Photo: Art Anderson · CC BY-SA 3.0Van Wert has 362 acres of parks, 34 for every 1,000 residents
93% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Smiley Park (0.5 mi). 8% of Van Wert’s land is conserved, about 408 acres.
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns · #151 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Van Wert?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Van Wert have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Van Wert is ahead of 80% of U.S. towns, #151 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.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Smiley Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hiestand Park
All 9 parks & preserves
408 conserved acres
8% of Van Wert’s land. Who manages Van Wert’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotary Park Local Park | Town or city | 171 | Open |
| Van Wert County Fairgrounds Local Recreation Area | County | 88 | Open |
| Willow Bend Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 59 | Open |
| Smiley Park Local Park | Town or city | 55 | Open |
| Heistands Park Local Park | Town or city | 18 | Open |
| Jubilee Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Franklin Park Local Park | County | 4 | Open |
| Wesley Park Local Park | Town or city | 3 | Open |
| Fountain Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Memorial Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
10 places to go in Van Wert
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
8 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
3 lakes & rivers
0.4 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.
5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
September is the best month for walking in Van Wert
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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 37 | 48 | 61 | 72 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 77 | 64 | 50 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.4 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.6 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Van Wert →
Van Wert and its neighbors
Van Wert has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Van Wert | 8% | 0.3 | 34 | 93% | A− |
| Pleasant Township | 2% | 0.1 | 33 | 82% | B− |
| Ridge Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | under 1 | 45% | D |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Van Wert
Where can I hike in Van Wert?
The longest trail networks: Smiley Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Van Wert is conserved land?
8% 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 Van Wert’s trails?
Smiley Park and Van Wert County Fairgrounds don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Van Wert?
0.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Van Wert?
441 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Van Wert or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 362 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Van Wert have?
Ahead of 80% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #151 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 Van Wert 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 →