Photo: KimWrenn · CC BY-SA 3.0Henderson has 20 acres of parks, 1.3 for every 1,000 residents
0.4 miles of mapped trail cross Henderson. 51% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 16% of U.S. towns · #239 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Henderson?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Henderson have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Henderson is ahead of 16% of U.S. towns, #239 of 290 in North Carolina. All four inputs are below most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park comes closest.
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.
52 conserved acres
1% of Henderson’s land. Who manages Henderson’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 4 of 10 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Henderson and Vance County Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 23 | Unknown |
| City of Henderson and Vance County - South Henderson Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
| City of Henderson - Kings Daughters Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
| Vance County Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 7 | Unknown |
| City of Henderson Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 2 | Unknown |
| Chestnut Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Owen Davis Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| David Street Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| NC Land and Water Fund Conservation Agreement State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 1 | Restricted |
1 places to go in Henderson
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.
0.0 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.
9 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Henderson: 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) | 9.9 | 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 | 61 | 71 | 78 | 86 | 89 | 87 | 81 | 71 | 61 | 53 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 89 °F). 4.6 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 89 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Henderson →
Questions about parks and trails in Henderson
How much of Henderson is conserved land?
1% 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 Henderson’s trails?
Chestnut Street Park doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Henderson?
15,359 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Henderson or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 20 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Henderson have?
Ahead of 16% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #239 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 Henderson 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 →