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Raleigh SkylinePhoto: Abhiram Juvvadi · CC BY-SA 4.0
AOutdoors
Outdoors in Raleigh

16% of Raleigh’s land is conserved: 15,748 acres

The biggest trail networks: William B. Umstead State Park (33.4 mi), Lake Johnson Park (6.1 mi), Durant Nature Preserve (4.7 mi). 91% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 107 miles of mapped trail cross Raleigh, 0.7 per square mile of land.

Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns · #15 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it

Conserved land
16%
15,748 acres · of 152.3 sq mi of land
Trails
107 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
9,929 ac
21 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
91%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
265 mi
88 mi lanes · 141 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
37
1 beach · 2 boat launches

What kind of outdoors town is Raleigh?

Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.

Outdoors grade

How much outdoors does Raleigh have?

On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Raleigh is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns, #15 of 290 in North Carolina. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.

A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Raleigh’s overall grade.
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 87%
LessMore
North Carolina towns of 2,500+ (290)Ahead of 95%

Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Raleigh ranks #116 on Outdoors.

How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.

PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →

The map

Conserved land, trails & bike routes

Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.

12345678
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 William B. Umstead State Park, with 33.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

William B. Umstead State Park

Managed by North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
5,306 acres33.4 mi of trail
Sycamore TrailCompany Mill TrailLoblolly TrailReedy Creek Multi-Use Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Lake Johnson Park

Park
474 acres6.1 mi of trail
Lake Johnson TrailLake Johnson Trail Connector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead

Durant Nature Preserve

Nature preserve
279 acres4.7 mi of trail
Border TrailSecret Creek TrailLakeside Trail NorthLakeside Trail South+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Marsh Creek Park

Park
103 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Horseshoe Park

Park
155 acres2 mi of trail
Meadow Loop TrailRiver Walk Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Reedy Creek Trail

Park
139 acres1.9 mi of trail
Museum Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

Cedar Hills Park

Park
38 acres1.5 mi of trail
Hole 10 to 11Hole 3 and 4Hole 16Hole 2+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot

