Photo: Florence Conventions and Visitors Bureau · CC BY-SA 4.0Florence has 539 acres of parks, 13 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Veterans Park (0.5 mi). 8.0 miles of mapped trail cross Florence, 0.3 per square mile of land. 59% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns · #51 of 169 in South Carolina. What drives it
How much outdoors does Florence have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Florence is ahead of 49% of U.S. towns, #51 of 169 in South Carolina. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
Few South Carolina towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Florence’s 3% is ahead of 69% of South Carolina towns, while its trails per square mile lead 65% of them.
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 Veterans Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Jeffries Creek Park
All 11 parks & preserves
467 conserved acres
3% of Florence’s land. Who manages Florence’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pettigrew Millpond Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 140 | Restricted |
| Florence Stockade Site Trails Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| McLeod Park Local Park | Town or city | 50 | Open |
| Jeffries Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Jeffries Creek Park Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 31 | Restricted |
| Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Timrod Park Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Pye Branch Conservation Area Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 20 | Restricted |
| Levy Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Northwest Park Local Park | Town or city | 8 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
6 places to go in Florence
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 4 lakes & rivers
9.7 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.
8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Florence: 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 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.3 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 57 | 60 | 68 | 76 | 83 | 89 | 92 | 90 | 85 | 76 | 67 | 59 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.7 |
November is the driest month (3.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 5.4 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Florence →
Questions about parks and trails in Florence
Where can I hike in Florence?
The longest trail networks: Veterans Park, 0.5 miles; Jeffries Creek Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Florence is conserved land?
3% 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 Florence’s trails?
Veterans Park and Florence Soccer Complex don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Florence?
9.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.0 of painted or protected lanes and 8.7 of off-road paths. Named routes: Florence Trail System.
Is there public land near Florence?
1,629 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Florence or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 539 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Florence have?
Ahead of 49% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #51 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 Florence 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 →