The Ridges
Managed by Ohio University
746 acres7.4 mi of trail
Ora Anderson Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Athens State Hospital Cow Barn · Photo: Ed!(Hall of Fame) · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Athens
Athens has 15 miles of mapped trails, 1.5 for every square mile of land
92% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: The Ridges (7.4 mi), Strouds Ridge Reserve Hope Drive Tract (1.9 mi), Sells Park (1 mi). 6% of Athens’ land is conserved, about 363 acres.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #115 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
363 acres · of 9.9 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
371 ac
16 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
92%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
18 mi
4.1 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Highest peak
900 ft
Radar Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Athens?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Athens have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Athens is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #115 of 993 in Ohio. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Athens’ overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%BTrails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (15 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land16 acres of park per 1,000 residents (371 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home92% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 84%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 89%
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 The Ridges, with 7.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Strouds Ridge Reserve Hope Drive Tract
Managed by City of Athens
111 acres1.9 mi of trail
Athens Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Sells Park
Managed by City of Athens
43 acres1 mi of trail
Athens TrailRockhouse TrailSourwood ConnectorRedbud Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Camp Rotan
Park
12 acres0.6 mi of trail
Camp Rotan Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
East State Street Park
Park
62 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 17 parks & preserves
The Ridges746 acres · 7.4 mi of trail · Ohio University
DirectionsStrouds Ridge Reserve Hope Drive Tract111 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · City of Athens
DirectionsSells Park43 acres · 1 mi of trail · City of Athens
DirectionsCamp Rotan12 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
East State Street Park62 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCollege Green7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWest State Street Park50 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBicentennial Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDowler Preserve17 acres
Dairy Lane Park7 acres
DirectionsEmeriti Park6 acres
DirectionsRichland Avenue Park6 acres
DirectionsGawande Preserve5 acres
TailGreat Park3 acres
DirectionsHighland Park2 acres
DirectionsStrouds Run State Park1 acres · Ohio Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsStrouds Ridge Preserve Bean Tract1 acres · Athens County
DirectionsWho protects it
363 conserved acres
6% of Athens’ land. Who manages Athens’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city228 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits80 ac
County38 ac
Other state land14 ac
State natural resources4 ac
Local Recreation Area · 164 acLocal Conservation Area · 117 acLocal Park · 78 acState Resource Management Area · 4 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strouds Ridge Preserve Project - Phase II Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 105 | Open |
| University Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 80 | Open |
| Athens County Fairgrounds Local Recreation Area | County | 38 | Open |
| West State Street Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| East State Street Park Local Park | Town or city | 33 | Open |
| Sells Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Camp Rotan Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Dairy Lane Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Richland Avenue Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Emeriti Park Local Park | Other state land | 7 | Open |
3 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
30 places to go in Athens
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Athens
Athens Public PoolIn East State Street Park
DirectionsRiver Park Pool
DirectionsPlus 2 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Athens
Richland ParkIn Richland Avenue Park
DirectionsWest State PlaygroundIn West State Street Park
DirectionsWest state Jungle GymIn West State Street Park
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Athens
West State Dog ParkIn West State Street Park
DirectionsPlus 2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Athens
West State Street Canoe Portage
DirectionsWaterfalls in Athens
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Athens
Lookout PointIn Sells Park
DirectionsPeaks in Athens
Radar Hill900 ft elevation · In The Ridges
DirectionsStage Mound Hill856 ft elevation
DirectionsDisc golf in Athens
Ohio University Disc Golf CourseOhio University
DirectionsTrails & water
9 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.1 miUnpaved · 8.9 mi
Ora Anderson Trail1.0 mi
Athens Trail1.0 mi
Camp Rotan Trail0.5 mi
Rockhouse Trail0.4 mi
Sourwood Connector0.2 mi
Redbud Trail0.1 mi
Lookout Trail0.1 mi
unofficial trail0.1 mi
Athens Trail & Rockhouse Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
18 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
2.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
12Baseball
9Tennis
5Basketball
5Soccer
4Beach volleyball
2Skate park
1Field hockey
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Athens State Hospital Cow BarnBuilding · listed 1978
About itOhio University Campus Green Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itAthens Governmental BuildingsBuilding · listed 1979
About itAthens State HospitalDistrict · listed 1980
About itMount Zion Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 1980
About itThomas Jefferson Herrold House and StoreBuilding · listed 1980
About itSheltering Arms HospitalBuilding · listed 1982
About itWhite's-Vale MillBuilding · listed 1982
About itAthens Downtown Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1982
About itBeasley BuildingBuilding · listed 1982
About itAthens B & O Train DepotBuilding · listed 1983
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Athens: April 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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 43 | 53 | 66 | 74 | 81 | 84 | 84 | 78 | 66 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
November is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.4 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Athens →
Questions about parks and trails in Athens
Where can I hike in Athens?
The longest trail networks: The Ridges, 7.4 miles; Strouds Ridge Reserve Hope Drive Tract, 1.9 miles; Sells Park, 1 miles; Camp Rotan, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Athens is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Ohio town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Athens’ trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Sells Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Athens?
18 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.1 of painted or protected lanes, 12 of off-road paths and 2.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Athens?
37,206 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Athens or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 375 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Athens have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #115 of 993 in Ohio. 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 Athens 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 →