Denison University Biological Preserve
Managed by Denison University
192 acres2.7 mi of trail
Hyacinth TrailWaxwing TrailQuarry TrailArboretum Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Photo: Chamberednautilus · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Granville
9% of Granville’s land is conserved: 265 acres
4.4 miles of mapped trail cross Granville, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Denison University Biological Preserve (2.7 mi), Sugar Loaf Park (0.5 mi). 147 acres are parks and preserves, 24 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns · #118 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
9%
265 acres · of 4.9 sq mi of land
Trails
4.4 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
147 ac
24 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
83%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.5 mi
6.5 mi paths
Highest peak
1,066 ft
Parnassus Hill
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is Granville?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Granville have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Granville is ahead of 84% of U.S. towns, #118 of 993 in Ohio. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Granville’s overall grade.
Conserved land9% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land24 acres of park per 1,000 residents (147 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home83% 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 84%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 88%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Denison University Biological Preserve, with 2.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sugar Loaf Park
Park
8 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Raccoon Valley Park
Park
26 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
265 conserved acres
9% of Granville’s land. Who manages Granville’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Private owners127 ac
Town or city119 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits18 ac
Private Park · 127 acLocal Park · 99 acLocal Recreation Area · 37 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granville Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 127 | Open |
| Fanchion Lewis Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Bryn Du Mansion Athletic Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 37 | Open |
| Raccoon Valley Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Woldwood Park Local Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 18 | Open |
| Sugarloaf Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
Things to do
10 places to go in Granville
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Granville
Wildwood Playground
DirectionsPlus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Granville
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Granville
Parnassus Hill1,066 ft elevation
DirectionsSugarloaf Hill1,053 ft elevation · In Sugar Loaf Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Granville
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 3 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
6.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
13Tennis
8Soccer
7Baseball
2Football
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.
Buxton InnBuilding · listed 1972
About itSt. Luke's Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1976
About itEdwin Stanbery OfficeBuilding · listed 1978
About itAvery-Hunter HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itA. A. Bancroft HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itCapt. Levi Rose HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itDustin CabinBuilding · listed 1980
About itRogers HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itWallace W. Carpenter HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itCilgwyn BachBuilding · listed 1980
About itGranville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itColony Burying Ground, OldDistrict · listed 2005
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Granville: 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 →
Next door
Granville and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Union Township13 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 | 9% | 0.9 | 24 | 83% | A− |
| Granville Township | 4% | 0.3 | 20 | 55% | B− |
| Newark | 6% | 0.2 | 15 | 77% | B |
| Union Township | 3% | 0.3 | 47 | 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
Where can I hike in Granville?
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 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 Granville’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?
6.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Granville?
5,593 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Granville or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 147 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Granville have?
Ahead of 84% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #118 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 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 →