Hanes Park
Managed by City of Winston-Salem
33 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bethabara Historic District · Photo: Barber Photo Supply Company, Photographer · Public domainBOutdoors
Outdoors in Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem has 4,065 acres of parks, 16 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Hanes Park (1.9 mi), Bethania Wetlands (1 mi), Kimberley Park (0.7 mi). 5% of Winston-Salem’s land is conserved, about 4,158 acres. 45 miles of mapped trail cross Winston-Salem, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 57% of U.S. towns · #78 of 290 in North Carolina. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
4,158 acres · of 133.7 sq mi of land
Trails
45 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,065 ac
16 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
59%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
53 mi
13 mi lanes · 29 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
29
1 boat launch
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Winston-Salem have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Winston-Salem is ahead of 57% of U.S. towns, #78 of 290 in North Carolina. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Winston-Salem’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical NC town 3% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (45 mi) · NC 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land16 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,065 acres) · NC 8 · U.S. 13BParks close to home59% of residents within a half mile of a park · NC 51% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 57%
LessMore
North Carolina towns of 2,500+ (290)Ahead of 73%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Winston-Salem ranks #332 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B. 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.
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 Hanes Park, with 1.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bethania Wetlands
Park
47 acres1 mi of trail
Hart TrailReuter Survey Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bethabara Park
Park
25 acres0.6 mi of trail
Mill Creek TrailMillrace TrailNorth Wetlands TrailSouth Wetland Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Union Cross Park
Park
19 acres0.6 mi of trail
walking circle
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Long Creek Park
Managed by City of Winston Salem
158 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Muddy Creek Bluffs
Park
29 acres0.5 mi of trail
Reuter Survey TrailBethania Knoll Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 54 parks & preserves
Hanes Park33 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · City of Winston-Salem
DirectionsBethania Wetlands47 acres · 1 mi of trail
Kimberley Park27 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsForest Park14 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBethabara Park25 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Union Cross Park19 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Long Creek Park158 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Winston Salem
DirectionsMuddy Creek Bluffs29 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Happy Hill Park28 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsLeinbach Park8 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSouth Fork Park12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Park70 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Civitan Park43 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsParkland Park17 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLittle Creek Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Granville Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsReynolds Park207 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHistoric Bethabara Park73 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSara Lee Soccer Complex43 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWalnut Bluffs18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Sedge Garden Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPolo Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCorpening Plaza3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJoe White Tennis Center3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Winston-Salem Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsBailey Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWinston Square Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGrace Court1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSalem Square1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMerschel Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Winston-Salem
DirectionsSecond Street Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Quarry at Grant Park58 acres · City of Winston-Salem
DirectionsHobby Park40 acres · City of Winston-Salem
DirectionsBolton Park39 acres
DirectionsMiller Park37 acres
DirectionsSprague Street Park25 acres
Fourteenth Street Park23 acres
Mineral Springs Park22 acres
Evergreen Farm20 acres
Easton Park20 acres
Hathaway Park16 acres
DirectionsBlum Park - Swimming Pool16 acres
Jamison Park16 acres · City of Winston-Salem
Weston Park14 acres
Old Town Park12 acres
DirectionsShaffner Park7 acres
DirectionsNelson Malloy Jr. Park4 acres
Ardmore Park4 acres
Greenway Park3 acres
Central Park3 acres
DirectionsRiver Rock Community Green2 acres
Harambee Park2 acres
Bon Air Park2 acres
Vernon Farm Pool & Playground1 acres
DirectionsARTivity On The Green1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,158 conserved acres
5% of Winston-Salem’s land. Who manages Winston-Salem’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits364 ac
State natural resources94 ac
Private owners26 ac
Town or city24 ac
State conservation21 ac
Other state land16 ac
County1 ac
Local Recreation Area · 3,739 acUnknown Easement · 291 acState Other or Unknown · 122 acConservation Easement · 112 acLocal Conservation Area · 96 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 139 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 40 of 128 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Winston-Salem Open Space - Salem Lake Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 1,473 | Unknown |
