Jones Beach State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
2,218 acres8.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Hempstead
13% of Hempstead’s land is conserved: 9,905 acres
94% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Jones Beach State Park (8.4 mi), Hempstead Lake State Park (5.7 mi), Eisenhower Park (4.7 mi). 75 miles of mapped trail cross Hempstead, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #227 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
9,905 acres · of 118.5 sq mi of land
Trails
75 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
7,929 ac
10 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
36 mi
2.4 mi lanes · 33 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
78
56 beaches · 15 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Hempstead?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hempstead have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hempstead is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #227 of 758 in New York. Conserved land holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hempstead’s overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (75 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land10 acres of park per 1,000 residents (7,929 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home94% 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 80%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 70%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Hempstead ranks #194 on Outdoors.
Water is 38% of Hempstead’s area (73 of 192 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
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 Jones Beach State Park, with 8.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hempstead Lake State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
590 acres5.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Eisenhower Park
Managed by Nassau County
912 acres4.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Tackapausha Preserve
Nature preserve
68 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Valley Stream State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
82 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Twin Lakes Preserve
Nature preserve
208 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 186 parks & preserves
Jones Beach State Park2,218 acres · 8.4 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsHempstead Lake State Park590 acres · 5.7 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsEisenhower Park912 acres · 4.7 mi of trail · Nassau County
DirectionsNorman J. Levy Park & Preserve58 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
DirectionsTackapausha Preserve68 acres · 2.5 mi of trail
DirectionsValley Stream State Park82 acres · 2 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsBaldwin Park139 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsTwin Lakes Preserve208 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Woodmere Park103 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsOceanside Park38 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsLido Beach Town Park32 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCow Meadow Park31 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMilburn Park37 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsRoosevelt Preserve86 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · North Shore Land Alliance
DirectionsMarine Nature Study Area42 acres · 1 mi of trail · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsVillage Green Park16 acres · 1 mi of trail · Incorporated Village of Valley Stream
DirectionsSilver Lake Park21 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Hempstead Plains Preserve16 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsElmont Road Park9 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsArthur J Hendrickson Park46 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCentennial Gardens14 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Shell Creek Park12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsNickerson Beach Park104 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsTanglewood Preserve19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Nassau County
DirectionsLido Beach Tidal Wetlands Area97 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsGreis Park24 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsInwood Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsTown Park Point Lookout111 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsSpeno Memorial Park19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBrookside Preserve18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLofts Pond Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsNortheast Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCedarhurst Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMerokee Preserve25 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMuseum Row14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHarold Walker Memorial Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsLincoln Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsTown Park at Sands9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBarrett Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMirschel Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSlate Lane Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWaterfront Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWilliam F. Glacken Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMemorial Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBrook Road Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Cedar Creek Park312 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Nassau County
