Strouds Run State Park
Managed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources
2,506 acres39.5 mi of trail
Sundown TrailHollowpoint TrailHickory Multi-Use TrailThunderbunny Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Jaknouse · CC BY-SA 3.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Canaan Township
Canaan Township has 53 miles of mapped trails, 1.4 for every square mile of land
155 acres are parks and preserves, 82 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Strouds Run State Park (39.5 mi), Baker Preserve (4.9 mi), Canaan Preserve (2.1 mi). 20% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 67% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
788 acres · of 38.1 sq mi of land
Trails
53 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
155 ac
82 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
20%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.4 mi
0.8 mi lanes · 3.6 mi paths
Highest peak
1,024 ft
Crumley Knob
Lakes & rivers
4
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Canaan Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Canaan Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Canaan Township is ahead of 67% of U.S. towns. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Canaan Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B−Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (53 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land82 acres of park per 1,000 residents (155 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13AParks close to home20% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%C−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 67%
LessMore
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 Strouds Run State Park, with 39.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Baker Preserve
Managed by The Athens Conservancy
599 acres4.9 mi of trail
Liar's Ridge TrailMythical Tree TrailSheltered Valley TrailCockatiel Ridge Trail+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Canaan Preserve
Managed by Athens Conservancy
436 acres2.1 mi of trail
John Knouse TrailLake Hill TrailLiar's Ridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Strouds Ridge Reserve Hope Drive Tract
Managed by City of Athens
110 acres1.9 mi of trail
Athens Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Blair Preserve
Managed by Athens Conservancy
75 acres1.2 mi of trail
Tunnel Rock TrailTrace Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mary Beth Zak Lohse Nature Preserve
Managed by Athens Conservancy
183 acres1 mi of trail
Gillett Ridge Loop Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 11 parks & preserves
Strouds Run State Park2,506 acres · 39.5 mi of trail · Ohio Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsBaker Preserve599 acres · 4.9 mi of trail · The Athens Conservancy
DirectionsCanaan Preserve436 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Athens Conservancy
Strouds Ridge Reserve Hope Drive Tract110 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · City of Athens
DirectionsBlair Preserve75 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Athens Conservancy
DirectionsMary Beth Zak Lohse Nature Preserve183 acres · 1 mi of trail · Athens Conservancy
DirectionsTucker Run Preserve52 acres · Athens Conservancy
Strouds Ridge Preserve Bean Tract24 acres · Athens County
DirectionsLesli Johnson Preserve17 acres · Athens Conservancy
Strouds Ridge Preserve COAD Tract1 acres · City of Athens
East State Street Park1 acres
Who protects it
788 conserved acres
3% of Canaan Township’s land. Who manages Canaan Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits355 ac
U.S. Forest Service327 ac
Town or city106 ac
National Forest · 327 acOther Easement · 300 acLocal Conservation Area · 106 acPrivate Conservation · 48 acForest Stewardship Easement · 7 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 308 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 327 | Open |
| Strouds Ridge Preserve Project - Phase II Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 106 | Open |
| Addington Property Acquisition Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 48 | Open |
Things to do
15 places to go in Canaan Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Canaan Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Canaan Township
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Canaan Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Canaan Township
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Canaan Township
Finger RockIn Strouds Run State Park
DirectionsLongview CrossingIn Baker Preserve
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Canaan Township
Crumley Knob1,024 ft elevation · In Strouds Run State Park
DirectionsRiley Hill965 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Canaan Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Canaan Township
2 campgrounds without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 23.8 miHorses · 12.5 miUnpaved · 38.5 mi
Sundown Trail6.1 mi
Hollowpoint Trail3.1 mi
Hickory Multi-Use Trail2.7 mi
Pete Smith Trail2.7 mi
Thunderbunny Trail2.7 mi
Liar's Ridge Trail2.3 mi
Athens Trail2.2 mi
Lakeview Trail2.0 mi
John Knouse Trail1.9 mi
Cliff Trail1.7 mi
15 more trails
Boogle Trail
1.6 miRockhouse Trail
1.5 miAmoretto Trail
1.4 miBroken Rock Trail
1.3 miTrace Trail
1.2 miCreek Trail
1.1 miMythical Tree Trail
1.0 miGillett Ridge Loop Trail
1.0 miFinger Rock Trail
1.0 miVista Point Trail
0.9 miHank Trail
0.9 miTunnel Rock Trail
0.8 miHermit Hut Trail
0.7 miSheltered Valley Trail
0.6 miWhite Ash Trail
0.6 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.6 mi
off-road bike paths
Sundown TrailBike route
6.3 miHickory TrailBike route
2.7 miCourts & fields
1Soccer
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Savage-Stewart HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Canaan Township: 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 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 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 Canaan Township →
Next door
Canaan Township and its neighbors
Canaan Township has the most mapped trails of the 4 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canaan Township | 3% | 1.4 | 82 | 20% | B+ |
| Rome Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 50 | 26% | C |
| Ames Township | under 1% | 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | D− |
| Athens Township | 7% | 0.5 | 18 | 82% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Canaan Township
Where can I hike in Canaan Township?
The longest trail networks: Strouds Run State Park, 39.5 miles; Baker Preserve, 4.9 miles; Canaan Preserve, 2.1 miles; Strouds Ridge Reserve Hope Drive Tract, 1.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Canaan Township is conserved land?
3% 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 Canaan Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Baker Preserve. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Canaan Township?
4.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes and 3.6 of off-road paths. Named routes: Sundown Trail and Hickory Trail.
Is there public land near Canaan Township?
20,100 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Canaan Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 482 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Canaan Township have?
Ahead of 67% 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 Canaan Township 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 →