Photo: JBTHEMILKER · CC BY-SA 4.0Howard Township has 80 acres of parks, 13 for every 1,000 residents
42% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 2% of Howard Township’s land is conserved, about 271 acres. 4.5 miles of mapped trail cross Howard Township, 0.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 37% of U.S. towns · #655 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Howard Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Howard Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Howard Township is ahead of 37% of U.S. towns, #655 of 993 in Ohio. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls 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.
Howard Rotary Park (Ohio to Erie Trailhead)
271 conserved acres
2% of Howard Township’s land. Who manages Howard Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 12 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Valley Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 168 | Open |
| Apple Valley Lake Park Local Park | Private owners | 36 | Open |
| Hidden Hills Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 26 | Open |
| Davis Beach Local Park | Private owners | 13 | Open |
| King Beach Local Park | Private owners | 9 | Open |
| Sutton Beach Park Local Park | Private owners | 3 | Open |
| Rotary Park Local Park | County | 2 | Open |
15 places to go in Howard Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 8 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
3 lakes & rivers
5.4 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.
August is the best month for walking in Howard Township
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 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 39 | 49 | 62 | 72 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 76 | 64 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.7 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Howard Township →
Howard Township 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howard Township | 2% | 0.2 | 13 | 42% | C+ |
| Union Township | 2% | 0.2 | 106 | 56% | B− |
| Brown Township | under 1% | 0.2 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
| Harrison Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Monroe Township | 2% | 0.3 | 171 | 24% | B− |
| Apple Valley | 6% | 0.4 | 12 | 38% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Howard Township
How much of Howard Township is conserved land?
2% 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 Howard Township’s trails?
Public Dock and Howard Rotary Park (Ohio to Erie Trailhead) don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Howard Township?
5.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Howard Township?
4,039 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Howard Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 80 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Howard Township have?
Ahead of 37% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #655 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 Howard Township 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 →