Haw Ridge Park
Managed by City of Oak Ridge
1,012 acres12.5 mi of trail
South ShoreRed ShoreWest ShoreRoller Coaster+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto Haw Ridge
Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Oak Ridge
More than half of Oak Ridge’s land is conserved: 60%
60% of Oak Ridge’s land is conserved, about 32,895 acres. 1,691 acres are parks and preserves, 52 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Haw Ridge Park (12.5 mi), A.K.Bissell Park (2 mi), Cedar Hill Greenway Park (0.5 mi).
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #1 of 177 in Tennessee. What drives it
Conserved land
60%
32,895 acres · of 85.3 sq mi of land
Trails
53 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,691 ac
52 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
71%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
40 mi
13 mi lanes · 27 mi paths
Highest peak
1,348 ft
Melton Hill
Lakes & rivers
6
1 beach · 11 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Oak Ridge?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Oak Ridge have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Oak Ridge is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #1 of 177 in Tennessee. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Oak Ridge’s overall grade.
Conserved land60% of the land · typical TN town 1% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (53 mi) · TN 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land52 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,691 acres) · TN 10 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home71% of residents within a half mile of a park · TN 42% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
Tennessee towns of 2,500+ (177)#1 of 177
Few Tennessee towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Oak Ridge’s 60% is ahead of 100% of Tennessee towns, while its trails per square mile lead 87% of them.
Water is 5% of Oak Ridge’s area (5 of 90 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 57%.
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 Haw Ridge Park, with 12.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
A.K.Bissell Park
Managed by City of Oak Ridge
39 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Cedar Hill Greenway Park
Managed by City of Oak Ridge
32 acres0.5 mi of trail
Cedar Hill Greenway
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Cedar Hill Park
Managed by City of Oak Ridge
6 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Scarboro Park
Managed by City of Oak Ridge
10 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 18 parks & preserves
Haw Ridge Park1,012 acres · 12.5 mi of trail · City of Oak Ridge
DirectionsA.K.Bissell Park39 acres · 2 mi of trail · City of Oak Ridge
DirectionsCedar Hill Greenway Park32 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Oak Ridge
DirectionsCedar Hill Park6 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Oak Ridge
DirectionsScarboro Park10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Oak Ridge
DirectionsElm Grove Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBriarcliff Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Oak Ridge - Green Belt
DirectionsWoodland Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Oak Ridge
Grove Park80 acres · City of Oak Ridge
Ridgeview Park28 acres · City of Oak Ridge
Carl Yearwood Park24 acres · City of Oak Ridge
DirectionsBig Turtle Park23 acres · City of Oak Ridge
DirectionsClark Center Park14 acres · City of Oak Ridge
DirectionsSolway Park13 acres · County of Knox
DirectionsLasalle Park8 acres
DirectionsBlankenship Field Park7 acres · Oak Ridge City Schools
DirectionsJackson Square Tennis Courts4 acres · City of Oak Ridge Recreation & Parks
DirectionsHighland View Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
32,895 conserved acres
60% of Oak Ridge’s land. Water is left out: Oak Ridge has 85.3 square miles of land and 4.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Oak Ridge’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife31,590 ac
Town or city1,264 ac
State conservation52 ac
Tennessee Valley Authority18 ac
State Conservation Area · 31,642 acLocal Park · 968 acLocal Other or Unknown · 263 acLocal Recreation Area · 33 acNot Designated · 18 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 17 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Ridge Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 28,406 | Restricted |
| Three Bend Scenic & Wildlife Refuge State Conservation Area | State fish & wildlife | 3,184 | Restricted |
| Haw Ridge Park Local Park | Town or city | 842 | Open |
| City Of Oak Ridge Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 263 | Open |
| Campbell Bend Barrens Designated State Natural Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 36 | Restricted |
| Oak Rigde City Ball Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 33 | Open |
| Clark Center Park Local Park | Town or city | 29 | Open |
| Carl Yearwood Ball Park Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Ak Bissell Park Local Park | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Not Designated | Tennessee Valley Authority | 18 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
65 places to go in Oak Ridge
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Oak Ridge
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Oak Ridge
Briarcliff Community Pool
DirectionsCivic Center Indoor PoolIn A.K.Bissell Park
DirectionsOak Ridge City Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Oak Ridge
A.K. Bissel Park PlaygroundIn A.K.Bissell Park
DirectionsCedar Hill PlaygroundIn Cedar Hill Park
Directions39 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Oak Ridge
Big Turtle Dog ParkIn Big Turtle Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Oak Ridge
Clark Center Park Boat Ramp
DirectionsPlus 10 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Oak Ridge
Melton Hill1,348 ft elevation
DirectionsFanny Knob1,240 ft elevation
DirectionsPilot Knob1,201 ft elevation
DirectionsRainy Knob1,086 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Oak Ridge
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
21 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.5 miUnpaved · 22.8 mi
North Ridge Trail5.9 mi
South Shore1.3 mi
Cedar Hill Greenway1.1 mi
Red Shore1.0 mi
West Shore1.0 mi
Roller Coaster0.9 mi
Wildflower Trail0.8 mi
Mike's Trail0.8 mi
Washing Machine0.7 mi
Ridge Trail0.6 mi
11 more trails
V Trail
0.5 miOMB
0.4 miHarbor Pointe Perimeter Trail
0.3 miDoug's Outer
0.3 miFox
0.3 miOld Lower Soccer
0.3 miRed Hill
0.2 miGeorgia Trail
0.2 miDoug's Inner
0.1 miWest Entrance
0.1 miTwister
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
40 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
13 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
27 mi
off-road bike paths
Haw Ridge TrailsBike route
4.1 miCourts & fields
34Tennis
16Baseball
15Basketball
11Soccer
9Tracks
4Beach volleyball
3Football
2Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →10 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 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
X-10 Reactor, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryNational Historic Landmark · Structure · listed 1966
About itJ. B. Jones HouseBuilding · listed 1991
About itOak Ridge Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itWoodland-Scarboro Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itBear Creek Road Checking StationBuilding · listed 1992
About itBethel Valley Road Checking StationBuilding · listed 1992
About itFreels CabinBuilding · listed 1992
About itJones, George, Memorial Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 1992
About itNew Bethel Baptist ChurchBuilding · listed 1992
About itOak Ridge Turnpike Checking StationBuilding · listed 1992
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Oak Ridge: April to June
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 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.6 | 14.4 | 13.5 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| High (°F) | 47 | 52 | 61 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 88 | 87 | 82 | 71 | 60 | 51 |
| Rain (in) | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 6.1 |
October is the driest month (3.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 88 °F). 6.1 inches fall in December, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 88 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Oak Ridge →
Questions about parks and trails in Oak Ridge
Where can I hike in Oak Ridge?
The longest trail networks: Haw Ridge Park, 12.5 miles; A.K.Bissell Park, 2 miles; Cedar Hill Greenway Park, 0.5 miles; Cedar Hill Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Oak Ridge is conserved land?
60% 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 Oak Ridge’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Haw Ridge Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Oak Ridge?
40 miles of bike routes are on the map: 13 of painted or protected lanes and 27 of off-road paths. Named routes: Haw Ridge Trails.
Is there public land near Oak Ridge?
7,030 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Oak Ridge or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,691 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Oak Ridge have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #1 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 Oak Ridge 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 →