Photo: Brad Mellema · CC BY-SA 4.0Grand Island has 642 acres of parks, 12 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Fonner Park (1.7 mi), Eagle Scout Park (1 mi), Ryder Park (0.8 mi). 2% of Grand Island’s land is conserved, about 284 acres. 78% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 48% of U.S. towns · #49 of 57 in Nebraska. What drives it
How much outdoors does Grand Island have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Grand Island is ahead of 48% of U.S. towns, #49 of 57 in Nebraska. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; conserved land pulls 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 Fonner Park, with 1.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hall County Veterans Memorial Park
All 19 parks & preserves
284 conserved acres
2% of Grand Island’s land. Who manages Grand Island’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Scout Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 52 | Open |
| Ryder Park Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Stolley Park Local Park | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| WoodRiver Floodway Project Trail Private Recreation or Education | Regional agency | 27 | Closed |
| Veterans Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Pier Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Ashley Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| George Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Sucks Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Lincoln Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
46 places to go in Grand Island
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Plus 2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
39 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
3 lakes & rivers
13 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.
25 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.
13 more on the History page.
September is the best month for walking in Grand Island
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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 40 | 52 | 63 | 73 | 83 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 65 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.9 |
January is the driest month (0.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Grand Island →
Questions about parks and trails in Grand Island
Where can I hike in Grand Island?
The longest trail networks: Fonner Park, 1.7 miles; Eagle Scout Park, 1 miles; Ryder Park, 0.8 miles; Hall County Veterans Memorial Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Grand Island is conserved land?
2% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Nebraska town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Grand Island’s trails?
Fonner Park and Eagle Scout Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Grand Island?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Grand Island?
1,127 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Grand Island or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 643 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Grand Island have?
Ahead of 48% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #49 of 57 in Nebraska. 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 Grand Island 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 →