Keller-Kirn Park
Managed by City of Lancaster
80 acres1.9 mi of trail
Quarry TrailDeer Run TrailWoodland Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Tim Kiser (w:User:Malepheasant) · CC BY-SA 2.5BOutdoors
Outdoors in Lancaster
Lancaster has 8.3 miles of mapped trails, 0.4 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Keller-Kirn Park (1.9 mi), Rising Park (1.2 mi). 76% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 421 acres are parks and preserves, 10 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 55% of U.S. towns · #453 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
364 acres · of 19.1 sq mi of land
Trails
8.3 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
421 ac
10 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
76%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
14 mi
2.4 mi lanes · 9.2 mi paths
Highest peak
1,099 ft
Waterworks Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lancaster have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lancaster is ahead of 55% of U.S. towns, #453 of 993 in Ohio. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lancaster’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (8 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4BPark land10 acres of park per 1,000 residents (421 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home76% 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 55%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 54%
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 Keller-Kirn Park, with 1.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rising Park
Park
75 acres1.2 mi of trail
Mount Pleasant Hiking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Olivedale Park
Managed by City of Lancaster Parks and Recreation
15 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Soccer Complex
Managed by City of Lancaster
24 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 19 parks & preserves
Keller-Kirn Park80 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · City of Lancaster
DirectionsRising Park75 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOlivedale Park15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Lancaster Parks and Recreation
DirectionsCenci Park18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Lancaster
DirectionsCedarlen Park16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSensory Trail Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Fairfield County
DirectionsSoccer Complex24 acres · City of Lancaster
DirectionsMarten's Park19 acres
DirectionsMary Burnham Park13 acres
DirectionsMaher Park12 acres · City of Lancaster
DirectionsHocking Park9 acres
DirectionsMiller Park9 acres
DirectionsHunter Park7 acres
DirectionsGlassco Park5 acres
DirectionsHuffer Durdin Park5 acres
Lanreco Park5 acres
DirectionsUtica Park3 acres
DirectionsElmwood Park2 acres
Firehouse Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
364 conserved acres
3% of Lancaster’s land. Who manages Lancaster’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city307 ac
County57 ac
Local Park · 288 acLocal Recreation Area · 76 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keller-Kirn Park Local Park | Town or city | 80 | Open |
| Rising Park Local Park | Town or city | 75 | Open |
| Fairfield County Fairgrounds Local Recreation Area | County | 57 | Open |
| Miller Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Marten'S Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| Cenci Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Cedarlen Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Olivedale Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Mary Burnham Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Maher Park Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
39 places to go in Lancaster
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Lancaster
Miller Swimming PoolIn Miller Park
DirectionsTiki Swimming Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Lancaster
Rising Park PlaygroundIn Rising Park
DirectionsPlus 26 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Lancaster
3 dog parks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Lancaster
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Lancaster
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Lancaster
Waterworks Hill1,099 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Pleasant1,086 ft elevation · In Rising Park
DirectionsMain Hill879 ft elevation
DirectionsDisc golf in Lancaster
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Trails & water
4 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 4.7 mi
Quarry Trail0.6 mi
Deer Run Trail0.5 mi
Mount Pleasant Hiking Trail0.4 mi
Woodland Trail0.4 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
14 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
9.2 mi
off-road bike paths
2.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
28Baseball
20Basketball
18Tennis
15Pickleball
8Football
7Soccer
4Softball
2Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →12 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 15 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Square 13 Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1972
About itSamuel Bush HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itTallmadge-Mithoff HouseBuilding · listed 1976
About itWilliam Medill HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itLancaster West Main Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1979
About itSt. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran ChurchBuilding · listed 1979
About itHock-Hocking Wine CellarPlace · listed 1979
About itLancaster Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itLancaster Methodist Episcopal Camp Ground Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1987
About itFairfield County Children's HomeDistrict · listed 2008
About itFairfield County InfirmaryDistrict · listed 2020
About itWhen to get out
August is the best month for walking in Lancaster
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 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 41 | 51 | 64 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.5 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Lancaster →
Next door
Lancaster and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Berne Township12 miHocking Township9.3 miLancaster8.3 miGreenfield Township5.2 miPleasant Township2.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster | 3% | 0.4 | 10 | 76% | B |
| Hocking Township | 3% | 0.3 | 136 | 15% | B− |
| Pleasant Township | 3% | 0.1 | 25 | 33% | C+ |
| Greenfield Township | 3% | 0.2 | 20 | 17% | C+ |
| Berne Township | 3% | 0.3 | 110 | 18% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lancaster
Where can I hike in Lancaster?
The longest trail networks: Keller-Kirn Park, 1.9 miles; Rising Park, 1.2 miles; Olivedale Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lancaster is conserved land?
3% 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 Lancaster’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Olivedale Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lancaster?
14 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.4 of painted or protected lanes, 9.2 of off-road paths and 2.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Lancaster?
7,134 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lancaster or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 421 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Lancaster have?
Ahead of 55% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #453 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 Lancaster 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 →