George A. Wells Jr. House · Photo: 46percent · Public domainIndependence has 40 acres of parks, 3.9 for every 1,000 residents
94% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 0.1 miles of mapped trail cross Independence. 1% of Independence’s land is conserved, about 20 acres.
Ahead of 31% of U.S. towns · #130 of 142 in Oregon. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Independence?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Independence have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Independence is ahead of 31% of U.S. towns, #130 of 142 in Oregon. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull 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.
Pfaff Park
20 conserved acres
1% of Independence’s land. Who manages Independence’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Independence Dog Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Pfaff Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Pioneer Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Independence City Pool Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 1 | Open |
6 places to go in Independence
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.
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
1 community garden without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 lakes & rivers
6.1 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.
7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Independence: April to September
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) | 9.1 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.0 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 48 | 52 | 56 | 61 | 69 | 74 | 83 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 53 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 6.8 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 3.6 | 6.5 | 7.8 |
July is the driest month (0.3 in) and August the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 7.8 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Independence →
Independence and its neighbors
Independence has the second most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | 1% | under 0.1 | 4 | 94% | C |
| Monmouth | 2% | 0.2 | 2 | 96% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Independence
How much of Independence is conserved land?
1% of its land, against a typical 4% for an Oregon town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Independence’s trails?
Riverview City Park and Pfaff Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Independence?
6.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.4 of painted or protected lanes and 2.7 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Independence?
4,584 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Independence or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 40 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Independence have?
Ahead of 31% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #130 of 142 in Oregon. 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 Independence 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 →