Roanoke Canal · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0Roanoke Rapids has 7.2 miles of mapped trails, 0.7 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Chockoyotte Park (0.6 mi), Emry Park (0.5 mi). 103 acres are parks and preserves, 7.0 per 1,000 residents. 2% of Roanoke Rapids’ land is conserved, about 133 acres.
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns · #109 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
How much outdoors does Roanoke Rapids have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Roanoke Rapids is ahead of 49% of U.S. towns, #109 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 Chockoyotte Park, with 0.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Roanoke Rapids Lake Day Use Area
All 7 parks & preserves
133 conserved acres
2% of Roanoke Rapids’ land. Who manages Roanoke Rapids’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 9 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Roanoke Rapids Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 49 | Unknown |
| City of Roanoke Rapids - Long Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 21 | Open |
| City of Roanoke Rapids - Ledgewood Athletic Complex Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
| City of Roanoke Rapids - Chockoyotte Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 15 | Open |
| City of Roanoke Rapids - Emry Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 12 | Open |
| NC Hazard Mitigation Buyout Property - Roanoke Rapids State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 9 | Unknown |
| City of Roanoke Rapids - Rochelle Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
| City of Roanoke Rapids - Chaloner Recreation Center Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 4 | Open |
| Roanoke Canal Trail State Historic Site State Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 4 | Unknown |
3 places to go in Roanoke Rapids
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
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.
3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Roanoke Rapids: 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) | 51 | 54 | 62 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 88 | 82 | 72 | 62 | 54 |
| Rain (in) | 3.7 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 5.2 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Roanoke Rapids →
Roanoke Rapids and its neighbors
Roanoke Rapids has the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke Rapids | 2% | 0.7 | 7 | 61% | B− |
| South Rosemary | under 1% | 0.7 | under 1 | 5% | D |
| Weldon | 1% | 0.3 | 8 | 50% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Roanoke Rapids
Where can I hike in Roanoke Rapids?
The longest trail networks: Chockoyotte Park, 0.6 miles; Emry Park, 0.5 miles; Roanoke Rapids Lake Day Use Area, 0.3 miles; Long Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Roanoke Rapids 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 Roanoke Rapids’ trails?
Chockoyotte Park and Emry Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Roanoke Rapids?
914 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Roanoke Rapids or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 103 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Roanoke Rapids have?
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #109 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 Roanoke Rapids 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 →