Photo: GastoniaHappening Jim Bob Willy · CC BY-SA 4.012% of Gastonia’s land is conserved: 4,058 acres
The biggest trail networks: Martha Rivers Park (1.8 mi). 1,968 acres are parks and preserves, 24 per 1,000 residents. 25 miles of mapped trail cross Gastonia, 0.5 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns · #44 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Gastonia?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Gastonia have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Gastonia is ahead of 72% of U.S. towns, #44 of 290 in North Carolina. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls 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
The longest trail network is Martha Rivers Park, with 1.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Northeast Community Park
T. Jeffers Park
All 11 parks & preserves
4,058 conserved acres
12% of Gastonia’s land. Who manages Gastonia’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 14 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 14 of 25 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crowders Mountain State Park State Park | Not recorded | 2,310 | Open |
| City of Gastonia Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 846 | Unknown |
| Gaston County Park Local Park | County | 748 | Open |
| City of Gastonia - Rankin Lake Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 240 | Unknown |
| Gaston County Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 151 | Unknown |
| Catawba Lands Conservancy - Springhaven Private Conservation | Not recorded | 76 | Restricted |
| NC Land and Water Fund Project State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 52 | Restricted |
| Bradley Center Local Park | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Southeast Center Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Erwin Center Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
27 places to go in Gastonia
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
16 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
11 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
1 more trails
11 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.
14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
2 more on the History page.
The best walking months in Gastonia: April to June
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 | 63 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 89 | 88 | 82 | 73 | 62 | 54 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.8 |
October is the driest month (3.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Gastonia →
Gastonia and its neighbors
Gastonia has the most mapped trails of the 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gastonia | 12% | 0.5 | 24 | 58% | B+ |
| Bessemer City | 7% | 0.1 | 15 | 84% | B |
| Lowell | 4% | 1.0 | 110 | 72% | A− |
| Kings Mountain | 3% | 0.2 | 15 | 27% | C+ |
| Dallas | 2% | under 0.1 | 2 | 63% | C− |
| Cramerton | 6% | 1.8 | 23 | 82% | A |
| Ranlo | 1% | 0.1 | 2 | 91% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Gastonia
Where can I hike in Gastonia?
The longest trail networks: Martha Rivers Park, 1.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Gastonia is conserved land?
12% 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 Gastonia’s trails?
Martha Rivers Park and Northeast Community Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Gastonia?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes, 8.2 of off-road paths and 2.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Gastonia?
14,778 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gastonia or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,968 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Gastonia have?
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #44 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 Gastonia 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 →