O'Donnell Memorial Park
Park
10 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Atlantic City Convention Hall · Photo: Jack Boucher · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Atlantic City
14% of Atlantic City’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 14% of Atlantic City’s land is conserved, about 963 acres. The biggest trail networks: O'Donnell Memorial Park (0.5 mi), Horace J Bryant Park (0.5 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #162 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
963 acres · of 10.8 sq mi of land
Trails
7.6 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
959 ac
25 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
1.9 mi
1.3 mi lanes · 0.6 mi paths
What kind of outdoors town is Atlantic City?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Atlantic City have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Atlantic City is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #162 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Atlantic City’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical NJ town 11% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (8 mi) · NJ 0.7 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land25 acres of park per 1,000 residents (959 acres) · NJ 25 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · NJ 98% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
New Jersey towns of 2,500+ (468)Ahead of 66%
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Atlantic City’s 14% is ahead of 57% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 51% of them.
Water is 37% of Atlantic City’s area (6 of 17 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 9%.
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.
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 O'Donnell Memorial Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Horace J Bryant Park
Park
5 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Ocsar E. McClinton Jr. Waterfront Park
Park
3 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 21 parks & preserves
O'Donnell Memorial Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHorace J Bryant Park5 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Ocsar E. McClinton Jr. Waterfront Park3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBrown Park2 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFisherman's Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAbsecon Lighthouse Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBrighton Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAltman Playground1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCity Center Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAbsecon Wildlife Management Area786 acres
Atlantic Heights Bird Conservatory106 acres
DirectionsJacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve21 acres · National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Uptown Park4 acres
DirectionsVenice Park4 acres
Pop Lloyd Stadium4 acres
DirectionsDwayne E. Harris Memorial Park3 acres
DirectionsLagoon Park1 acres
DirectionsTexas Avenue Playground1 acres
DirectionsDelaware Avenue Park1 acres
DirectionsDrexel Avenue Park / Clock Tower Park1 acres
DirectionsSunset Avenue Promenade1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
963 conserved acres
14% of Atlantic City’s land. Water is left out: Atlantic City has 10.8 square miles of land and 6.5 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Atlantic City’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife573 ac
Town or city341 ac
State natural resources48 ac
County4 ac
Not recorded3 ac
State Conservation Area · 573 acLocal Recreation Area · 274 acLocal Park · 64 acState Recreation Area · 46 acLocal Other or Unknown · 10 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 47 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absecon Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 573 | Open |
| Beach Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 216 | Open |
| Senator Frank S. Farley State Marina State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 47 | Open |
| Bader Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Garders Basin Park Local Park | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Atlantic City 1 Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Sunset Avenue Promenade Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Annapolis Avenue Recreation Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Horace Bryant Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 6 | Unknown |
| Pete Pallitto Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
38 places to go in Atlantic City
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Atlantic City
Plus 8 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Atlantic City
Playgrounds in Atlantic City
21 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Atlantic City
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Atlantic City
Chelsea Heights Nature Overlook
DirectionsPicnic areas in Atlantic City
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Biking & sports
1.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
21Tennis
19Basketball
10Baseball
5Soccer
2Football
1Multi-sport
1Hockey rinks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 13 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Absecon LighthouseStructure · listed 1971
About itMorton HotelBuilding · listed 1977
About itHolmhurst HotelBuilding · listed 1978
About itShelburne HotelBuilding · listed 1978
About itWorld War I MemorialObject · listed 1981
About itSegal BuildingBuilding · listed 1984
About itMadison HotelBuilding · listed 1984
About itBarclay CourtBuilding · listed 1988
About itSanta Rita ApartmentsBuilding · listed 1991
About itSt. Nicholas of Tolentine ChurchBuilding · listed 2001
About itLiberty HotelBuilding · listed 2020
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Atlantic City: April to July
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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 42 | 44 | 50 | 60 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 76 | 66 | 56 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.4 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Atlantic City →
Next door
Atlantic City and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Egg Harbor Township67 miGalloway Township66 miAtlantic City7.6 miBrigantine6.5 miAbsecon4.4 miPleasantville1.5 miVentnor City1.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City | 14% | 0.7 | 25 | 99%+ | A |
| Pleasantville | 7% | 0.3 | 12 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Galloway Township | 36% | 0.7 | 118 | 64% | A |
| Absecon | 11% | 0.8 | 46 | 94% | A |
| Ventnor City | 17% | 0.7 | 16 | 99%+ | A |
| Egg Harbor Township | 14% | 1.0 | 122 | 76% | A |
| Brigantine | 74% | 1.0 | 372 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Atlantic City
Where can I hike in Atlantic City?
The longest trail networks: O'Donnell Memorial Park, 0.5 miles; Horace J Bryant Park, 0.5 miles; Ocsar E. McClinton Jr. Waterfront Park, 0.3 miles; Brown Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Atlantic City is conserved land?
14% of its land, against a typical 11% for a New Jersey town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Atlantic City’s trails?
O'Donnell Memorial Park and Horace J Bryant Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Atlantic City?
1.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.3 of painted or protected lanes and 0.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Atlantic City?
20,697 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Atlantic City or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 959 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Atlantic City have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #162 of 468 in New Jersey. 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 Atlantic City 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 →