Butler County Fairgrounds
Park
31 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: McKenzie & Snyder · CC BY-SA 4.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Hamilton
6% of Hamilton’s land is conserved: 800 acres
The biggest trail networks: Butler County Fairgrounds (0.9 mi). 88% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 1,124 acres are parks and preserves, 18 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 65% of U.S. towns · #322 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
800 acres · of 21.5 sq mi of land
Trails
4.4 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,124 ac
18 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
88%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
13 mi
2.2 mi lanes · 10 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
5
What kind of outdoors town is Hamilton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hamilton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hamilton is ahead of 65% of U.S. towns, #322 of 993 in Ohio. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hamilton’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land18 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,124 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13BParks close to home88% 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 65%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 68%
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 Butler County Fairgrounds, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
L. J. Smith Park
Managed by Hamilton Parks Conservancy
30 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Gilmore Ponds Preserve Metropark
Managed by MetroParks of Butler County
238 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Gilmore Ponds Metropark Parking LotWebsite ↗
All 33 parks & preserves
Butler County Fairgrounds31 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
Millikin Park49 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsL. J. Smith Park30 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Hamilton Parks Conservancy
Gilmore Ponds Preserve Metropark238 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · MetroParks of Butler County
DirectionsMarcum Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBooker T. Washington Community Center13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSymmes Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJoyce Park198 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Hamilton
Jim Grimm Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCrawford Woods54 acres
DirectionsCombs Park47 acres
Sanders Park40 acres
Veterans’ Park17 acres · City of Hamilton
DirectionsEast View Park13 acres
DirectionsOfficer Bob Gentry Park8 acres · Hamilton Parks Conservancy
DirectionsSmalley Park7 acres
Schwartzwald Park5 acres
DirectionsDarrell O. Pace Park5 acres
Sutherland Park4 acres
DirectionsBenninghofen Playground3 acres
Lindenwald Park3 acres
Campbell Avenue Park3 acres
DirectionsSchuster Park3 acres
Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park2 acres
Howard Wilson Park2 acres
Kingston Tot Lot2 acres
Jefferson Park2 acres · Hamilton Ohio Parks
Fairfield Optimist Park1 acres · Fairfield Optimist Soccer Association
Virginia Avenue Park1 acres
Fordson Heights Playground1 acres
Andrew Tot Lot1 acres
Warwick's Rest1 acres
Neilan & Pershing Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
800 conserved acres
6% of Hamilton’s land. Who manages Hamilton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city704 ac
County76 ac
Private owners20 ac
Local Park · 704 acLocal Conservation Area · 54 acLocal Other or Unknown · 21 acState Conservation Area · 20 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joyce Park Local Park | Town or city | 260 | Open |
| Miami Woods Park Local Park | Town or city | 103 | Open |
| Timothy Park Local Conservation Area | County | 54 | Open |
| Crawford Woods Local Park | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Millikin Wood Park Local Park | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Riverside Natural Area Local Park | Town or city | 42 | Open |
| Sanders Park Local Park | Town or city | 32 | Open |
| Combs Park Local Park | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Smith Park (North End) Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Butler County Fairgrounds Local Other or Unknown | County | 21 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
61 places to go in Hamilton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Hamilton
53 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Hamilton
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Hamilton
2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Hamilton
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Hamilton
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
13 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
10 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
48Baseball
30Tennis
24Soccer
24Basketball
22Pickleball
8Football
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →20 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Benninghofen HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itLane-Hooven HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itAnderson-Shaffer HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itEdgetonBuilding · listed 1975
About itRossville Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1975
About itButler County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1981
About itSt. Stephen Church and RectoryBuilding · listed 1982
About itRentschler HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itDayton-Campbell Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itHamilton Catholic High SchoolBuilding · listed 1986
About itGerman Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itGreenwood CemeteryDistrict · listed 1994
About it8 more on the History page.
When to get out
The walking year in Hamilton
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) | 39 | 43 | 53 | 66 | 76 | 83 | 87 | 86 | 80 | 67 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.7 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Hamilton →
Next door
Hamilton and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Fairfield12 miFairfield Township10 miRoss Township7.7 miHanover Township6.8 miSt. Clair Township4.6 miHamilton4.4 miNew Miami0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 6% | 0.2 | 18 | 88% | B+ |
| St. Clair Township | 4% | 0.2 | 55 | 66% | B |
| Hanover Township | 1% | 0.2 | 4 | 27% | C− |
| Fairfield Township | 3% | 0.6 | 20 | 52% | B |
| Fairfield | 5% | 0.6 | 15 | 72% | B+ |
| Ross Township | 4% | 0.3 | 30 | 44% | B− |
| New Miami | 6% | under 0.1 | 17 | 93% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hamilton
Where can I hike in Hamilton?
The longest trail networks: Butler County Fairgrounds, 0.9 miles; Millikin Park, 0.4 miles; L. J. Smith Park, 0.4 miles; Gilmore Ponds Preserve Metropark, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hamilton is conserved land?
6% 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 Hamilton’s trails?
Butler County Fairgrounds and Millikin Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hamilton?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.2 of painted or protected lanes, 10 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Hamilton?
12,848 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hamilton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,124 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Hamilton have?
Ahead of 65% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #322 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 Hamilton 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 →