Possum Creek MetroPark
Managed by Five Rivers MetroParks
489 acres12.7 mi of trail
Orange TrailOrange BridleOrange + Red + YellowTrailYellowTrail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Blervis · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Dayton
9% of Dayton’s land is conserved, and 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park
9% of Dayton’s land is conserved, about 3,342 acres. The biggest trail networks: Possum Creek MetroPark (12.7 mi), Eastwood MetroPark (2.7 mi), Wegerzyn Gardens Metropark (1.7 mi). 44 miles of mapped trail cross Dayton, 0.8 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns · #74 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
3,342 acres · of 55.8 sq mi of land
Trails
44 mi
0.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,058 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
54 mi
9.2 mi lanes · 41 mi paths
Highest peak
791 ft
Stoddard Hill
Lakes & rivers
13
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Dayton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Dayton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Dayton is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns, #74 of 993 in Ohio. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Dayton’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (44 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,058 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home95% 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 87%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 93%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Dayton ranks #117 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− 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 Possum Creek MetroPark, with 12.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Eastwood MetroPark
Managed by Five Rivers MetroParks
451 acres2.7 mi of trail
Buckeye Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wegerzyn Gardens Metropark
Park
55 acres1.7 mi of trail
Swamp Forrest Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Island MetroPark
Managed by Five Rivers MetroParks
31 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
MetroParks Mountain Biking Area
Park
9 acres0.8 mi of trail
Hawks Lair
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Woodman Fen
Park
35 acres0.7 mi of trail
Woodman Fen Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 59 parks & preserves
Possum Creek MetroPark489 acres · 12.7 mi of trail · Five Rivers MetroParks
DirectionsEastwood MetroPark451 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · Five Rivers MetroParks
DirectionsWegerzyn Gardens Metropark55 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsIsland MetroPark31 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Five Rivers MetroParks
DirectionsDeweese Park160 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsMetroParks Mountain Biking Area9 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Woodman Fen35 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHighview Hills Park13 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsArena Park74 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsCarillon Historical Park46 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Dayton History
DirectionsPark Drive Boulevard6 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWelcome Park9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Kroc Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPatterson Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCleveland Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDayton View Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
McKinley Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWalnut Hills Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsThe Grotto2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsChildrens Playground1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDeeds Point MetroPark13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Five Rivers MetroParks
DirectionsBurkham Center Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
RiverScape MetroPark10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Five Rivers MetroParks
DirectionsBurns-Jackson Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRiverview Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBomberg Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSunrise Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWright Dunbar Interpretive Center Plaza2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsTriangle Park80 acres
DirectionsWesleyan MetroPark68 acres · Five Rivers MetroParks
Kettering Field57 acres
DirectionsBelmont Park55 acres
DirectionsRip Rap Road Park24 acres
DirectionsPrinceton Park18 acres
Washington Playground14 acres
DirectionsHighland Park13 acres
DirectionsOrvile Wright Park11 acres
DirectionsJoan Hiers Park9 acres
Nordale Park8 acres
DirectionsCleveland Elementary School6 acres
DirectionsResidence Park5 acres
College Hill Park5 acres
Claire Ridge Park5 acres
DirectionsArlington Park4 acres
DirectionsFive Oaks Park4 acres
DirectionsIrwin Playground4 acres
DirectionsSandalwood Playground4 acres
Sunrise MetroPark4 acres · Five Rivers MetroPark
DirectionsRidgecrest Park4 acres
Pinnacle Park3 acres
DirectionsCooper Park3 acres
DirectionsSalem Heights Playground2 acres
Mary Avenue Park2 acres
DirectionsEastmont UMC Park2 acres
DirectionsOverlook Playground & Field1 acres
Patterson Park Corner Park1 acres
DirectionsKanak Park1 acres
DirectionsTaylor Recreational Park1 acres
DirectionsCanal Walk1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,342 conserved acres
9% of Dayton’s land. Who manages Dayton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city2,127 ac
Private owners632 ac
County300 ac
Regional agency141 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits139 ac
Other state land5 ac
National Park Service1 ac
Local Park · 2,651 acPrivate Park · 625 acLocal Recreation Area · 44 acLocal Conservation Area · 21 acState Recreation Area · 5 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Possum Creek Metropark Local Park | Town or city | 530 | Open |
| Eastwood Metropark Local Park | Town or city | 447 | Open |
| Kittyhawk Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 400 | Open |
| Wegerzyn Gardens Metropark Local Park | County | 219 | Open |
| Madden Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 154 | Open |
| Gateway Park Local Park | Town or city | 150 | Open |
| Old River Park Local Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 139 | Open |
| Mcd Property Local Park | Regional agency | 124 | Open |
| Madden Park Local Park | Town or city | 109 | Open |
| Wesleyan Metropark Local Park | Town or city | 107 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
109 places to go in Dayton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Dayton
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Dayton
90 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Dayton
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Dayton
3 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Dayton
Stoddard Hill791 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Dayton
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Dayton
Belmont Park Disc Golf CourseHours: sunrise-sunset · In Belmont Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Dayton
Grafton Grows Green Community GardenFee
DirectionsHuffman Community Garden
DirectionsManhattan Ave. Omega GardenFee
DirectionsManhattan Ave. Peace GardenFee
DirectionsMcPherson Town Community Garden
DirectionsMr. McGregor's GardenFee
DirectionsRuskin PreK-8 and Streetpeace Community Garden
DirectionsSalem Community Garden
Directions2 more community gardens
South Park Urban GardenIn Burns-Jackson Park · Historic South Park Inc.
