Marshall Nature Sanctuary
Managed by Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League
29 acres0.3 mi of trail
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Nature Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bank of French Broad · Photo: Warren LeMay from Covington, KY, United States · CC0–Not graded
Outdoors in Marshall
Few parks or trails are on the map in Marshall
12 acres are parks and preserves, 12 per 1,000 residents. 0.8 miles of mapped trail cross Marshall, 0.2 per square mile of land. 34% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Conserved land
1%
19 acres · of 4.0 sq mi of land
Trails
0.8 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
12 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
34%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
1
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 Marshall Nature Sanctuary, with 0.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
19 conserved acres
1% of Marshall’s land. Water is left out: Marshall has 4.0 square miles of land and 0.2 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Marshall’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits13 ac
Not recorded6 ac
Conservation Easement · 13 acLocal Other or Unknown · 6 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 13 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 2 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Marshall Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 6 | Unknown |
Things to do
2 places to go in Marshall
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Marshall
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Marshall
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.5 miUnpaved · 0.8 mi
Track Trail0.5 mi
Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Nature Trail0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Jeff White HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About itMadison County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itJames H. White HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itBank of French BroadBuilding · listed 2004
About itMarshall Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2007
About itCapitola Manufacturing Company Cotton Yarn MillBuilding · listed 2012
About itMarshall High SchoolBuilding · listed 2025
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Marshall: April, May and 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 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.0 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 47 | 52 | 59 | 69 | 77 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 80 | 70 | 59 | 50 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
October is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.5 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Marshall →
Questions about parks and trails in Marshall
Where can I hike in Marshall?
The longest trail networks: Marshall Nature Sanctuary, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Marshall’s trails?
Marshall Nature Sanctuary doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Marshall?
17,021 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Marshall or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 12 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Marshall 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 →