| City of Winston-Salem Open Space - Winston Lake Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 393 | Unknown |
| City of Winston-Salem Open Space - Reynolds Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 234 | Unknown |
| City of Winston-Salem Open Space - Quarry Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 196 | Unknown |
| City of Winston-Salem Open Space - Long Creek Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 158 | Unknown |
| NC Land and Water Fund Project State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 122 | Restricted |
| City of Winston-Salem Open Space - Historic Bethabara Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 121 | Unknown |
| City of Winston-Salem Open Space - Hobby Park Local Recreation Area | Not recorded | 94 | Unknown |
| Unknown Local Park | Private owners | 94 | Unknown |
| Historic Bethania State Historic or Cultural Area | Not recorded | 93 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
74 places to go in Winston-Salem
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Winston-Salem
Reynolds Park PoolIn Reynolds Park
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Winston-Salem
58 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Winston-Salem
Gallery Lofts Bark Park
DirectionsJamison Dog ParkIn Jamison Park
DirectionsJamison Dog ParkIn Jamison Park
DirectionsTuckers Tap Yard
DirectionsBoat launches in Winston-Salem
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Winston-Salem
2 waterfalls without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Winston-Salem
Overlook BIn The Quarry at Grant Park
DirectionsOverlook CIn The Quarry at Grant Park
DirectionsOverlook EIn The Quarry at Grant Park
DirectionsPlus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Winston-Salem
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
15 named trails and 29 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.7 miHorses · 6.5 miUnpaved · 16.8 mi
Salem Lake Trail6.2 mi
North Loop1.0 mi
South Loop0.9 mi
Reuter Survey Trail0.9 mi
Stuart and Emma Thomas Memorial Trail0.8 mi
Hart Trail0.6 mi
walking circle0.3 mi
Mill Creek Trail0.3 mi
North Wetlands Trail0.3 mi
Old Salem Creek Greenway0.3 mi
5 more trails
Millrace Trail
0.2 miBlack Walnut Bottoms Trail
0.2 miSouth Wetland Trail
0.1 miGod's Acre Cemetery Trail
0.1 miBethania Knoll Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Babcock LakereservoirClinard LakereservoirDalton PondreservoirDoug Young Lake Number TworeservoirFowler Lake Number OnereservoirFowler Lake Number TworeservoirGrandview Golf LakereservoirJones PondpondK And W LakereservoirKimel Park PondpondLake HillsreservoirLee LakeLinville LakereservoirMallard Lake LowerreservoirMallard Lake UpperreservoirMiddle Gambill LakereservoirMyers LakereservoirMyers PondNichols LakelakePaitts LakeSalem LakelakeShattalon LakereservoirSplash PadStrawberry LakereservoirWinston LakereservoirKerners Mill CreekMill CreekMuddy CreekSalem Creek
Biking & sports
53 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
13 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
29 mi
off-road bike paths
11 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Salem Lake TrailBike route
6.2 miCourts & fields
195Tennis
40Baseball
32Soccer
22Basketball
18Pickleball
18Golf
11Football
5Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →87 places on the National Register, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 16 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Bethabara Moravian ChurchBuilding · listed 1971
About itZevely HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itShell Service StationBuilding · listed 1976
About itArista Cotton Mill ComplexBuilding · listed 1977
About itDr. Beverly Jones HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itSmith, W. F., and Sons Leaf House and Brown Brothers Company BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itShamrock MillsBuilding · listed 1978
About itH. D. Poindexter HousesBuilding · listed 1978
About it75 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Winston-Salem: April to June 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 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 49 | 53 | 61 | 71 | 78 | 84 | 88 | 86 | 80 | 71 | 60 | 52 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 4.4 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Winston-Salem →
Next door
Winston-Salem and its neighbors
Winston-Salem has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Winston-Salem45 miKernersville4.4 miClemmons2.2 miTobaccoville1.2 miRural Hall0.4 miWalkertown0.2 miMidway0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston-Salem | 5% | 0.3 | 16 | 59% | B |
| Walkertown | 1% | under 0.1 | 10 | 34% | C− |
| Tobaccoville | under 1% | 0.2 | 6 | 11% | C− |
| Kernersville | 2% | 0.2 | 12 | 54% | C+ |
| Rural Hall | 2% | 0.1 | 4 | 40% | C− |
| Clemmons | under 1% | 0.2 | 1 | 39% | C− |
| Midway | under 1% | under 0.1 | 4 | 18% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Winston-Salem
Where can I hike in Winston-Salem?
The longest trail networks: Hanes Park, 1.9 miles; Bethania Wetlands, 1 miles; Kimberley Park, 0.7 miles; Forest Park, 0.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Winston-Salem is conserved land?
5% 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 Winston-Salem’s trails?
Hanes Park and Bethania Wetlands don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Winston-Salem?
53 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of painted or protected lanes, 29 of off-road paths and 11 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Salem Lake Trail.
Is there public land near Winston-Salem?
14,054 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Winston-Salem or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,065 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Winston-Salem have?
Ahead of 57% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #78 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 Winston-Salem 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 →