DirectionsUnity GardenFee
DirectionsTrails & water
16 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Horses · 4.0 miUnpaved · 4.8 mi
Orange Bridle3.4 mi
Orange Trail3.0 mi
Buckeye Trail0.9 mi
Swamp Forrest Trail0.8 mi
Hawks Lair0.8 mi
Woodman Fen Trail0.8 mi
Orange + Red + YellowTrail0.5 mi
YellowTrail0.4 mi
Green Bridle0.4 mi
Yellow Trail0.3 mi
6 more trails
Purple + Pink Trail
0.2 miPurple Trail
0.2 miPink Trail
0.1 miRed Trail
0.1 miRivers Edge Boulevard
0.1 miAll Veterans Walkway
0.1 miBiking & sports
54 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
41 mi
off-road bike paths
4.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
78Baseball
65Tennis
52Basketball
52Soccer
19Football
9Pickleball
3Beach volleyball
2Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →111 places on the National Register, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 28 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Wright Cycle Company-Wright and Wright Printing OfficesNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1986
About it★
Central Branch, National Home for Disabled Volunteer SoldiersNational Historic Landmark · District · listed 2004
About itMontgomery County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itVictory Theater BuildingBuilding · listed 1972
About itSt. Mary's Hall, University Of DaytonBuilding · listed 1973
About itEdwin Smith HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itNicholas Ohmer HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itDayton Art InstituteBuilding · listed 1974
About itDr. Jefferson A. Walters HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itIsaac Pollack HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itLewis Kemp HouseBuilding · listed 1975
About it99 more on the History page.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Dayton
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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 41 | 51 | 64 | 74 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 79 | 66 | 53 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Dayton →
Next door
Dayton and its neighbors
Dayton has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Dayton44 miTrotwood27 miHuber Heights23 miButler Township12 miRiverside3.6 miJefferson Township1.5 miHarrison Township0.6 miShiloh0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dayton | 9% | 0.8 | 22 | 95% | A |
| Harrison Township | 4% | 0.1 | 10 | 63% | C+ |
| Riverside | 3% | 0.4 | 16 | 94% | B+ |
| Jefferson Township | 1% | 0.1 | 34 | 65% | C+ |
| Trotwood | 14% | 0.9 | 85 | 68% | A |
| Shiloh | 6% | under 0.1 | 14 | 69% | C+ |
| Huber Heights | 10% | 1.0 | 33 | 73% | A− |
| Butler Township | 18% | 0.8 | 224 | 62% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Dayton
Where can I hike in Dayton?
The longest trail networks: Possum Creek MetroPark, 12.7 miles; Eastwood MetroPark, 2.7 miles; Wegerzyn Gardens Metropark, 1.7 miles; Island MetroPark, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Dayton is conserved land?
9% 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 Dayton’s trails?
Possum Creek MetroPark and Eastwood MetroPark don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Dayton?
54 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.2 of painted or protected lanes, 41 of off-road paths and 4.0 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Dayton?
29,535 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Dayton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,058 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Dayton have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #74 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 Dayton 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 →