JC Raulston Arboretum

Park
12 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 172 parks & preserves
William B. Umstead State Park5,306 acres · 33.4 mi of trail · North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation
Directions
Lake Johnson Park474 acres · 6.1 mi of trail
Directions
Durant Nature Preserve279 acres · 4.7 mi of trail
Directions
Marsh Creek Park103 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
Directions
Horseshoe Park155 acres · 2 mi of trail
Directions
Reedy Creek Trail139 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
Directions
Cedar Hills Park38 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
Directions
JC Raulston Arboretum12 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
Directions
Walnut Creek Park South194 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Directions
Baileywick Park55 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
Directions
Historic Oakview27 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Directions
Brookhaven Nature Park22 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
Directions
Laurel Hills Park44 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Directions
Fred Fletcher Park22 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Directions
Sawmill Trail Greenway88 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Directions
John Chavis Memorial Park24 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Directions
Millbrook Exchange Park70 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Directions
Spring Forest Road Park22 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Directions
Pullen Park73 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Directions
Eastgate Park25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Directions
Windemere Beaver Dam Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Dorothea Dix Park307 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Directions
Anderson Point Park100 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Directions
Sertoma Arts Center27 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Directions
Wooten Meadow Park21 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Directions
Neuse River Greenway933 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Directions
Prairie Ridge Ecostation53 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · NC Museum of Natural Sciences
Directions
Biltmore Hills Park44 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Directions
Brier Creek Park11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Directions
Williams Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Lake Park Trail8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Directions
Court of North Carolina4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Directions
Walnut Creek Softball Complex94 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Directions
Milburnie Park63 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Directions
Barwell Road Park54 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Gipson Play Plaza9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Directions
Fairfax Hills Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Oakboro Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Falls River
Tri-Towers Common Area2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Directions
Mary Yarbrough Court2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Directions
Buffaloe Road Athletic Complex169 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Lake Lynn Park133 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Shelley Lake Park130 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Abbott's Creek Greenway26 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Brentwood Park24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Jaycee Park24 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Glen Eden Pilot Park19 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Cedar Hills Lake Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Roberts Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Parents Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Edna Metz Wells Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
Stafford Commons2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Brighthaven Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Governor Scott Courtyard1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions
Crabtree Park236 acres
Directions
Crabtree Creek Trail228 acres
Directions
Randleigh Farm109 acres
City of Raleigh Greenway66 acres
Directions
Leesville Park55 acres
Directions
Neuse River Trail52 acres
Directions
Crabtree Valley Trail46 acres
Directions
Lions Park and Community Center42 acres
Directions
Carolina Pines Park39 acres · City of Raleigh
Directions
House Creek Greenway39 acres
Directions
Strickland Road Park38 acres
Directions
Ironwood Trail36 acres
Directions
Kiwanis Park36 acres
Directions
North Hills Park34 acres
Directions
Worthdale Park34 acres
Directions
Bent Creek Trail Greenway31 acres
Directions
Crabtree - Oak Park Greenway30 acres
Directions
Optimist Park30 acres
Directions
Drewry Hills Park #228 acres
Directions
Green Road Park27 acres
Directions
Middle Crabtree Creek Trail26 acres
Directions
Sanderford Road Park24 acres
Milburnie Road Canoe Access Area24 acres
Directions
Alleghany Trail19 acres
Directions
Abbott's Creek Park18 acres
Directions
Hill Street Park15 acres · City or Raleigh
Directions
Kentwood Park15 acres
Directions
Claremont Park14 acres
Directions
Tarheel Club Farm Greenway13 acres
Oakwood Park13 acres
Directions
George F Marshall Memorial Park13 acres
Directions
Drewry Hills Park #113 acres
Harris Creek Greenway11 acres
Fallon Park10 acres
Meredith College Greenway9 acres
Directions
Powell Drive Park7 acres
Directions
Southgate Park7 acres
Longview Park7 acres
Directions
Springdale Area Recreation Club7 acres
Directions
The Oval6 acres
Directions
Crabtree Creek Watershed Project6 acres
Directions
Peach Road Park6 acres
Directions
Method Park6 acres
Directions
Rose Garden and Little Theatre6 acres
Directions
Ridge Road Park & Pool6 acres
Directions
Eliza Pool Park6 acres
Directions
Renaissance Park6 acres
Directions
Hymettus Woods Park6 acres
Wilders Grove5 acres
Rothgeb Park5 acres
Union Square5 acres
Directions
Kaplan Drive Park5 acres
Burke Square5 acres
Directions
Apollo Heights Park5 acres
Directions
Nash Square5 acres
Directions
Lake Lynn Trail5 acres
Joslin Garden4 acres
Moore Square4 acres
Directions
Halifax Park4 acres
Directions
Tarboro Road Park4 acres
Directions
Mordecai Historic Park4 acres
Directions
WRAL Azalea Garden3 acres
Directions
West Park3 acres · City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
Directions
Lassiter Mill Park3 acres
Directions
Idolbrook Park3 acres
Directions
West Lake Drive Park3 acres
Lee Field3 acres
Directions
Kingwood Forest Mini-Park3 acres
Wilson Park3 acres
Isabella Cannon Park2 acres
Smallwood Open Space2 acres · City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
Directions
Lakepark Greenway2 acres
Directions
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Gardens2 acres
Directions
Forest Park2 acres · City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources
Directions
McIver Amphitheater2 acres
Directions
John Winters Park2 acres
Directions
Chamberlain Park2 acres
Directions
Flint Ridge Park2 acres · Cedar Hills Condominiums
Cokesbury Park2 acres · Falls River
Sunny Brook Estates Park2 acres · Pindell-Wilson property Management
Davie Street Mini-Park2 acres
Directions
Green Hills County Park1 acres
Directions
Arlington Hills Greenway1 acres
Directions
Mary Belle Pate Park1 acres
Directions
Meadowbrook Park1 acres · City of Raleigh
North Carolina Freedom Park1 acres · North Carolina African American Heritage Commission
Directions
Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church Playground1 acres
Directions
NC State Memorial Bell Tower1 acres
Directions
Water Tower Neighborhood Park1 acres
Charlotte H Green Park1 acres
Beckanna Park1 acres
Directions
Central Downtown Plaza1 acres
Directions
Gardner Arboretum1 acres
Directions
Poplar Springs Park1 acres
Midtown Park1 acres
Directions
Pottersville Park1 acres
Directions
Ponse Park1 acres
Six Oaks Park1 acres
Directions
Lake Raleigh Picnic Area1 acres
Directions
Pollock Place Park1 acres
Bailey Park1 acres
Textiles Courtyard1 acres
Directions
Venture Courtyard1 acres
Lafeyette Village Common Area1 acres
Directions
Caraleigh Mini-Park1 acres
Directions
Compeigne Park1 acres
Directions
Mordecai Park1 acres
Varnell Mini-Park1 acres
Directions
Spangler Garden1 acres
Directions
Quarry Street Mini-Park1 acres
Directions
Bragg Street Mini-Park1 acres
Directions
Inside Wade South Pocket Park1 acres
Directions
Inside Wade North Pocket Park1 acres
Directions
Fisher Street Mini-Park1 acres
Sunscape Dog park1 acres
PNC Plaza1 acres
Directions
Roofdeck Park1 acres
Directions
Leesville Community Park1 acres
Directions
Who protects it

15,748 conserved acres

16% of Raleigh’s land. Who manages Raleigh’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

State conservation3,738 ac
Town or city2,240 ac
County891 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits621 ac
State natural resources420 ac
Regional agency233 ac
Not recorded13,439 ac
Local Recreation Area · 7,301 acState Park · 5,334 acConservation Easement · 4,354 acLocal Park · 1,805 acState Other or Unknown · 1,433 ac
Good to know

Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 929 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 83 of 372 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.

