Photo: Zeete · CC BY-SA 4.013% of Dover’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. 13% of Dover’s land is conserved, about 226 acres. 1.7 miles of mapped trail cross Dover, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #217 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Dover?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Dover have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dover is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #217 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.
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Dover’s 13% is ahead of 55% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 46% of them.
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 Waterworks Park, with 0.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
226 conserved acres
13% of Dover’s land. Who manages Dover’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hedden County Park Local Other or Unknown | County | 64 | Open |
| unknown Local Park | Not recorded | 60 | Open |
| Bowlby Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 50 | Open |
| Dover Town Unknown Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| Dover Town Forest Local Resource Management Area | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Mountain Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Waterworks Park Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Hurd Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Crescent Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| JFK Commons Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 3 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
6 places to go in Dover
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 3 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 best walking months in Dover: April to September
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) | 37 | 40 | 48 | 61 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Dover →
Dover and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover | 13% | 0.6 | 13 | 99%+ | A |
| Wharton | 18% | 2.2 | 31 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Rockaway Township | 25% | 2.6 | 369 | 93% | A+ |
| Randolph Township | 21% | 1.2 | 96 | 99% | A+ |
| Mine Hill Township | 29% | 4.7 | 124 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dover
Where can I hike in Dover?
The longest trail networks: Waterworks Park, 0.2 miles; Hurd Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dover is conserved land?
13% 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 Dover’s trails?
Waterworks Park and Hurd Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Dover?
60,103 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dover or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 243 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Dover have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #217 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 Dover 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 →