Photo: Harrison Keely · CC BY 4.0Franklin has 49 acres of parks, 11 for every 1,000 residents
84% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 0.9 miles of mapped trail cross Franklin, 0.2 per square mile of land. 3% of Franklin’s land is conserved, about 95 acres.
Ahead of 51% of U.S. towns · #97 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Franklin?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Franklin have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Franklin is ahead of 51% of U.S. towns, #97 of 290 in North Carolina. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Nantahala National Forest
95 conserved acres
3% of Franklin’s land. Who manages Franklin’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 5 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 13 of 20 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| NC Land and Water Fund Conservation Agreement State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 48 | Restricted |
| Macon County - Little Tennessee River Greenway Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 37 | Open |
| Macon County Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
| Franklin Ultimate Local Park | County | 16 | Open |
| Macon County - Cullasaja Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 16 | Open |
| Macon County - Wesleys Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 11 | Open |
| Town of Franklin - Franklin Memorial Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 3 | Open |
| Nantahala National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 2 | Open |
| NC Department of Transportation Mitigation Site State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1 | Unknown |
| NC Hazard Mitigation Buyout Property - Macon County State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1 | Unknown |
7 places to go in Franklin
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 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
2 disc golf without a name on the map.
2 lakes & rivers
2.9 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.
7 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.
The best walking months in Franklin: April to August
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) | 50 | 54 | 61 | 71 | 77 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 80 | 70 | 61 | 52 |
| Rain (in) | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 5.0 |
October is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 5.0 inches fall in January, the wettest month. The climate in Franklin →
Questions about parks and trails in Franklin
Where can I hike in Franklin?
The longest trail networks: Franklin Memorial Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Franklin is conserved land?
3% 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 Franklin’s trails?
Greenway Park and Franklin Memorial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Franklin?
2.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.9 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Franklin?
111,638 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Franklin or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 51 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Franklin have?
Ahead of 51% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #97 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 Franklin 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 →