Photo: Thomas R Machnitzki · CC BY 3.0Germantown has 13 miles of mapped trails, 0.6 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Johnson Road Park (1.9 mi), Shelby Farms Park (1.7 mi), Houston Levee Park (0.7 mi). 78% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Germantown’s land is conserved, about 565 acres.
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns · #22 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
How much outdoors does Germantown have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Germantown is ahead of 66% of U.S. towns, #22 of 177 in Tennessee. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
Few Tennessee towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Germantown’s 4% is ahead of 74% of Tennessee towns, while its trails per square mile lead 88% 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 Johnson Road Park, with 1.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Shelby Farms Park
Houston Levee Park
Germantown Municipal Park
Howard McVay Park
Germantown Greenway
All 19 parks & preserves
565 conserved acres
4% of Germantown’s land. Who manages Germantown’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 45 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cameron Brown Park Local Park | Town or city | 115 | Open |
| Johnson Road\Park Local Park | Town or city | 58 | Open |
| Germantown Greenway Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Houston\Levee\Park Local Park | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Grove\Park Local Park | Town or city | 22 | Open |
| Riverwoods Designated State Natural Area State Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 21 | Restricted |
| Nashoba\Park Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
| C.O. Franklin\Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Poplar Estates Park Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Municipal\Park Local Park | Town or city | 15 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
29 places to go in Germantown
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Plus 23 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
2 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
24 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.
4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The walking year in Germantown
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) | 10.0 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 50 | 55 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 88 | 91 | 91 | 85 | 74 | 62 | 53 |
| Rain (in) | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.6 |
August is the driest month (3.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 91 °F). 5.9 inches fall in April, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 91 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Germantown →
Germantown and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germantown | 4% | 0.6 | 13 | 78% | B+ |
| Memphis | 10% | 0.6 | 19 | 72% | A− |
| Collierville | 4% | 0.5 | 23 | 84% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Germantown
Where can I hike in Germantown?
The longest trail networks: Johnson Road Park, 1.9 miles; Shelby Farms Park, 1.7 miles; Houston Levee Park, 0.7 miles; Cameron Brown Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Germantown is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 1% for a Tennessee town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Germantown’s trails?
Johnson Road Park and Shelby Farms Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Germantown?
24 miles of bike routes are on the map: 23 of painted or protected lanes, 0.3 of off-road paths and 0.8 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Germantown?
10,855 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Germantown or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 524 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Germantown have?
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #22 of 177 in Tennessee. 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 Germantown 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 →