Middleton Place · Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0Summerville has 13 miles of mapped trails, 0.6 for every square mile of land
6% of Summerville’s land is conserved, about 831 acres. 910 acres are parks and preserves, 18 per 1,000 residents. 61% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns · #17 of 169 in South Carolina. What drives it
How much outdoors does Summerville have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Summerville is ahead of 66% of U.S. towns, #17 of 169 in South Carolina. Trail miles 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 Summerville’s 6% is ahead of 83% of South Carolina towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% 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 Gahagan Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Pine Trace Park
Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site
All 9 parks & preserves
831 conserved acres
6% of Summerville’s land. Who manages Summerville’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 239 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 23 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site State Historic or Cultural Area | State parks | 322 | Open |
| Sawmill Branch Trail 1 Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 124 | Open |
| Jerry Blackwell Sports Complex at Gahagan Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Ymca Oakbrook Local Park | County | 26 | Open |
| Sawmill Branch Trail 2 Local Recreation Area | County | 22 | Open |
| Oakbrook Nature Trail Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Azalea Park Local Park | Town or city | 10 | Open |
| Wassamassaw Community Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Herbert H. Jessen Boat Landing and Rotary Centennial Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Newington Plantation Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
16 places to go in Summerville
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Plus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
13 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, one a National Historic Landmark
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 Summerville: 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) | 10.2 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.8 | 14.3 | 14.1 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 10.0 |
| High (°F) | 60 | 63 | 70 | 77 | 84 | 89 | 92 | 90 | 86 | 78 | 69 | 62 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 5.1 | 4.2 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
November is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 92 °F). 6.3 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 92 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Summerville →
Summerville and its neighbors
Summerville has the second 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summerville | 6% | 0.6 | 18 | 61% | B+ |
| Lincolnville | 6% | 0.3 | 44 | 93% | A− |
| North Charleston | 4% | 0.9 | 17 | 66% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Summerville
Where can I hike in Summerville?
The longest trail networks: Gahagan Park, 0.4 miles; Doty Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Summerville is conserved land?
6% 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 Summerville’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Pine Trace Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Summerville?
13 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Summerville?
9,585 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Summerville or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 910 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Summerville have?
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #17 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 Summerville 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 →