Photo: Brandon Peterman (Zyrshnikashnu at en.wikipedia) · CC BY-SA 3.07% of Tonawanda’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
7% of Tonawanda’s land is conserved, about 168 acres. 1.5 miles of mapped trail cross Tonawanda, 0.4 per square mile of land. 170 acres are parks and preserves, 11 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns · #326 of 758 in New York. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Tonawanda?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Tonawanda have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Tonawanda is ahead of 72% of U.S. towns, #326 of 758 in New York. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
Water is 7% of Tonawanda’s area (0 of 4 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Isle View Park
All 12 parks & preserves
168 conserved acres
7% of Tonawanda’s land. Water is left out: Tonawanda has 3.8 square miles of land and 0.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Tonawanda’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
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.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Of Tonawanda Land Local Park | Town or city | 95 | Unknown |
| Veterans Memorial Park State Park | Town or city | 48 | Open |
| Niawanda Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Ives Park State Park | Town or city | 20 | Open |
| Isle View County Park Local Park | County | 12 | Open |
| East Niagara Park State Park | Town or city | 11 | Open |
| Fireman'S Park State Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| County Of Erie Land Local Park | County | 8 | Unknown |
| Eastern Park State Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| School District City Of Lands Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
27 places to go in Tonawanda
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
9 boat launches without a name on the map.
5 fishing spots without a name on the map.
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
4 lakes & rivers
5.9 miles of bike routes
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.
2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Tonawanda: 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 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 34 | 43 | 55 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 73 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 3.7 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Tonawanda →
Tonawanda and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tonawanda | 7% | 0.4 | 11 | 96% | B+ |
| Tonawanda Town | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Tonawanda | 4% | 1.5 | 8 | 97% | A− |
| Grand Island | 17% | 0.9 | 136 | 86% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Tonawanda
Where can I hike in Tonawanda?
The longest trail networks: Ives Pond Park, 0.1 miles; Isle View Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Tonawanda is conserved land?
7% 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 Tonawanda’s trails?
Niawanda Park and Ives Pond Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Tonawanda?
5.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of painted or protected lanes, 5.2 of off-road paths and 0.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Tonawanda?
11,910 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Tonawanda or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 170 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Tonawanda have?
Ahead of 72% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #326 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 Tonawanda neighbors.
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 →