdrey Park PondpondAzusa Grotto LakepondBallantyne PondpondBrinkleys Twin LakesreservoirBrinkleys Twin Lakes Number OneCady LakeCarmel LakelakeChallis LakereservoirCrawford PondpondDanga LakereservoirDavis LakelakeDavis PondpondDelta LakereservoirDillons Twin LakeslakeDragonfly PondpondDream LakeForest LakereservoirFreedom LakelakeGlen LakelakeGreenwood LakeGriffith LakeslakeHechenbleikner LakepondHixon PondpondHole #12 PondpondHole #18 PondpondHole #3 PondpondJohnston LakelakeJordon PondpondKid PondpondKingfisher PondpondLake LatinlakeLake PlazareservoirLake ProvidencelakeLake WindermerereservoirLower PondpondMarlwood LakereservoirMaynard LakereservoirMecklenberg Wildlife Club LakereservoirMitchell Pond Number SixpondMoody LakelakeNeighborhood PoolNumber One Settling BasinreservoirQuail Hollow Country Club LakereservoirRiver Oaks Academy PondpondRushmore One PondpondShadowlakepondSlider PondpondSwaringer LakereservoirUniversity LakeCatawba RiverCoffey CreekDairy BranchFourmile CreekIrwin CreekLittle Sugar CreekMcAlpine CreekMcMullen CreekSugar Creek
Biking & sports
414 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
199 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
163 mi
off-road bike paths
52 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Backyard TrailsBike route
12.7 miMiddle ThirdBike route
5 miFlat Branch TrailsBike route
2.6 miPark Road Park LoopBike route
2.6 miFarmbrook LoopBike route
1.9 miMarion DiehlBike route
1.8 miTech LoopBike route
1.5 miCourts & fields
644Tennis
221Basketball
216Baseball
144Soccer
109Pickleball
93Golf
50Beach volleyball
49Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →85 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 60 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Hezekiah Alexander HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itRosedaleBuilding · listed 1972
About itVictoriaBuilding · listed 1973
About itBiddle Memorial Hall, Johnson C. Smith UniversityBuilding · listed 1975
About itLatta ArcadeBuilding · listed 1975
About itLiddell-McNinch HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itJames Buchanan Duke HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itWhite Oak PlantationBuilding · listed 1978
About itJonas, Charles R., Federal BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itIndependence BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itMecklenburg County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itHotel CharlotteBuilding · listed 1979
About it73 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Charlotte: 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 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 52 | 56 | 64 | 73 | 80 | 87 | 90 | 88 | 82 | 73 | 63 | 55 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.6 |
October is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Charlotte →
Next door
Charlotte and its neighbors
Charlotte has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Charlotte139 miHuntersville10 miMint Hill7.6 miHarrisburg7.5 miMatthews4.1 miMarvin3.3 miWeddington2.2 miPineville0.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | 7% | 0.4 | 10 | 66% | B |
| Matthews | 6% | 0.2 | 16 | 84% | B |
| Pineville | 10% | 0.1 | 20 | 81% | B+ |
| Mint Hill | 2% | 0.3 | 11 | 44% | C+ |
| Marvin | 1% | 0.5 | 4 | 15% | C− |
| Weddington | 1% | 0.1 | 4 | 13% | D |
| Huntersville | 11% | 0.2 | 22 | 78% | B+ |
| Harrisburg | 2% | 0.6 | 5 | 24% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Charlotte
Where can I hike in Charlotte?
The longest trail networks: Mallard Creek Community Park, 4.6 miles; Reedy Creek Regional Park, 4.2 miles; Park Road Park, 3.1 miles; Ribbonwalk Nature Preserve, 2.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Charlotte is conserved land?
7% 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 Charlotte’s trails?
Mallard Creek Community Park and Reedy Creek Regional Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Charlotte?
414 miles of bike routes are on the map: 199 of painted or protected lanes, 163 of off-road paths and 52 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Backyard Trails, Middle Third and Flat Branch Trails.
Is there public land near Charlotte?
20,496 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Charlotte or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 9,098 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Charlotte have?
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #71 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 Charlotte 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 →