Photo: WeaponizingArchitecture · CC BY-SA 4.0Pierre has 13 miles of mapped trails, 1.0 for every square mile of land
7% of Pierre’s land is conserved, about 580 acres. 81% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 186 acres are parks and preserves, 13 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns · #9 of 35 in South Dakota. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Pierre?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Pierre have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Pierre is ahead of 77% of U.S. towns, #9 of 35 in South Dakota. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
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 Griffin Park, with 0.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Devine Park
580 conserved acres
7% of Pierre’s land. Who manages Pierre’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 819 | Open |
| Oaha Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 49 | Open |
| Hilger'S Gulch Bike Trail Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 45 | Open |
| Oahe Softball Complex & Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Griffin Park & Pool Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Steamboat Park & Disc Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 27 | Open |
| Pilc Soccer Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 15 | Open |
| Hilger’S Gulch Soccer Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Labarge Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
| Jefferson Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
20 places to go in Pierre
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
17 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.
2 lakes & rivers
12 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.
31 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.
19 more on the History page.
September is the best month for walking in Pierre
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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 34 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 80 | 88 | 87 | 78 | 61 | 45 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
January is the driest month (0.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 3.4 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Pierre →
Questions about parks and trails in Pierre
Where can I hike in Pierre?
The longest trail networks: Griffin Park, 0.1 miles; Steamboat Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Pierre is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 3% for a South Dakota town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Pierre’s trails?
Griffin Park and Steamboat Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Pierre?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 12 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Pierre?
36,865 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Pierre or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 589 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Pierre have?
Ahead of 77% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #9 of 35 in South Dakota. 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 Pierre 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 →