Randall Park
Park
396 acres4.7 mi of trail
Hill PathProspect PathWilliams PathFenner Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Eric Harrison · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Cranston
7% of Cranston’s land is conserved: 1,249 acres
The biggest trail networks: Randall Park (4.7 mi), John L. Curran State Park (3.6 mi), Pawtuxet State Park (1.2 mi). 83% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 16 miles of mapped trail cross Cranston, 0.6 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns · #29 of 38 in Rhode Island. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,249 acres · of 28.3 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,003 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
83%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.0 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 5.5 mi paths
Highest peak
528 ft
Bald Hill
Lakes & rivers
13
1 beach · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Cranston?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Cranston have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Cranston is ahead of 70% of U.S. towns, #29 of 38 in Rhode Island. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Cranston’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical RI town 19% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (16 mi) · RI 1.1 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land12 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,003 acres) · RI 21 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home83% of residents within a half mile of a park · RI 72% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 70%
LessMore
Rhode Island towns of 2,500+ (38)Ahead of 24%
Rhode Island towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 19%; the U.S., 4%), so Cranston’s 7% is ahead of 11% of Rhode Island towns, while its trails per square mile lead 19% of them.
Water is 6% of Cranston’s area (2 of 30 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 6%.
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 Randall Park, with 4.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
John L. Curran State Park
Nature preserve
335 acres3.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pawtuxet State Park
Park
73 acres1.2 mi of trail
Pawtuxet River TrailSilver Hook Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
J.L. Curran State Park
Nature preserve
358 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 13 parks & preserves
Randall Park396 acres · 4.7 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn L. Curran State Park335 acres · 3.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPawtuxet State Park73 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSanders Playground Park1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Oak Hill Tot Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJ.L. Curran State Park358 acres
Meshanticut State Park19 acres
DirectionsCranston Stadium12 acres
Dean Parkway6 acres · State of RI
Sivo Park1 acres
Stillhouse Cove Park1 acres
Itri Park1 acres
The Gazebo1 acres
Who protects it
1,249 conserved acres
7% of Cranston’s land. Water is left out: Cranston has 28.3 square miles of land and 1.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Cranston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources515 ac
State conservation285 ac
Town or city239 ac
Other state land200 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)152 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land78 ac
National Park Service64 ac
Conservation Easement · 666 acUnknown Easement · 343 acAgricultural Easement · 267 acLocal Park · 136 acLocal Other or Unknown · 133 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 762 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 41 of 79 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confreda Farm Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 89 | Unknown |
| Margaret Robinson Knight Wildlife Refuge Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 48 | Closed |
| Domenicone Farm Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 44 | Unknown |
| John L. Curran Fishing Area State Park | Not recorded | 41 | Unknown |
| Meshanticut Park State Park | Not recorded | 30 | Unknown |
| Walden Woods Assoc Private Other or Unknown | Private owners | 28 | Closed |
| Meshanticut Brook Area Local Conservation Area | Not recorded | 26 | Unknown |
| Brayton Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Playground Local Park | Not recorded | 21 | Unknown |
| Furnace Brook Wetland Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 20 | Restricted |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
32 places to go in Cranston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Cranston
Edgewood Beach
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Cranston
Pawtuxet Village Playground
DirectionsStone Hill Elementary School Playground
DirectionsPlus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Cranston
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Cranston
Batcheller Ave Boat LaunchIn Randall Park
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Cranston
Randall Pond Fishing DockIn Randall Park
DirectionsScenic views in Cranston
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Cranston
Bald Hill528 ft elevation
DirectionsHorn Hill505 ft elevation
DirectionsLawton Hill463 ft elevation
DirectionsLippitt Hill423 ft elevation
DirectionsApplehouse Hill367 ft elevation
DirectionsDugaway Hill246 ft elevation
DirectionsSockanosset Hill190 ft elevation
DirectionsSlate Hill184 ft elevation
Directions1 more peak
Rocky Hill180 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
10 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.9 mi
Pawtuxet River Trail1.2 mi
Red Trail0.5 mi
Silver Hook Trail0.2 mi
Hill Path0.2 mi
Prospect Path0.2 mi
Williams Path0.1 mi
Fenner Path0.1 mi
Avenue B0.1 mi
Spring Path0.1 mi
Waterman Path0.1 mi
Biking & sports
6.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
31Baseball
20Basketball
20Tennis
7Golf
2Beach volleyball
2Soccer
1Football
1Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →23 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.
Gov. William Sprague MansionBuilding · listed 1971
About itJoy HomesteadBuilding · listed 1971
About itOak Lawn Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1977
About itKnightsville MeetinghouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itRhodes-on-the Pawtuxet Ballroom and GazeboBuilding · listed 1978
About itPotter-Remington HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itArad Wood HouseBuilding · listed 1988
About itWestcoteBuilding · listed 1988
About itNathan Westcott HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itSheldon HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itEdgewood Yacht ClubBuilding · listed 1989
About itLippitt Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1989
About it11 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Cranston: May 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 40 | 47 | 59 | 69 | 78 | 83 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.8 |
July is the driest month (3.3 in) and the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.8 inches fall in March, the wettest month. The climate in Cranston →
Next door
Cranston and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Coventry41 miProvidence28 miJohnston26 miWarwick25 miCranston16 miEast Providence16 miScituate4.7 miWest Warwick1.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cranston | 7% | 0.6 | 12 | 83% | B+ |
| Warwick | 9% | 0.7 | 13 | 62% | B+ |
| Johnston | 6% | 1.1 | 6 | 35% | B− |
| Providence | 9% | 1.5 | 6 | 99%+ | A− |
| Scituate | 37% | 0.1 | 5 | 18% | C+ |
| Coventry | 19% | 0.7 | 41 | 48% | A− |
| West Warwick | 4% | 0.2 | 3 | 84% | C+ |
| East Providence | 4% | 1.2 | 5 | 80% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Cranston
Where can I hike in Cranston?
The longest trail networks: Randall Park, 4.7 miles; John L. Curran State Park, 3.6 miles; Pawtuxet State Park, 1.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Cranston is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 19% for a Rhode Island town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Cranston’s trails?
Randall Park and John L. Curran State Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Cranston?
6.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes and 5.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Cranston?
12,280 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Cranston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,003 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Cranston have?
Ahead of 70% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #29 of 38 in Rhode Island. 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 Cranston 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 →