West Point on the Eno
Managed by Durham Parks & Recreation
400 acres5.9 mi of trail
Eagle TrailSouth River TrailMountains-to-Sea TrailBuffalo Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Maria Miracoli · CC BY-SA 4.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Durham
9% of Durham’s land is conserved: 7,219 acres
The biggest trail networks: West Point on the Eno (5.9 mi), Sarah P. Duke Gardens (4.8 mi), Jordan Game Land (3.4 mi). 83 miles of mapped trail cross Durham, 0.7 per square mile of land. 2,113 acres are parks and preserves, 7.3 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns · #59 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
7,219 acres · of 119.9 sq mi of land
Trails
83 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,113 ac
7.3 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
66%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
123 mi
68 mi lanes · 53 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
26
What kind of outdoors town is Durham?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Durham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Durham is ahead of 64% of U.S. towns, #59 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 Durham’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical NC town 3% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (83 mi) · NC 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land7.3 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,113 acres) · NC 8 · U.S. 13C+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 64%
LessMore
North Carolina towns of 2,500+ (290)Ahead of 80%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Durham ranks #302 on Outdoors.
Park acres per resident are where Durham trails most U.S. towns: 7.3 per 1,000 against 12.6 typical, since 305,561 people share 2,113 acres.
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 West Point on the Eno, with 5.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
Park
54 acres4.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Jordan Game Land
Managed by North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
1,432 acres3.4 mi of trail
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lot
Eno River State Park
Park
221 acres3.3 mi of trail
Laurel Bluffs TrailSawmill TrailMountains-to-Sea Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Glennstone Preserve
Nature preserve
83 acres2 mi of trail
Heron Way Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
River Forest Park
Managed by Durham Parks & Recreation
72 acres1.6 mi of trail
Mountains-to-Sea Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Valley Springs Park
Managed by Durham Parks and Recreation
53 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Sandy Creek Park
Managed by Durham Parks and Recreation
97 acres1.2 mi of trail
New Hope Extension
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 85 parks & preserves
West Point on the Eno400 acres · 5.9 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSarah P. Duke Gardens54 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsJordan Game Land1,432 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
DirectionsEno River State Park221 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGlennstone Preserve83 acres · 2 mi of trail
River Forest Park72 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsValley Springs Park53 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsSandy Creek Park97 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsRock Quarry Park45 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsForest Hills Park44 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsTwin Lakes Park72 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBeaver Marsh Preserve33 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · ECWA
DirectionsDuke Reclamation Pond23 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHillside Park13 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCornwallis Road Park19 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLeigh Farm12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
Directions17 Acre Wood Preserve22 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsUnity Village Park4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
Piney Wood Park41 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNorthgate Park30 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSherwood Park28 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLyon Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsBelmont Lake6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCentral Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsThe Rocks Preserve3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · ECWA
DirectionsDuke Forest Durham Division340 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Duke University
DirectionsWhipporwill Park25 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsMorreene Road Park14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWalltown Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCrest Street Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCampus Hills Park28 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBethesda Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWrightwood Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsRockwood Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
Orchard Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsIndian Trail Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBurton Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pearl Mill Nature Preserve5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association
DirectionsWatts Lawns3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWhite Oak Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsRocky Creek Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Durham Parks and Recreation
Merrick-Moore Park37 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsSouthern Boundaries Park34 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsChapel Hill Road Park26 acres
DirectionsGlendale Heights Park24 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsC. M. Herndon Park21 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsDuke Park19 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsC R Wood Park18 acres
DirectionsRed Maple Park15 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsEast End Park14 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsOld Farm Road Park11 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsElmira Park11 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsSolite Park10 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLong Meadow Park10 acres
DirectionsEast Durham Park8 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCook Road Park8 acres
DirectionsGarrett Road Park7 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsLakeview Park6 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsWeaver Street Park6 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
Birchwood Park6 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
Grant Park6 acres
DirectionsHolt School Road Park4 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsAmerican Village Park3 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
Old North Durham Park3 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsBrightwood Trails Community Area3 acres
DirectionsLatta Park3 acres
George Watts Playground3 acres
Oval Drive Park3 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
Butner-Falls of Neuse Game Land2 acres
Diamond View Park2 acres
DirectionsCarroll Street Park2 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
Penny's Bend Nature Preserve1 acres
Westover Park1 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsShady Oaks Park1 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsEdgemont Park1 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
