Stanley J. Hamlin Marsh Wildlife Management Area
Nature preserve
1,648 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Joegrimes at English Wikipedia · Public domainBOutdoors
Outdoors in Clay
9% of Clay’s land is conserved: 2,847 acres
92% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Stanley J. Hamlin Marsh Wildlife Management Area (0.7 mi). 1.1 miles of mapped trail cross Clay.
Ahead of 59% of U.S. towns · #453 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
2,847 acres · of 48.1 sq mi of land
Trails
1.1 mi
0.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
988 ac
16 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
92%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.2 mi
0.5 mi paths
Highest peak
492 ft
Terre Hill
Lakes & rivers
2
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Clay?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Clay have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Clay is ahead of 59% of U.S. towns, #453 of 758 in New York. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Clay’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (1 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4C−Park land16 acres of park per 1,000 residents (988 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13BParks close to home92% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 59%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 40%
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 Stanley J. Hamlin Marsh WMA, with 0.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Riverwalk
Managed by Central New York Land Trust
86 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Clay North Park
Managed by Town of Clay NY
37 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 19 parks & preserves
Stanley J. Hamlin Marsh Wildlife Management Area1,648 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsClay Park121 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsClay North Park37 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Clay NY
DirectionsMeltzer Park34 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Clay, NY
DirectionsRiverwalk86 acres · Central New York Land Trust
DirectionsMichael Santaro Memorial Park22 acres
Clay South Park20 acres
DirectionsSeneca River Waterway Access19 acres
DirectionsTown of Clay Green Area17 acres
DirectionsClearview Park16 acres
DirectionsHeritage Park15 acres
DirectionsFriendship Woods14 acres
DirectionsWetzel Woods11 acres
DirectionsLonergan Park7 acres
3 Rivers Park4 acres · Town of Clay
DirectionsClay Historical Park4 acres
Merrill Farms Park3 acres
DirectionsBriarwood Park2 acres
DirectionsClay Township Park2 acres
Who protects it
2,847 conserved acres
9% of Clay’s land. Who manages Clay’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation1,678 ac
Town or city413 ac
Other state land404 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits284 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government53 ac
County50 ac
State Resource Management Area · 1,658 acLocal Park · 515 acState Recreation Area · 423 acPrivate Conservation · 284 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 20 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamlin Marsh Wma State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 1,658 | Open |
| Erie Canal State Recreation Area | Other state land | 404 | Open |
| Town Of Clay Land Local Park | Town or city | 368 | Unknown |
| Seneca River Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 91 | Restricted |
| Riverwalk Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 89 | Closed |
| Onondaga County Land Local Park | County | 46 | Unknown |
| Tobias Shaver Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 37 | Closed |
| Green Heron Swamp Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 31 | Closed |
| Clay Park North Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 29 | Open |
| Village Of N Syracuse Land Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Clay
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Clay
22 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Clay
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Clay
Bonstead Road Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Clay
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Clay
Terre Hill492 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Clay
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Trails & water
2 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
off-road bike paths
1.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
36Baseball
20Tennis
12Basketball
12Soccer
4Beach volleyball
2Multi-sport
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Clay: May 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) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 33 | 42 | 56 | 69 | 77 | 81 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.4 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Clay →
Next door
Clay and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lysander19 miCicero7.0 miSchroeppel5.1 miRadisson3.6 miHastings2.7 miClay1.1 miSalina1.0 miBrewerton0.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay | 9% | under 0.1 | 16 | 92% | B |
| Schroeppel | 4% | 0.1 | 115 | 50% | B |
| Lysander | 13% | 0.3 | 38 | 49% | B+ |
| Hastings | 1% | 0.1 | 20 | 41% | C |
| Radisson | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cicero | 19% | 0.1 | 19 | 38% | B |
| Brewerton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Salina | 8% | 0.1 | 24 | 92% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Clay
Where can I hike in Clay?
The longest trail networks: Stanley J. Hamlin Marsh Wildlife Management Area, 0.7 miles; Clay Park, 0.2 miles; Clay North Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Clay is conserved land?
9% 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 Clay’s trails?
Stanley J. Hamlin Marsh Wildlife Management Area and Clay Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Clay?
2.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of off-road paths and 1.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Clay?
26,637 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Clay or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,656 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Clay have?
Ahead of 59% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #453 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 Clay 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 →