Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
East Hill Historic District · Photo: Jerrye & Roy Klotz, MD · CC BY-SA 4.026% of Danby’s land is conserved, about 8,819 acres. The biggest trail networks: Danby State Forest (20.6 mi), Buttermilk Falls State Park (0.9 mi), Sweedler and Thayer Nature Preserves (0.6 mi). 36 miles of mapped trail cross Danby, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #177 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, Danby is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #177 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 Danby State Forest, with 20.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
26% of Danby’s land. Who manages Danby’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 749 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 29 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Danby State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 7,192 | Open |
| Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve Private Recreation or Education | Land trusts & nonprofits | 500 | Closed |
| Buttermilk Falls State Park State Park | State parks | 158 | Open |
| Private Lands Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 91 | Closed |
| Kingsbury Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 45 | Closed |
| Nayyar Wildlife Sanctuary Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 39 | Closed |
| Town Of Danby Land Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Unknown |
| Danby Town Lands Local Conservation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 13 | Restricted |
| Hanson Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 7 | Closed |
| Tompkins County Foreclosure State Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 2 | Open |
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
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 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 41 | 55 | 67 | 75 | 79 | 78 | 71 | 58 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 2.9 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 79 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Danby →
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
The longest trail networks: Danby State Forest, 20.6 miles; Buttermilk Falls State Park, 0.9 miles; Sweedler and Thayer Nature Preserves, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
26% 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.
Danby State Forest and Buttermilk Falls State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
44,450 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Danby or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,429 of them inside the town line.
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #177 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 Danby 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 →