The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
William B. Umstead State Park
State Park
Not recorded5,334Open
Wake County Open Space Land
Local Recreation Area
County778Open
Centennial Campus Open Space
Local Conservation Area
Town or city506Open
City of Raleigh Greenway - Neuse River Greenway
Local Recreation Area
Not recorded487Open
City of Raleigh Open Space - Lake Johnson Metro Park
Local Recreation Area
Not recorded473Open
City of Raleigh Open Space
Local Recreation Area
Not recorded398Open
Schenck Memorial Forest
State Other or Unknown
Not recorded395Unknown
North Carolina State University Agricultural Research Land
State Other or Unknown
Not recorded377Unknown
Dorothea Dix Park
Local Park
Town or city309Open
City of Raleigh Greenway
Local Recreation Area
Not recorded302Open

5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.

Things to do

263 places to go in Raleigh

Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.

Dog parks in Raleigh
5401 North Dog Park
Directions
Buffaloe Road Dog ParkIn Buffaloe Road Athletic Complex
Directions
Carolina Pines Dog ParkIn Carolina Pines Park
Directions
Dog Park at Dix ParkIn Dorothea Dix Park
Directions
North Bend Dog Park
Directions
Oakwood Dog ParkIn Oakwood Park
Directions
Oakwood Dog ParkIn Oakwood Park
Directions
Pop-Pup Dog Park
Directions
2 more dog parks
The Providence Dog Park
Directions
Tribute Resident Dog Park
Directions

39 dog parks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.

Trails & water

25 named trails and 37 lakes & rivers

Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.0 miHorses · 5.4 miUnpaved · 54.6 mi
Sycamore Trail4.9 mi
Company Mill Trail4.9 mi
Loblolly Trail3.5 mi
Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail2.7 mi
Sal's Branch Trail2.5 mi
Richland Creek Trail2.3 mi
Reedy Creek Trail1.9 mi
Lake Johnson Trail1.3 mi
Border Trail1.1 mi
Lakeview Trail1.1 mi
15 more trails
Mine Creek Trail
0.9 mi
Pott's Branch Trail
0.9 mi
Meadow Loop Trail
0.9 mi
Frances L. Liles Trail
0.7 mi
Oak-Rock Trail
0.6 mi
Secret Creek Trail
0.6 mi
River Walk Trail
0.6 mi
Main Trail
0.6 mi
Reedy Creek Lake Trail
0.5 mi
Lake Park Segment
0.5 mi
Hubcap Trail
0.5 mi
Traemoor Nature Trail
0.5 mi
Gardner Street Trail
0.5 mi
Lakeside Trail North
0.5 mi
Lakeside Trail South
0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports

265 miles of bike routes

Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.

88 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
141 mi
off-road bike paths
37 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
East Coast Greenway (NC)Bike route
4.6 mi
1 (North Carolina)Bike route
2.7 mi
Richland Creek TrailBike route
2.6 mi
Mine Creek TrailBike route
1.4 mi
Beaver Dam TrailBike route
1 mi
Gardner Street TrailBike route
0.5 mi
Courts & fields
401Tennis
105Baseball
95Basketball
70Soccer
33Beach volleyball
19Pickleball
19Football
18Golf

Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.

History along the way

131 places on the National Register, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks

The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 19 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.

History →
★
North Carolina State CapitolNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1970
About it
★
Christ ChurchNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1970
About it
★
Christ Episcopal ChurchNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1987
About it
North Carolina Executive MansionBuilding · listed 1970
About it
Mordecai HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About it
State Bank of North CarolinaBuilding · listed 1970
About it
Haywood HallBuilding · listed 1970
About it
Joel Lane HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About it
Richard B. Haywood HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About it
St. Mary's ChapelBuilding · listed 1970
About it
White-Holman HouseBuilding · listed 1971
About it
Federal BuildingBuilding · listed 1971
About it

119 more on the History page.

When to get out

The best walking months in Raleigh: 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)10.010.811.913.114.014.614.413.512.411.210.29.7
High (°F)525563738087908882736255
Rain (in)3.63.04.23.73.84.55.04.95.13.63.53.6

February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.1 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Raleigh →

Next door

Raleigh and its neighbors

Raleigh has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.

TownConserved
of land
Trail mi
per sq mi
Park acres
per 1,000
Near a park
½ mile
Outdoors
Raleigh16%0.72191%A
Cary9%0.71990%A−
Garner7%0.62782%A−
Wake Forest11%1.22385%A
Durham9%0.7766%B
Knightdale5%under 0.11787%B−

The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.

Questions about parks and trails in Raleigh

Where can I hike in Raleigh?

The longest trail networks: William B. Umstead State Park, 33.4 miles; Lake Johnson Park, 6.1 miles; Durant Nature Preserve, 4.7 miles; Marsh Creek Park, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

How much of Raleigh is conserved land?

16% 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 Raleigh’s trails?

William B. Umstead State Park and Lake Johnson Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.

Where can I bike in Raleigh?

265 miles of bike routes are on the map: 88 of painted or protected lanes, 141 of off-road paths and 37 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: East Coast Greenway (NC), 1 (North Carolina) and Richland Creek Trail.

Is there public land near Raleigh?

61,667 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Raleigh or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 9,929 of them inside the city line.

How much outdoors does Raleigh have?

Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #15 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 Raleigh neighbors.

Town Square →
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 →