Photo: Alamance County NC · CC BY-SA 3.0Graham has 93 acres of parks, 5.2 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Graham Municipal Park (0.7 mi). 2% of Graham’s land is conserved, about 103 acres. 4.3 miles of mapped trail cross Graham, 0.4 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 38% of U.S. towns · #153 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
How much outdoors does Graham have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Graham is ahead of 38% of U.S. towns, #153 of 290 in North Carolina. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident 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
The longest trail network is Graham Municipal Park, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
South Graham Park
Greenway Park
Oakley Street Park
103 conserved acres
2% of Graham’s land. Who manages Graham’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 5 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Graham - Bill Cooke Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 43 | Open |
| City of Graham - South Graham Municipal Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| City of Graham Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
| City of Graham - Greenway Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 5 | Open |
| Oakley Street Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
10 places to go in Graham
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
0.3 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.
6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Graham: 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 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 50 | 54 | 62 | 72 | 78 | 85 | 89 | 87 | 81 | 72 | 61 | 53 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 4.8 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Graham →
Graham and its neighbors
Graham has the second most mapped trails of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Graham | 2% | 0.4 | 5 | 64% | C+ |
| Burlington | 6% | 0.2 | 9 | 59% | B− |
| Haw River | 3% | 0.8 | 20 | 60% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Graham
Where can I hike in Graham?
The longest trail networks: Graham Municipal Park, 0.7 miles; South Graham Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Graham 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 Graham’s trails?
Graham Municipal Park and South Graham Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Graham?
0.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Graham?
2,540 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Graham or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 93 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Graham have?
Ahead of 38% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #153 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 Graham 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 →