MacArthur Park
Park
17 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Binghamton
11% of Binghamton’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. 11% of Binghamton’s land is conserved, about 722 acres. The biggest trail networks: MacArthur Park (0.7 mi).
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #287 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
722 acres · of 10.5 sq mi of land
Trails
2.8 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
536 ac
11 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.4 mi
2.6 mi lanes · 4.1 mi paths
Highest peak
1,424 ft
Mount Prospect
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Binghamton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Binghamton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Binghamton is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #287 of 758 in New York. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Binghamton’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (3 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land11 acres of park per 1,000 residents (536 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 76%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 62%
Water is 6% of Binghamton’s area (1 of 11 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 10%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B 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 MacArthur Park, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ross Park Zoo
Park
66 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 21 parks & preserves
MacArthur Park17 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Two Rivers Greenway5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFairview Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Recreation Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsConfluence Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRoss Park Zoo66 acres
Cheri A. Lindsey Memorial Park10 acres
DirectionsSandy Beach Park8 acres
DirectionsSouth Side Veteran's Park7 acres
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Park6 acres
West End Park5 acres
Valley Street Park3 acres
Columbus Park3 acres
DirectionsBoland Park3 acres
Booth Field2 acres
Phelps Park2 acres
Howard Ave Park2 acres
Burton Avenue Park1 acres
Kennedy Park1 acres
DirectionsWallenburg Park1 acres
DirectionsAlfred Street Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
722 conserved acres
11% of Binghamton’s land. Water is left out: Binghamton has 10.5 square miles of land and 0.6 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Binghamton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government414 ac
Town or city240 ac
Other state land195 ac
Regional agency7 ac
County3 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1 ac
Local Park · 656 acState Resource Management Area · 195 acLocal Other or Unknown · 7 acLocal Resource Management Area · 1 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 26 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Of Binghamton Land Local Park | Town or city | 240 | Unknown |
| Ely Park Golf Course Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 225 | Open |
| Binghamton State Psychiatric Center State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 195 | Open |
| Ross Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 66 | Open |
| Macarthur Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 24 | Open |
| Recreation Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 22 | Open |
| Holmes Crossing Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 16 | Open |
| Baseball Stadium Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 11 | Open |
| Cheri Lindsey Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 10 | Open |
| Fairview Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 7 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Binghamton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Binghamton
Northside PoolIn Cheri A. Lindsey Memorial Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Binghamton
9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Binghamton
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Binghamton
Sandy Beach Park Boat Launch
DirectionsScenic views in Binghamton
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Binghamton
Mount Prospect1,424 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Riverwalk0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.1 mi
off-road bike paths
0.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
19Tennis
19Baseball
11Basketball
3Soccer
3Pickleball
1Skate park
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →35 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 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Binghamton City HallBuilding · listed 1971
About itBroome County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itPhelps MansionBuilding · listed 1973
About itChrist ChurchBuilding · listed 1974
About itSouth Washington Street Parabolic BridgeStructure · listed 1978
About itRoberson MansionBuilding · listed 1980
About itRobert H. Rose HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itCourt Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1984
About itAlfred Dunk HouseBuilding · listed 1985
About itRailroad Terminal Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1986
About itJohn T. Whitmore HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About it23 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Binghamton: May, July and 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.2 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 36 | 44 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 61 | 48 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Binghamton →
Next door
Binghamton and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Vestal27 miUnion19 miBinghamton2.8 miDickinson2.8 miKirkwood2.2 miConklin1.7 miJohnson City1.3 miPort Dickinson0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binghamton | 11% | 0.3 | 11 | 99%+ | A− |
| Dickinson | 9% | 0.6 | 45 | 99% | A |
| Johnson City | 3% | 0.3 | 8 | 96% | B |
| Union | 3% | 0.5 | 11 | 88% | B |
| Port Dickinson | 5% | 0.2 | 16 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Conklin | under 1% | 0.1 | 12 | 25% | C− |
| Kirkwood | 1% | 0.1 | 48 | 38% | C+ |
| Vestal | 3% | 0.5 | 37 | 77% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Binghamton
Where can I hike in Binghamton?
The longest trail networks: MacArthur Park, 0.7 miles; Recreation Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Binghamton is conserved land?
11% 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 Binghamton’s trails?
MacArthur Park and Ross Park Zoo don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Binghamton?
7.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.6 of painted or protected lanes, 4.1 of off-road paths and 0.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Binghamton?
6,023 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Binghamton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 733 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Binghamton have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #287 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 Binghamton 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 →