South Carolina Botanical Garden
Park
159 acres2.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Fort Hill · Photo: blahedo · CC BY-SA 2.5A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Clemson University
15% of Clemson University’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 6.6 miles of mapped trail cross Clemson University, 3.1 per square mile of land. 15% of Clemson University’s land is conserved, about 203 acres.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #1 of 169 in South Carolina. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
203 acres · of 2.1 sq mi of land
Trails
6.6 mi
3.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
204 ac
29 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.4 mi
2.6 mi lanes · 1.9 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
What kind of outdoors town is Clemson University?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild15% of the land is conserved; a typical South Carolina town, 1%.A trail town3.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 97% of U.S. towns.Parks close to homeVirtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park.History along the way6 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Clemson University have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Clemson University is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #1 of 169 in South Carolina. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Clemson University’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical SC town 1% · U.S. 4%A−Trails3.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · SC 0.2 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land29 acres of park per 1,000 residents (204 acres) · SC 6 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · SC 52% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
South Carolina towns of 2,500+ (169)#1 of 169
Few South Carolina towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Clemson University’s 15% is ahead of 97% of South Carolina towns, while its trails per square mile lead 100% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A 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 South Carolina Botanical Garden, with 2.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
President's Park
Park
6 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Bowman Field
Park
6 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 8 parks & preserves
South Carolina Botanical Garden159 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsPresident's Park6 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Bowman Field6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Memorial Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Lever Beach1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Club Sports Fields9 acres
DirectionsUpper Intramural Fields6 acres
Lower Intramural Fields4 acres
Who protects it
203 conserved acres
15% of Clemson University’s land. Who manages Clemson University’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land202 ac
State Resource Management Area · 192 acState Park · 5 acState Recreation Area · 5 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina Botanical Garden State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 192 | Open |
| President's Park State Park | Other state land | 5 | Open |
| Armory Ball Field State Recreation Area | Other state land | 5 | Open |
Trails & water
4 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.9 mi
off-road bike paths
1.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
14Tracks
12Tennis
5Football
3Soccer
3Baseball
3Basketball
1Softball
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 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 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Clemson University: April and May
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) | 10.1 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 53 | 57 | 65 | 74 | 81 | 87 | 90 | 89 | 83 | 73 | 64 | 55 |
| Rain (in) | 4.6 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 |
October is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 4.7 inches fall in December, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Clemson University →
Next door
Clemson University and its neighbors
Clemson University has the 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson University | 15% | 3.1 | 29 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Clemson | 11% | 0.4 | 8 | 79% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Clemson University
Where can I hike in Clemson University?
The longest trail networks: South Carolina Botanical Garden, 2.9 miles; President's Park, 0.6 miles; Bowman Field, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Clemson University is conserved land?
15% of its land, against a typical 1% for a South Carolina town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Clemson University’s trails?
South Carolina Botanical Garden and President's Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Clemson University?
6.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.6 of painted or protected lanes, 1.9 of off-road paths and 1.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Clemson University?
14,592 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Clemson University or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 261 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Clemson University have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #1 of 169 in South Carolina. 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 Clemson University 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 →