Photo: F Conrad · CC BY-SA 3.0Franklin has 261 acres of parks, 22 for every 1,000 residents
92% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Franklin’s land is conserved, about 238 acres. 2.3 miles of mapped trail cross Franklin, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 67% of U.S. towns · #301 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Franklin?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Franklin have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Franklin is ahead of 67% of U.S. towns, #301 of 993 in Ohio. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
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.
Harmon Park
238 conserved acres
4% of Franklin’s land. Who manages Franklin’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Conservancy District State Conservation Area | Town or city | 84 | Open |
| Franklin Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 71 | Open |
| Franklin Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 65 | Open |
| Chautauqua Reservoir Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 16 | Open |
| Riverside Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Laynecrest Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Harmon Field Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
32 places to go in Franklin
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
30 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
6.9 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.
4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
August is the best month for walking in Franklin
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 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 42 | 52 | 65 | 75 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 79 | 66 | 53 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Franklin →
Franklin and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin | 4% | 0.2 | 22 | 92% | B+ |
| Carlisle | 3% | 0.4 | 14 | 88% | B |
| Springboro | 6% | 1.0 | 12 | 58% | B+ |
| Clear Creek Township | 3% | 0.4 | 13 | 44% | C+ |
| Franklin Township | 7% | 0.3 | 44 | 71% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Franklin
Where can I hike in Franklin?
The longest trail networks: Clearcreek Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Franklin is conserved land?
4% 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 Franklin’s trails?
Hazel Woods Park and Franklin Lions Club Municipal Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Franklin?
6.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.2 of off-road paths and 0.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Franklin?
11,798 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Franklin or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 261 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Franklin have?
Ahead of 67% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #301 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 Franklin 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 →