14% of Lake Darby’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 14% of Lake Darby’s land is conserved, about 317 acres. 311 acres are parks and preserves, 68 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #19 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Lake Darby?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Lake Darby have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lake Darby is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #19 of 993 in Ohio. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, trail miles lowest.
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.
317 conserved acres
14% of Lake Darby’s land. Who manages Lake Darby’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davis And Sons Property Acquisition Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 205 | Open |
| Darby Creek Conservation Tnc Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 103 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
3 places to go in Lake Darby
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 lakes & rivers
3.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
August is the best month for walking in Lake Darby
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 | 64 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 65 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.8 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Lake Darby →
Lake Darby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Darby | 14% | 0.6 | 68 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Jefferson Township | 6% | 0.1 | 142 | 74% | B+ |
| West Jefferson | 2% | under 0.1 | 16 | 94% | B− |
| Prairie Township | 8% | 0.6 | 32 | 93% | A− |
| Brown Township | 6% | 0.4 | 230 | 26% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lake Darby
How much of Lake Darby is conserved land?
14% 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.
Where can I bike in Lake Darby?
3.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.5 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Lake Darby?
11,452 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lake Darby or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 311 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lake Darby have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #19 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 Lake Darby 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 →