Trinity Park1 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsBay Hargrove Park1 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
Burch Avenue Park1 acres · Durham Parks & Recreation
DirectionsAudubon Lake Dog Park1 acres
Medical Center Garden1 acres
DirectionsGarret Rd park old1 acres
DirectionsMorris Green Park1 acres
DirectionsDrew/Granby Park1 acres · Durham Parks and Recreation
Black Wall Street Gardens1 acres
DirectionsDog Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
7,219 conserved acres
9% of Durham’s land. Who manages Durham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,085 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits385 ac
State conservation129 ac
State natural resources119 ac
Other state land77 ac
County43 ac
Not recorded7,713 ac
Local Conservation Area · 2,982 acState Other or Unknown · 1,629 acUnknown · 1,426 acLocal Park · 1,206 acPrivate Conservation · 937 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 231 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 51 of 176 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Durham Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1,597 | Unknown |
| B. Everett Jordan Dam and Lake Unknown | Not recorded | 1,426 | Unknown |
| New Hope Creek Bottomland Forest Registered Heritage Area State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 475 | Open |
| Lower New Hope Creek Floodplain Forest and Slopes Registered Heritage Area State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 438 | Open |
| City of Durham Open Space - West Point Park Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 405 | Unknown |
| Duke Forest Private Conservation | Not recorded | 328 | Restricted |
| Little Creek Bottomlands and Slopes Registered Heritage Area State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 323 | Open |
| Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 281 | Closed |
| Durham County Open Space Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 247 | Restricted |
| Wake County Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 226 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
275 places to go in Durham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Durham
Alexan Garrett Farms, Swimming Pool
DirectionsLong Meadow PoolIn Long Meadow Park
DirectionsMagnolia Place Pool
DirectionsParkwood Swimming Pool
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Durham
Bird Observation
DirectionsCardinal Lake Playground 2
DirectionsCatch The Wind: Seed Tower
DirectionsCatch The Wind: wind cannons
DirectionsCatch the Wind
DirectionsDinosaur Trail
DirectionsFossil Dig
DirectionsGateway Park
Directions8 more playgrounds
Hideaway Woods
DirectionsInto The Mist
DirectionsJordan at Southpoint Playground
DirectionsMount MerrillIn Central Park
DirectionsMount MerrillIn Central Park
DirectionsParkwood Hidden Park
DirectionsParkwood Playground
DirectionsSpraygroundIn Rock Quarry Park
Directions208 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Durham
Bark ParkHours: Mon–Sun 10 am – 9 pm
DirectionsCampus Walk Dog Park
DirectionsCarolina Arbors Small Dog Park
DirectionsCopper Run Dog Park
DirectionsDowntown Durham Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 24 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Durham
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Durham
Huckleberry Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Durham
20 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Durham
Cornwallis Road Disc Golf CourseHours: dawn-dusk · In Cornwallis Road Park · Durham Parks and Recreation
DirectionsPlus 2 disc golf without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Durham
Briggs Avenue Community Garden
DirectionsHub Farm
DirectionsOrchard Park Community GardenIn Orchard Park
DirectionsScrap Exchange Community Garden
DirectionsWild Hearts Garden & Park
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
20 named trails and 26 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.4 miUnpaved · 43.0 mi
Al Buehler Trail2.9 mi
Mountains-to-Sea Trail2.1 mi
Laurel Bluffs Trail1.8 mi
Eagle Trail1.7 mi
New Hope Bottomlands Trail1.5 mi
East Campus Perimeter Path1.2 mi
Sawmill Trail0.7 mi
River Forest Trail0.7 mi
South River Trail0.6 mi
Sally Meyerhoff Fitness Trail0.6 mi
10 more trails
New Hope Extension
0.5 miBuffalo Trail
0.4 miHidden Park Access
0.3 miLotus Pond Trail
0.3 miLaurel Cliffs Nature Trail
0.3 miHeron Way Trail
0.3 miSennett Hole Trail
0.2 miMeadow Trail
0.2 miDinosaur Trail
0.2 miDuke Cross Country Path
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Allen LakereservoirBMPCrystal LakereservoirDuke PondpondFish PondpondFrazier LakeFreedom LakepondInfinity Rd Raw Water ReservoirreservoirJesse Cole LakeLake EltonLake ShorelakeLake UnityMatthews LakereservoirMist LakeNonameOle Bull RiverParkwood LakereservoirRoycroft LakereservoirStraford Lake Number OneStraford Lake Number TwoSwannonoa LakeWake Forest ReservoirWellington Forest Retention PondpondEllerbe CreekLittle RiverNew Hope Creek
Biking & sports
123 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
68 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
53 mi
off-road bike paths
2.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
235Tennis
64Basketball
63Baseball
56Soccer
47Pickleball
21Golf
13Football
11Multi-sport
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →64 places on the National Register, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company BuildingNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1975
About itBennett Place State Historic SiteSite · listed 1970
About itSt. Joseph's African Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1976
About itDowntown Durham Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1977
About itJohn Sprunt Hill HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itHorton Grove ComplexBuilding · listed 1978
About itDurham Hosiery MillBuilding · listed 1978
About itDillard-Gamble HousesBuilding · listed 1979
About itBassett HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About it52 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Durham: 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 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 51 | 55 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 87 | 90 | 88 | 82 | 72 | 62 | 54 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 4.8 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Durham →
Next door
Durham and its neighbors
Durham has the second most mapped trails of the 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | 9% | 0.7 | 7 | 66% | B |
| Gorman | 12% | 0.4 | 75 | 34% | B+ |
| Chapel Hill | 12% | 3.6 | 20 | 91% | A |
| Raleigh | 16% | 0.7 | 21 | 91% | A |
| Morrisville | 4% | 0.2 | 7 | 91% | B− |
| Cary | 9% | 0.7 | 19 | 90% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Durham
Where can I hike in Durham?
The longest trail networks: West Point on the Eno, 5.9 miles; Sarah P. Duke Gardens, 4.8 miles; Jordan Game Land, 3.4 miles; Eno River State Park, 3.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Durham is conserved land?
9% 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 Durham’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Jordan Game Land. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Durham?
123 miles of bike routes are on the map: 68 of painted or protected lanes, 53 of off-road paths and 2.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Durham?
72,664 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Durham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,719 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Durham have?
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #59 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 Durham 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 →