Denison University Biological Preserve
Managed by Denison University
409 acres2.7 mi of trail
Hyacinth TrailWaxwing TrailQuarry TrailArboretum Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Chamberednautilus · CC BY-SA 4.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Granville Township
Granville Township has 208 acres of parks, 20 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Denison University Biological Preserve (2.7 mi), Sugar Loaf Park (0.5 mi). 55% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Granville Township’s land is conserved, about 577 acres.
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns · #470 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
577 acres · of 25.7 sq mi of land
Trails
8.0 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
208 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
55%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.7 mi
9.7 mi paths
Highest peak
1,096 ft
Flowerpot Hill
Lakes & rivers
7
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Granville Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Granville Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Granville Township is ahead of 54% of U.S. towns, #470 of 993 in Ohio. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Granville Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (8 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land20 acres of park per 1,000 residents (208 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home55% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 54%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 53%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to B. 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 Denison University Biological Preserve, with 2.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sugar Loaf Park
Park
7 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Raccoon Valley Park
Park
71 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
577 conserved acres
4% of Granville Township’s land. Who manages Granville Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners280 ac
Town or city154 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)107 ac
Regional Water Districts18 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits18 ac
Private Park · 280 acLocal Park · 129 acAgricultural Easement · 125 acLocal Recreation Area · 37 acLocal Conservation Area · 7 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 125 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raccoon International Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 151 | Open |
| Granville Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 128 | Open |
| Raccoon Valley Park Local Park | Town or city | 60 | Open |
| Fanchion Lewis Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Bryn Du Mansion Athletic Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| Woldwood Park Local Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 18 | Open |
| Spring Valley Nature Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Sugarloaf Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Opera House Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
14 places to go in Granville Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Granville Township
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Granville Township
Wildwood Playground
DirectionsPlus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Granville Township
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Peaks in Granville Township
Flowerpot Hill1,096 ft elevation
DirectionsParnassus Hill1,066 ft elevation
DirectionsSugarloaf Hill1,053 ft elevation · In Sugar Loaf Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Granville Township
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 2.3 mi
Hyacinth Trail0.4 mi
Waxwing Trail0.4 mi
Quarry Trail0.3 mi
Arboretum Loop0.3 mi
Swallow Trail10.3 mi
Catalpa Trail0.2 mi
Flying Squirrel Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
9.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
9.7 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
21Tennis
14Baseball
12Soccer
5Football
2Basketball
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →12 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
McCune's VillaBuilding · listed 1982
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Granville 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 40 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 84 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.5 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Granville Township →
Next door
Granville Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Union Township13 miSt. Albans Township12 miGranville Township8.0 miNewark5.1 miGranville4.4 miGranville South2.4 miNewark Township0.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Granville Township | 4% | 0.3 | 20 | 55% | B− |
| Granville | 9% | 0.9 | 24 | 83% | A− |
| Newark | 6% | 0.2 | 15 | 77% | B |
| Union Township | 3% | 0.3 | 47 | 50% | B |
| St. Albans Township | 3% | 0.5 | 87 | 50% | B |
| Granville South | 4% | 0.4 | under 1 | under 1% | C− |
| Newark Township | 2% | 0.1 | 4 | 40% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Granville Township
Where can I hike in Granville Township?
The longest trail networks: Denison University Biological Preserve, 2.7 miles; Sugar Loaf Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Granville Township 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 Granville Township’s trails?
Denison University Biological Preserve and Sugar Loaf Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Granville Township?
9.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 9.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Granville Township?
5,647 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Granville Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 208 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Granville Township have?
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #470 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 Granville 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 →