Nature View Park
Managed by Town of Amherst
1,425 acres9.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: TonyTheTiger · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Amherst
Amherst has 48 miles of mapped trails, 0.9 for every square mile of land
10% of Amherst’s land is conserved, about 3,453 acres. The biggest trail networks: Nature View Park (9.3 mi), Dann Lake Park (3 mi), Amherst State Park (2.5 mi). 2,951 acres are parks and preserves, 23 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #189 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
3,453 acres · of 53.2 sq mi of land
Trails
48 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,951 ac
23 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
81%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
34 mi
8.4 mi lanes · 19 mi paths
Highest peak
591 ft
Saratoga Hill (9m)
Lakes & rivers
13
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Amherst?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Amherst have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Amherst is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #189 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Amherst’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (48 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land23 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,951 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home81% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 84%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 75%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Amherst ranks #150 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Nature View Park, with 9.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Dann Lake Park
Managed by Town of Amherst
126 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Amherst State Park
Managed by Town of Amherst
81 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Walton Woods Park
Managed by Audubon Association
50 acres0.6 mi of trail
Nature Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Bassett Park
Managed by Town of Amherst
35 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Billy Wilson Park
Park
34 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
North French Soccer Complex
Managed by Town of Amherst
25 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 33 parks & preserves
Nature View Park1,425 acres · 9.3 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsDann Lake Park126 acres · 3 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsAmherst State Park81 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsGlen Park12 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsWalton Woods Park50 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Audubon Association
DirectionsBassett Park35 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsBilly Wilson Park34 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
North French Soccer Complex25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsElllicott Creek Trailway Park217 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Forest Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsParadise Park33 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsIsland Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEggertsville Community Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGreat Baehre Swamp Wildlife Management Area268 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Garnet Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsWillow Ridge Park11 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsCentral Amherst Baseball Complex5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Central Amherst Little League
DirectionsAmherst Veterans Canal Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
Kingsgate Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Amherst
DirectionsSpecial Events Field3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Fetto Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRoyal Park14 acres · Town of Amherst
DirectionsCreekwood Park11 acres · Town of Amherst
DirectionsBriarhurst Park7 acres · Town of Amherst
Dellwood Park7 acres · Town of Amherst
Ellicott Creek Park3 acres · Erie County
DirectionsGarrison Park3 acres · Village of Williamsville
DirectionsCampus Drive Park3 acres · Town of Amherst
DirectionsPark Forest Park2 acres · Town of Amherst
Cindy Drive Play Area1 acres · Town of Amherst
DirectionsMacArthur Field1 acres
Dana Heights Play Area1 acres · Town of Amherst
Gateway Park1 acres · Town of Amherst
DirectionsWho protects it
3,453 conserved acres
10% of Amherst’s land. Who manages Amherst’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government1,590 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,246 ac
Joint777 ac
Town or city715 ac
State conservation270 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)246 ac
Other state land215 ac
Local Park · 2,037 acConservation Easement · 1,244 acAgricultural Easement · 1,024 acState Park · 460 acState Resource Management Area · 270 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 803 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 71 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature View Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 1,245 | Open |
| Town of Amherst Land Local Park | Town or city | 388 | Unknown |
| Great Baehre Swamp Wma State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 270 | Open |
| Great Baehre Conservation Park State Park | Town or city | 170 | Open |
| Erie Canal State Recreation Area | Other state land | 157 | Open |
| Amherst State Park State Park | State parks | 80 | Open |
| North Amherst Recreation Center Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 76 | Open |
| Amherst Veterans Canal Park State Park | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Walton Woods Park State Park | Town or city | 51 | Open |
| Amherst Museum Colony Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 48 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
107 places to go in Amherst
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Amherst
Ransom Oaks Pool
DirectionsPlus 3 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Amherst
Billy Wilson PlaygroundIn Billy Wilson Park
DirectionsClearfield Playground
DirectionsElf Park
DirectionsKiwanis Play AreaIn Bassett Park
DirectionsMaple West Playground
Directions76 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Amherst
Amherst Paw Park
DirectionsEllicott Island Bark Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Amherst
Dann Park Accessible LaunchHours: Mo-Su; dawn-dusk · In Dann Lake Park
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Amherst
Glen FallsIn Glen Park
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Amherst
9 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Amherst
Saratoga Hill (9m)591 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Amherst
6 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Amherst
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.8 miUnpaved · 17.0 mi
Peanut Line Trail4.5 mi
Nature Trail0.4 mi
Lehigh Memory Trail0.2 mi
Maple-Bassett Path0.2 mi
Biking & sports
34 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
19 mi
off-road bike paths
5.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
138Tennis
80Baseball
33Basketball
33Soccer
23Golf
12Football
9Multi-sport
6Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Williamsville Water Mill ComplexBuilding · listed 1983
About itWilliamsville Christian ChurchBuilding · listed 2002
About itSt. Mary of the Angels Motherhouse ComplexBuilding · listed 2002
About itReformed Mennonite Church, FormerBuilding · listed 2003
About itEntranceway at Main Street at Roycroft BoulevardStructure · listed 2005
About itEntranceways at Main Street at Lamarck Drive and Smallwood DriveStructure · listed 2005
About itEdward A. Diebolt HouseBuilding · listed 2006
About itWilliamsville Junior and Senior High SchoolBuilding · listed 2008
About itEntranceway at Main Street at Darwin DriveStructure · listed 2009
About itEntranceway at Main Street at High Park BoulevardStructure · listed 2009
About itEntranceway at Main Street at Lafayette BoulevardStructure · listed 2009
About itEntranceway at Main Street at LeBrun RoadStructure · listed 2009
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Amherst: May to 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 34 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 80 | 73 | 61 | 48 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 3.8 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Amherst →
Next door
Amherst and its neighbors
Amherst has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Buffalo49 miAmherst48 miNorth Tonawanda16 miCheektowaga14 miPendleton8.9 miTonawanda5.8 miTonawanda Town5.1 miEggertsville0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst | 10% | 0.9 | 23 | 81% | A− |
| Pendleton | 2% | 0.3 | 53 | 53% | B |
| Cheektowaga | 5% | 0.5 | 11 | 96% | B+ |
| Eggertsville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Buffalo | 10% | 1.2 | 9 | 98% | A− |
| North Tonawanda | 4% | 1.5 | 8 | 97% | A− |
| Tonawanda Town | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Tonawanda | 6% | 0.3 | 11 | 86% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Amherst
Where can I hike in Amherst?
The longest trail networks: Nature View Park, 9.3 miles; Dann Lake Park, 3 miles; Amherst State Park, 2.5 miles; Glen Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Amherst is conserved land?
10% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Amherst’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Walton Woods Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Amherst?
34 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.4 of painted or protected lanes, 19 of off-road paths and 5.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Amherst?
17,395 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Amherst or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,289 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Amherst have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #189 of 758 in New York. 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 Amherst 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 →