Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: Walker, L. E., 1826-1916 -- Publisher · Public domainThe biggest trail networks: Mount Pleasant State Forest (10.1 mi), Chautauqua Gorge State Forest (5.8 mi). 48 miles of mapped trail cross Chautauqua, 0.7 per square mile of land. 6% of Chautauqua’s land is conserved, about 2,445 acres.
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns · #253 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Chautauqua is ahead of 78% of U.S. towns, #253 of 758 in New York. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is Mount Pleasant State Forest, with 10.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
6% of Chautauqua’s land. Who manages Chautauqua’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 45 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 17 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,471 | Open |
| Chautauqua Gorge State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 534 | Open |
| Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 186 | Closed |
| Chautauqua Fish Hatchery State Other or Unknown | State conservation | 68 | Restricted |
| Village Of Mayville Land Local Park | Town or city | 67 | Unknown |
| Chautauqua Institution Lands Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 36 | Closed |
| County Of Chautauqua Land Local Park | County | 22 | Unknown |
| Chautauqua Lake Fish And Wildlife Management Area State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 11 | Open |
| Shorelands On Chautauqua Lake Lands Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 3 | Closed |
| Private Lands Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 1 | Closed |
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 public pool without a name on the map.
Plus 7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
4 scenic views without a name on the map.
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.
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.
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) | 31 | 33 | 42 | 56 | 68 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 59 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 5.0 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Chautauqua →
Chautauqua has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chautauqua | 6% | 0.7 | 536 | 47% | A− |
| Westfield | 2% | 0.1 | 68 | 68% | B− |
| Mayville | 6% | 1.1 | 52 | 94% | A |
| Stockton | 4% | 0.1 | 518 | 46% | B |
| North Harmony | 13% | 0.9 | 1,546 | 27% | A− |
| Ellery | 2% | 0.2 | 94 | 36% | B− |
| Sherman | 6% | 0.4 | 609 | 52% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
The longest trail networks: Mount Pleasant State Forest, 10.1 miles; Chautauqua Gorge State Forest, 5.8 miles; Lakeside Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
6% 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.
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Mount Pleasant State Forest and Chautauqua Gorge State Forest. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
1.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.2 of off-road paths. Named routes: Erie To Pittsburgh Trail and Chautauqua Rails to Trails.
15,125 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Chautauqua or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,136 of them inside the town line.
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #253 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.
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Chautauqua neighbors.
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 →