Hammond Hill State Forest
Nature preserve
2,555 acres24.9 mi of trail
Finger Lakes / North Country TrailY1Winter TrailY8+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, New York, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Dryden
Dryden has 4,588 acres of parks, 337 for every 1,000 residents
12% of Dryden’s land is conserved, about 7,065 acres. The biggest trail networks: Hammond Hill State Forest (24.9 mi), Roy H. Park Nature Preserve (1.8 mi), Yellow Barn State Forest (1.3 mi). 60 miles of mapped trail cross Dryden, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #207 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
7,065 acres · of 93.6 sq mi of land
Trails
60 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,588 ac
337 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
45%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
11 mi
11 mi paths
Highest peak
2,008 ft
Star Stanton Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
What kind of outdoors town is Dryden?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dryden have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dryden is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #207 of 758 in New York. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Dryden’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (60 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land337 acres of park per 1,000 residents (4,588 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home45% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 73%
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 Hammond Hill State Forest, with 24.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Roy H. Park Nature Preserve
Managed by Finger Lakes Land Trust
262 acres1.8 mi of trail
Phenology TrailRoy H Park Preserve TrailRoy H. Park Preserve Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Yellow Barn State Forest
Nature preserve
1,369 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Genung Nature Preserve
Managed by Finger Lakes Land Trust
50 acres0.9 mi of trail
Genung Nature Preserve Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Campbell Meadows
Park
13 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Campbell meadowsWebsite ↗
O.D. von Engeln Preserve
Managed by The Nature Conservancy
142 acres0.8 mi of trail
Bog Loop TrailEsker Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Slaterville 600 - Cornell Botanic Gardens
Managed by Cornell Botanic Gardens
422 acres0.5 mi of trail
Hammond Hill TrackB1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Durland Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
80 acres0.5 mi of trail
Ellis Hollow Wetlands Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 21 parks & preserves
Hammond Hill State Forest2,555 acres · 24.9 mi of trail
DirectionsRoy H. Park Nature Preserve262 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Finger Lakes Land Trust
DirectionsYellow Barn State Forest1,369 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGenung Nature Preserve50 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Finger Lakes Land Trust
DirectionsCampbell Meadows13 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsO.D. von Engeln Preserve142 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · The Nature Conservancy
DirectionsSlaterville 600 - Cornell Botanic Gardens422 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Cornell Botanic Gardens
Durland Nature Preserve80 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPolson Preserve171 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Ellis Hollow Park29 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Ellis Hollow Community Center
DirectionsF.R. Newman Arboretum9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDryden Lake Multiple Use Area195 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsReynolds Game Farm161 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTravis Wildflower Preserve26 acres
Conwell Tract19 acres
Mill Dam Park8 acres
Groton Ave Park3 acres
DirectionsEtna Community Park3 acres
DirectionsDewey Preserve2 acres
Montgomery Park2 acres
DirectionsEastern Heights Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
7,065 conserved acres
12% of Dryden’s land. Who manages Dryden’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation4,286 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,183 ac
Other state land724 ac
Town or city148 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)128 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government87 ac
County11 ac
State Conservation Area · 3,922 acState Resource Management Area · 921 acUnknown Easement · 882 acPrivate Conservation · 618 acConservation Easement · 477 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,155 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 64 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammond Hill State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 2,546 | Open |
| Yellow Barn State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,376 | Open |
| State Univ College of Agriculture and Life Scienc* State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 724 | Open |
| O.D. Von Engeln Preserve At Malloryville Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 457 | Open |
| Park Preserve Private Recreation or Education | Land trusts & nonprofits | 213 | Closed |
| Dryden Lake Multiple Use Area State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 197 | Open |
| Reynolds Game Farm State Other or Unknown | State conservation | 163 | Open |
| Cornell University Lands Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 126 | Closed |
| Ellis Hollow Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 112 | Closed |
| Town of Dryden Land Local Park | Town or city | 71 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Dryden
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Dryden
Mill Dam Park PlaygroundIn Mill Dam Park
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Dryden
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Dryden
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Dryden
Star Stanton Hill2,008 ft elevation · In Hammond Hill State Forest
DirectionsHammond Hill1,962 ft elevation · In Hammond Hill State Forest
DirectionsBeam Hill1,949 ft elevation
DirectionsYellow Barn Hill1,837 ft elevation
DirectionsMineah Hill1,788 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Pleasant1,752 ft elevation
DirectionsHurd Hill1,742 ft elevation
DirectionsEllis Hill1,624 ft elevation
Directions4 more peaks
Snyder Hill1,624 ft elevation
DirectionsSimms Hill1,604 ft elevation
DirectionsSnyder Hill - North Peak1,490 ft elevation
DirectionsTurkey Hill1,460 ft elevation
DirectionsDisc golf in Dryden
Panther HighlandsTompkins Cortland Community College
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 6.2 miHorses · 17.1 miUnpaved · 39.2 mi
Cayuga Trail4.8 mi
Finger Lakes / North Country Trail2.6 mi
Y12.0 mi
Winter Trail1.6 mi
Y81.4 mi
B11.3 mi
Y21.2 mi
Hammond Hill Track1.1 mi
R21.1 mi
Boardwalk Connector Trail1.0 mi
15 more trails
Y4
1.0 miR1
1.0 miY5
1.0 miGenung Nature Preserve Trail
0.9 miG1
0.8 miY7
0.7 miB3
0.7 miBog Loop Trail
0.7 miPhenology Trail
0.7 miG3
0.7 miR4
0.6 miG2
0.6 miY6
0.5 miEllis Hollow Wetlands Trail
0.5 miDryden Rail Trail
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
11 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
11 mi
off-road bike paths
Dryden Rail TrailBike route
0.7 miCourts & fields
6Baseball
5Tennis
4Basketball
4Softball
2Soccer
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Jennings-Marvin HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itLacy-Van Vleet HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itLuther Clarke HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itMethodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1984
About itRockwell HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itSouthworth HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itSouthworth LibraryBuilding · listed 1984
About itDryden Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1984
About itWest Dryden Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1991
About itEllis Methodist Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1993
About itDryden District School No. 5Building · listed 1994
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Dryden: May and 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) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 33 | 41 | 55 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 59 | 46 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Dryden →
Next door
Dryden and its neighbors
Dryden has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Dryden60 miVirgil47 miIthaca46 miCaroline31 miLansing10 miGroton7.4 miNortheast Ithaca1.0 miLansing0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dryden | 12% | 0.6 | 337 | 45% | A− |
| Caroline | 22% | 0.6 | 2,138 | 30% | A− |
| Groton | 1% | 0.1 | 20 | 38% | C |
| Virgil | 16% | 1.0 | 2,119 | 37% | A |
| Ithaca | 17% | 1.6 | 111 | 91% | A+ |
| Lansing | 2% | 0.2 | 11 | 55% | C+ |
| Lansing | 1% | 0.2 | 7 | 96% | C+ |
| Northeast Ithaca | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dryden
Where can I hike in Dryden?
The longest trail networks: Hammond Hill State Forest, 24.9 miles; Roy H. Park Nature Preserve, 1.8 miles; Yellow Barn State Forest, 1.3 miles; Genung Nature Preserve, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dryden is conserved land?
12% 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 Dryden’s trails?
Hammond Hill State Forest and Roy H. Park Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dryden?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 11 of off-road paths. Named routes: Dryden Rail Trail.
Is there public land near Dryden?
51,836 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dryden or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,484 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Dryden have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #207 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 Dryden 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 →