Western Woods
Nature preserve
144 acres3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Tmariemdith · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Oxford
Oxford has 16 miles of mapped trails, 2.1 for every square mile of land
94% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Western Woods (3 mi), Bachelor Preserve - Marcum (2 mi), Bachelor Preserve (1.7 mi). 4% of Oxford’s land is conserved, about 185 acres.
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns · #168 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
185 acres · of 7.8 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
223 ac
10 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
94%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
11 mi
4.1 mi lanes · 5.5 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Oxford?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Oxford have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Oxford is ahead of 79% of U.S. towns, #168 of 993 in Ohio. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Oxford’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%B−Trails2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (16 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land10 acres of park per 1,000 residents (223 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home94% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 79%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 83%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to 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 Western Woods, with 3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bachelor Preserve - Marcum
Nature preserve
188 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bachelor Preserve
Nature preserve
116 acres1.7 mi of trail
Bachelor Preserve East LoopBachelor Preserve Pine Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail sign
Oxford Community Park
Park
112 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Peffer Woods
Nature preserve
57 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
College Woods
Nature preserve
20 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Becks Preserve
Nature preserve
42 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Ditmer Parking Lot
Silvoor Biological Sanctuary
Nature preserve
7 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 16 parks & preserves
Western Woods144 acres · 3 mi of trail
DirectionsBachelor Preserve - Marcum188 acres · 2 mi of trail
DirectionsBachelor Preserve116 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsOxford Community Park112 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsPeffer Woods57 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCollege Woods20 acres · 1 mi of trail
Becks Preserve42 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSilvoor Biological Sanctuary7 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsConrad Formal Gardens11 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsTRI Community Center Complex10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Oxford Parks and Recreation
DirectionsPeffer Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHelen S. Ruder Preserve2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDoctor Martin Luther King Junior Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsChestnut Fields22 acres · Miami University
DirectionsLeonard Howell Park13 acres
DirectionsSouth Locust Park2 acres
Who protects it
185 conserved acres
4% of Oxford’s land. Who manages Oxford’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city139 ac
Other state land32 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits12 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)1 ac
Local Park · 171 acLocal Recreation Area · 8 acAgricultural Easement · 4 acConservation Easement · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 5 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oxford Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 114 | Open |
| Leonard Howell Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Conrad Formal Gardens Local Park | Other state land | 12 | Open |
| Peffer Park Local Park | Other state land | 9 | Open |
| Talawanda Recreation Center Local Recreation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 8 | Open |
| East Quad Local Park | Other state land | 6 | Open |
| Merry Day Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Bishop Woods Local Park | Other state land | 5 | Open |
| MLK Jr Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Northside Bark Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
17 places to go in Oxford
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Oxford
14 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Oxford
Barkham Park
DirectionsNorthside Bark
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Oxford
Wildflower Seed LibraryThree Valley Conservation Trust
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.9 miUnpaved · 4.4 mi
Cross Country Trail1.4 mi
Bachelor Preserve East Loop0.4 mi
Bachelor Preserve Pine Loop0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
11 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
4.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.5 mi
off-road bike paths
1.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
12Tennis
11Basketball
10Football
10Baseball
6Soccer
6Softball
6Beach volleyball
6Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →12 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Elliott and Stoddard Halls, Miami UniversityBuilding · listed 1973
About itZachariah Price Dewitt CabinBuilding · listed 1973
About itOxford Female InstituteBuilding · listed 1976
About itWestern Female SeminaryDistrict · listed 1979
About itHenry Maltby HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itHerron GymnasiumBuilding · listed 1979
About itElias Kumler HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itOxford Railroad Depot and Junction HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itDr. William S. Alexander HouseBuilding · listed 1987
About itSigma Aplpha Epsilon Chapter House of Miami UniversityBuilding · listed 2005
About itWhen to get out
August is the best month for walking in Oxford
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) | 37 | 41 | 51 | 64 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 66 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Oxford →
Questions about parks and trails in Oxford
Where can I hike in Oxford?
The longest trail networks: Western Woods, 3 miles; Bachelor Preserve - Marcum, 2 miles; Bachelor Preserve, 1.7 miles; Oxford Community Park, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Oxford is conserved land?
4% 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 Oxford’s trails?
Western Woods and Bachelor Preserve - Marcum don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Oxford?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 4.1 of painted or protected lanes, 5.5 of off-road paths and 1.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Oxford?
3,716 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Oxford or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 223 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Oxford have?
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #168 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 Oxford 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 →