DirectionsDoxey Brook Park75 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Nassau County
DirectionsKennedy Memorial Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsVeterans Memorial Park21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Incorporated Village of Rockville Centre
DirectionsEdward W. Cahill Memorial Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDutch Broadway Park14 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMacLaren Stadium9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCammann's Pond Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRandall Memorial Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCarman Avenue Green8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStewart Field6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGabriel Vitale Memorial Field6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCNAA Ball Fields (Salisbury)5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNassau Haven Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Washington Avenue Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHeath and Harmony Ballfield4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWestwood Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCampbell Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMasone Beach Village Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Village of Island Park
DirectionsArlington Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJulian Lane Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Terrace Gardens Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMargie Street Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRoosevelt Pool Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsHendrickson Avenue Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAron Drive Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Cornwell Avenue Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Hempstead
Doxy Brook Fishing Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Nassau County
DirectionsWantagh Park155 acres
DirectionsBay Park112 acres
DirectionsMill Pond County Park69 acres
DirectionsFrancis Purcell Preserve68 acres
DirectionsReverend Doctor Morgan Days Park59 acres · Town of Rockville Centre
DirectionsNewbridge Road Park58 acres
DirectionsMitchel Athletic Complex58 acres
DirectionsSeamans Neck Park57 acres
DirectionsLawrence Nature Preserve48 acres
Guy Lombardo Marina44 acres · Town of Hempstead
Grant Park33 acres · Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums
DirectionsReverend Arthur Mackey Park33 acres
DirectionsSt. Paul's Recreation Complex31 acres
DirectionsForest City Park31 acres
DirectionsMalibu Town Park29 acres
DirectionsGarden City Community Park28 acres · Incorporated Village of Garden City
DirectionsLido West Town Park25 acres
DirectionsLido Beach Wildlife Management Area24 acres · United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Lister Park23 acres
DirectionsDuckpond Drive Park18 acres
DirectionsEast Village Green16 acres
DirectionsRath Park14 acres
DirectionsAverill Boulevard Park14 acres
DirectionsEast Meadow Baseball Complex14 acres
DirectionsNorth Village Green13 acres
DirectionsMerrick Road Park13 acres
DirectionsBellmore-Merrick CHSD Athletics Fields12 acres
Floral Park Recreation Center12 acres · Incorporated Village of Floral Park
DirectionsAlva T Stanforth Sports Complex11 acres
DirectionsFiremens Memorial Field11 acres
DirectionsEcho Park11 acres
DirectionsCoes Neck Park11 acres
DirectionsHalls Pond Park11 acres · Nassau County Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums
Inwood Bay State Tidal Wetland10 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsBrierley Park10 acres
DirectionsGrove Park9 acres
Four Towns Firefighter's Training Center9 acres
DirectionsGarden City Bird Sanctuary,9 acres
Redwing Ball Field9 acres
DirectionsPoint Lookout Baseball Fields9 acres
South Village Green9 acres
DirectionsCleveland Avenue Field8 acres
DirectionsFredrick J. Neist Memorial Sports Complex (Jerusalem Field)8 acres
DirectionsCuster Park8 acres
DirectionsField of Dreams8 acres
DirectionsSand Hill Road Park7 acres
DirectionsBob Whelan Field7 acres
DirectionsLevittown Firefighters Memorial Park6 acres
DirectionsUniondale Park6 acres
DirectionsBluegrass Lane Park6 acres
DirectionsMill Brook Park6 acres · Town of Hempstead
East Bay Park6 acres
DirectionsHewlett Point Park5 acres
DirectionsPlattdeutsche Park5 acres
DirectionsDenton Green Park5 acres · Incorporated Village of Hempstead
DirectionsHickey Field Park5 acres
DirectionsThurman Munson Ball Field5 acres
DirectionsWantagh Woods4 acres · Nassau County Park Department
DirectionsCenter Lane Village Green4 acres
Edgemere Park4 acres
St. Francis Street Park4 acres
New Polaris Field4 acres
DirectionsWynsum Park4 acres
Triangle Park4 acres
DirectionsStewart Manor Country Club4 acres · Incorporated Village of Stewart Manor
DirectionsAzalea Road Park3 acres
DirectionsPelini Park3 acres
DirectionsHemlock Playground3 acres
Cherry Valley Ballfields3 acres · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsHenry Street Park3 acres
Tullamore Playground3 acres
Gunther Field Park3 acres
DirectionsMichael J Rosenberg Park3 acres
DirectionsSchoolhouse Green3 acres · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsChestnut St Park3 acres
