Highland Lakes State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
2,957 acres37.1 mi of trail
Green TrailOak Road WestRed TrailUpper Ridge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Daniel Case · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Wallkill
Wallkill has 5,016 acres of parks, 162 for every 1,000 residents
75 miles of mapped trail cross Wallkill, 1.2 per square mile of land. 12% of Wallkill’s land is conserved, about 4,722 acres. The biggest trail networks: Highland Lakes State Park (37.1 mi), Middletown Reservoir Trails (11.7 mi), Circleville Park (4.8 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #87 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
4,722 acres · of 61.9 sq mi of land
Trails
75 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,016 ac
162 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
84%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
5.4 mi
5.4 mi paths
Highest peak
994 ft
Sayers Hill
Lakes & rivers
10
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Wallkill?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Wallkill have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Wallkill is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #87 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Wallkill’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (75 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land162 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,016 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home84% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 89%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Highland Lakes State Park, with 37.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Middletown Reservoir Trails
Managed by City of Middletown
1,024 acres11.7 mi of trail
Red TrailBlue TrailOrange TrailWhite Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fancher-Davidge Park
Managed by City of Middletown
60 acres1 mi of trail
Nature Observation Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Orange County Fair
Managed by Orange County Agriculture Society Inc
90 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Moonbeams Nature Preserve
Park
18 acres0.3 mi of trail
Moonbeam O&W Railroad Bed East Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Moonbeams Parking
All 20 parks & preserves
Highland Lakes State Park2,957 acres · 37.1 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Middletown Reservoir Trails1,024 acres · 11.7 mi of trail · City of Middletown
DirectionsCircleville Park397 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsFancher-Davidge Park60 acres · 1 mi of trail · City of Middletown
DirectionsOrange County Fair90 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Orange County Agriculture Society Inc
DirectionsMoonbeams Nature Preserve18 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBelmont Avenue Park29 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Maple Hill Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Middletown
DirectionsHoward Drive Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWashington Heights Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Fortune Road Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lawrence A. Testa Healing Garden1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStirba Park35 acres
Watts Memorial Park6 acres
DirectionsCircle Drive Park2 acres
Sarah Lane Park1 acres
DirectionsMarlboro Park1 acres
Veteran's Memorial Park1 acres · Town of Wallkill
Patio Road Park1 acres
Dog Park1 acres
Who protects it
4,722 conserved acres
12% of Wallkill’s land. Who manages Wallkill’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks2,994 ac
Town or city1,513 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government360 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits143 ac
Other state land23 ac
Regional Water Districts6 ac
Private owners5 ac
State Park · 3,007 acLocal Park · 1,802 acPrivate Conservation · 142 acLocal Resource Management Area · 74 acState Resource Management Area · 11 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 5 of 25 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Lakes State Park State Park | State parks | 2,994 | Open |
| City Of Middletown Land Local Park | Town or city | 1,047 | Unknown |
| Town Of Wallkill Land Local Park | Town or city | 373 | Unknown |
| C Hudson Thompson Memorial Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 286 | Open |
| Orange County Land Trust Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 142 | Open |
| Fancher Davidge Park Local Park | Town or city | 60 | Open |
| Wallkill Town Lands Local Resource Management Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 29 | Open |
| Chester Town Lands Local Resource Management Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 17 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 14 | Open |
| Newburgh Town Lands Local Resource Management Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 13 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
49 places to go in Wallkill
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Wallkill
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Wallkill
Wallkill Farms Homeowners Association playground
DirectionsWallkill Farms Homeowners Association playground
DirectionsWallkill Farms Homeowners Association playground
DirectionsWallkill Farms Homeowners Association playground
DirectionsWallkill Farms Homeowners Association playground
Directions34 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Boat launches in Wallkill
Old East Main Boat Launch
DirectionsPeaks in Wallkill
Sayers Hill994 ft elevation
DirectionsBrimstone Hill623 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Joy545 ft elevation
DirectionsPlus 7 peaks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Wallkill
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Wallkill
1 campground without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Wallkill
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
18 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.2 miHorses · 7.0 miUnpaved · 1.5 mi
Red Trail2.9 mi
Green Trail1.9 mi
Oak Road West1.8 mi
Orange Trail1.6 mi
Blue Trail1.2 mi
Upper Ridge Trail1.2 mi
Drunken Rich Trail0.6 mi
Moonbeam O&W Railroad Bed East Trail0.5 mi
White Trail0.5 mi
Blue0.4 mi
8 more trails
Ice Trail
0.4 miCenter Ridge Trail
0.4 miLower Ridge Trail
0.3 miMoonbeam O&W Railroad Bed WestTrail
0.3 miBlack Trail
0.2 miHanging Duck Trail
0.2 miunnamed public access
0.1 miNature Observation Trail
0.1 miBiking & sports
5.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.4 mi
off-road bike paths
The LYne (teal blazes)Bike route
2.5 miCourts & fields
21Tennis
20Basketball
17Baseball
7Pickleball
3Soccer
3Equestrian
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Wallkill: April, May and July
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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 3.8 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Wallkill →
Next door
Wallkill and its neighbors
Wallkill has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Wallkill75 miMamakating61 miMount Hope11 miHamptonburgh7.6 miMiddletown7.0 miMechanicstown2.1 miWashington Heights1.1 miBloomingburg0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallkill | 12% | 1.2 | 162 | 84% | A |
| Mamakating | 11% | 0.6 | 259 | 41% | A− |
| Middletown | 9% | 1.3 | 5 | 99% | A− |
| Washington Heights | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Hamptonburgh | 8% | 0.3 | 198 | 40% | B+ |
| Mechanicstown | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Bloomingburg | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mount Hope | 13% | 0.4 | 110 | 61% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Wallkill
Where can I hike in Wallkill?
The longest trail networks: Highland Lakes State Park, 37.1 miles; Middletown Reservoir Trails, 11.7 miles; Circleville Park, 4.8 miles; Fancher-Davidge Park, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Wallkill 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 Wallkill’s trails?
Highland Lakes State Park and Middletown Reservoir Trails don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Wallkill?
5.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.4 of off-road paths. Named routes: The LYne (teal blazes).
Is there public land near Wallkill?
44,243 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Wallkill or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,028 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Wallkill have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #87 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 Wallkill 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 →