Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.06% of Trenton’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. 6.5 miles of mapped trail cross Trenton, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Cadwalader Park (1.5 mi), Waterfront Park (0.7 mi), Juan Martinez Memorial Park (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #304 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Trenton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Trenton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Trenton is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #304 of 468 in New Jersey. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Trenton’s 6% is ahead of 30% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 59% of them.
Water is 7% of Trenton’s area (1 of 8 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
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 Cadwalader Park, with 1.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Juan Martinez Memorial Park
Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park
Villa Park
All 38 parks & preserves
297 conserved acres
6% of Trenton’s land. Water is left out: Trenton has 7.6 square miles of land and 0.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Trenton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadwalader Park Local Park | Town or city | 108 | Open |
| Stacy Park Local Park | Not recorded | 56 | Open |
| Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park State Park | State natural resources | 22 | Open |
| Marine Terminal Park Local Park | County | 22 | Open |
| Assunpink Greenway Local Historic or Cultural Area | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Assunpink Creek Greenway Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Greg Grant Park Local Park | Not recorded | 8 | Open |
| Stacy Park (Filtration) Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Calhoun Street Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Columbus Park Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 7 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
35 places to go in Trenton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 19 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
1 community garden without a name on the map.
4 lakes & rivers
11 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.
44 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
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.
32 more on the History page.
The best walking months in Trenton: 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 41 | 44 | 52 | 64 | 74 | 83 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 67 | 56 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 5.0 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Trenton →
Trenton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton | 6% | 0.9 | 5 | 99%+ | A− |
| Hamilton Township | 20% | 0.6 | 44 | 97% | A |
| Ewing Township | 12% | 0.7 | 16 | 94% | A− |
| Lawrence Township | 22% | 1.2 | 78 | 91% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Trenton
Where can I hike in Trenton?
The longest trail networks: Cadwalader Park, 1.5 miles; Waterfront Park, 0.7 miles; Juan Martinez Memorial Park, 0.6 miles; Assunpink Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Trenton is conserved land?
6% 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 Trenton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Trenton?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.4 of painted or protected lanes, 8.5 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Trenton?
38,972 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Trenton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 467 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Trenton have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #304 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 Trenton 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 →