DirectionsPolaris Field3 acres
DirectionsWrights Field3 acres · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsEast Rockaway Sports Complex3 acres
DirectionsBriar Place Park3 acres
Jamaica Bay Park2 acres
Randy Lane Park2 acres
Cedar Street Park2 acres
DirectionsGarden City South Community Park2 acres · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsNuzzi Field2 acres · Incorporated Village of New Hyde Park
DirectionsCentennial Park2 acres · Nassau County
DirectionsFraser Avenue Park2 acres
Strawberry Field2 acres · Inc. Village of Garden City
DirectionsElm Drive Park2 acres
Benoit Park1 acres
DirectionsMartin Luther King, Jr. Park1 acres
Levittown Veterans Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsWillowwood Drive Park1 acres
Willow Pond Park1 acres
East Gate/West Gate1 acres
Village Green1 acres
DirectionsCourt House Park1 acres
DirectionsWantagh Railroad Complex1 acres · Wantagh Preservation Society
DirectionsWoodmere Dock1 acres · Town of Hempstead
DirectionsDetective Luis G. Alvarez Memorial Park1 acres
Bellerose Village Park1 acres
DirectionsWhite Cannon Point1 acres
DirectionsEstella Park1 acres
DirectionsMorris Playground1 acres
Fiddler Lane Park1 acres
DirectionsRifton Street Park1 acres
Heritage Park1 acres · Incorporated Village of Floral Park
DirectionsScott Drive Park1 acres
Mayor Landgraf Village Playground1 acres · Incorporated Village of Island Park
Joseph L. Minore Park1 acres
DirectionsOceanside Landing Waterway Access Site1 acres
DirectionsMartin Luther King Jr. Peace Park1 acres
Veterans Memorial Plaza1 acres
DirectionsRelic Of The World Trade Center1 acres · Bellmore-Merrick CHSD
Who protects it
9,905 conserved acres
13% of Hempstead’s land. Water is left out: Hempstead has 118.5 square miles of land and 73.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Hempstead’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks5,090 ac
County3,438 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government1,183 ac
Town or city965 ac
State conservation110 ac
Regional agency63 ac
Regional Water Districts53 ac
Local Park · 5,403 acState Park · 5,090 acLocal Resource Management Area · 154 acState Conservation Area · 109 acLocal Other or Unknown · 73 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 21 of 175 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jones Beach State Park State Park | State parks | 4,527 | Open |
| Eisenhower County Park Local Park | County | 934 | Open |
| COUNTY OF NASSAU Land Local Park | County | 822 | Unknown |
| Hempstead Lake State Park State Park | State parks | 484 | Open |
| TOWN OF HEMPSTEAD Land Local Park | Town or city | 457 | Open |
| Cedar Creek County Park Local Park | County | 247 | Open |
| Nassau County Lands Local Resource Management Area | County | 169 | Open |
| Cow Meadow County Park Local Park | County | 168 | Open |
| Merrick Road Town Park and Golf Course Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 160 | Open |
| Nassau Beach County Park Local Park | County | 157 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
557 places to go in Hempstead
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hempstead
Atlantic Beach
DirectionsAtlantic Beach Estates
DirectionsCatalina Beach ClubFee
DirectionsClear Water Beach Club
DirectionsEast Atlantic Beach
DirectionsHarbor Isle Beach
DirectionsHicks Beach
DirectionsInwood Beach Club
Directions7 more beaches
Jones BeachIn Jones Beach State Park
DirectionsLido Beach
DirectionsNew York Beach Club
DirectionsSilver Point Beach Club
DirectionsSun and Surf Beach Club
DirectionsSunny Atlantic Beach Club
DirectionsThe Shores at Atlantic Beach
Directions56 beaches are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Public pools in Hempstead
Acorn Lane PoolIn South Village Green
DirectionsBluegrass Lane PoolIn Bluegrass Lane Park
DirectionsDiving PoolIn Wantagh Park
DirectionsFamily PoolIn Wantagh Park
DirectionsInteractive PoolIn Wantagh Park
DirectionsInteractive PoolIn Newbridge Road Park
DirectionsKiddie PoolIn Wantagh Park
DirectionsKiddie PoolIn Newbridge Road Park
Directions4 more public pools
Main PoolIn Wantagh Park
DirectionsMain PoolIn Newbridge Road Park
DirectionsSlide PoolIn Wantagh Park
DirectionsSpray PoolIn Coes Neck Park
DirectionsPlus 4 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Hempstead
Blue Playground
DirectionsCaroline Previdi PlaygroundIn Masone Beach Village Park
DirectionsGreenacres Play Area
DirectionsMemorial Park Playground
DirectionsRath ParkIn Rath Park
DirectionsSchool 2 Playground
DirectionsSchool 2 Playground 1
DirectionsSt. Paul's Playground
Directions2 more playgrounds
Tiny Town
DirectionsYellow Playground
Directions368 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Hempstead
Cathedral for Pets Ministry Space
DirectionsNewbridge Road Dog ParkIn Newbridge Road Park
DirectionsValley Stream Dog ParkIn Village Green Park
DirectionsPlus 5 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Hempstead
15 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Hempstead
Jones Beach Field 10 Fishing Pier
DirectionsWantagh Park Fishing PierIn Wantagh Park
DirectionsPlus 2 fishing spots without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Hempstead
Woodcleft Scenic Pier
DirectionsPlus 8 scenic views without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Hempstead
Accessible Picnic AreaIn Hempstead Lake State Park
DirectionsBirchesIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsBlack PineIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsCedarsIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsLindens AIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsLindens BIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsNorth MaplesIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsPicnic Area AIn North Woodmere Park
Directions8 more picnic areas
Picnic Area B
DirectionsPicnic Area CIn North Woodmere Park
DirectionsPicnic Area DIn North Woodmere Park
DirectionsPicnic Area FIn North Woodmere Park
DirectionsPicnic Area GIn North Woodmere Park
DirectionsSouth MaplesIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsSycamoreIn Eisenhower Park
DirectionsWest LindensIn Eisenhower Park
Directions76 picnic areas are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Campgrounds in Hempstead
Rolling River Day Camp
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Hempstead
Roosevelt Community GardenNorth Shore Land Alliance
DirectionsPlus 3 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 78 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.8 miUnpaved · 18.7 mi
Central Branch1.3 mi
Atlantic Beach Boardwalk0.7 mi
Upper Gardens Pathway0.5 mi
1/2 Mile Trail0.3 mi
1/4 Mile Trail0.2 mi
Bridge Walk0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Bedell CreekBlack Duck PondCalifornia CanalCammann's PondpondCaroline’s PondpondEast Meadow PondForest City Park PondpondGrant Park PondpondHall's PondpondHempstead LakereservoirLake KathellenlakeLaurelton’s pondspondLofts PondpondMcDonald PondpondMilburn PondMill PondpondMotts CreekMullener PondNassau County Basin #272lakeNewbridge PondpondParsonage CreekSage PondSalisbury LakelakeSchodack PondSeaman PondreservoirShell HarborSilver LakelakeSmith PondpondSouth PondreservoirTackapausha PondpondThe LagoonValley Stream PondVenetian LagoonWantagh PondpondWillow PondBarnums ChannelBedell CreekBellmore CreekBelmont CreekCedar CreekCedar Swamp CreekCinder CreekCrooked CreekDoxey BrookEast ChannelEast Meadow BrookEmory CreekFalse ChannelFlat CreekFreeport CreekFundy ChannelGarrett LeadGoose CreekGreat Island ChannelGreat Sandy CreekHook CreekHudson ChannelJones BayLittle Swift CreekLong CreekMerrick CreekMilburn CreekMill RiverMotts CreekMud CreekNeds CreekNewbridge CreekParsonage CreekPowell CreekScow CreekSea Dog CreekSeamans CreekShift CreekSimmond CreekStadium Park CanalThe NarrowsValley StreamWaukena Waterway
Biking & sports
36 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
33 mi
off-road bike paths
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Long Island Greenway—Phase IBike route
1.3 miCourts & fields
450Tennis
355Baseball
236Basketball
99Soccer
93Pickleball
50Football
15Softball
7Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →29 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 68 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
St. George's ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itRock HallBuilding · listed 1976
About itOld Nassau County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itStewart, A. T., Era BuildingsDistrict · listed 1978
About itWantagh Railroad ComplexBuilding · listed 1983
About itPagan-Fletcher HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itRectory of St. George's Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1988
About itUS Post Office-HempsteadBuilding · listed 1988
About itUS Post Office-FreeportBuilding · listed 1989
About itUS Post Office-Garden CityBuilding · listed 1989
About itUS Post Office-Rockville CentreBuilding · listed 1989
About itJerusalem District No. 5 SchoolhouseBuilding · listed 1996
About it17 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Hempstead: April to 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 43 | 49 | 60 | 69 | 79 | 84 | 83 | 76 | 65 | 55 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.3 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Hempstead →
Next door
Hempstead and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
New York496 miOyster Bay172 miHempstead75 miNorth Hempstead25 miLevittown3.5 miMassapequa3.5 miSeaford3.2 miBethpage1.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hempstead | 13% | 0.6 | 10 | 94% | A− |
| Oyster Bay | 21% | 1.7 | 26 | 96% | A+ |
| New York City | 26% | 1.6 | 5 | 99%+ | A |
| Levittown | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Hempstead | 7% | 0.5 | 10 | 99% | B+ |
| Massapequa | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bethpage | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Seaford | — 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 Hempstead
Where can I hike in Hempstead?
The longest trail networks: Jones Beach State Park, 8.4 miles; Hempstead Lake State Park, 5.7 miles; Eisenhower Park, 4.7 miles; Norman J. Levy Park & Preserve, 3.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hempstead is conserved land?
13% 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 Hempstead’s trails?
Jones Beach State Park and Hempstead Lake State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hempstead?
36 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.4 of painted or protected lanes, 33 of off-road paths and 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Long Island Greenway—Phase I.
Is there public land near Hempstead?
59,313 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hempstead or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,929 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hempstead have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #227 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 Hempstead 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 →