19% of Waterford’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 0.9 miles of mapped trail cross Waterford, 3.2 per square mile of land. 19% of Waterford’s land is conserved, about 30 acres.
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Waterford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Waterford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Waterford is ahead of 96% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
Water is 21% of Waterford’s area (0 of 0 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 13%.
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.
Memorial Park
30 conserved acres
19% of Waterford’s land. Water is left out: Waterford has 0.3 square miles of land and 0.1 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Waterford’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 3 of 7 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie Canal State Recreation Area | Other state land | 20 | Open |
| Village of Waterford Land Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Unknown |
| Water District Lands Local Park | Regional Water Districts | 3 | Open |
| Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Town of Waterford Land Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Unknown |
| Peebles Island State Park State Park | State parks | 1 | Open |
6 places to go in Waterford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
3 waterfalls without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
0.2 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.
May is the best month for walking in Waterford
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 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 45 | 59 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 74 | 61 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Waterford →
Waterford and its neighbors
Waterford has the second most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterford | 19% | 3.2 | 15 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Troy | 8% | 2.2 | 10 | 96% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Waterford
How much of Waterford is conserved land?
19% 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 Waterford’s trails?
4th Street Park and Memorial Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Waterford?
0.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of off-road paths. Named routes: Old Champlain Canal Trail.
Is there public land near Waterford?
12,166 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Waterford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 31 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Waterford have?
Ahead of 96% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Waterford 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 →