Lick Creek Park
Park
507 acres5.1 mi of trail
Deer Run TrailIron Bridge TrailYaupon Loop TrailRacoon Run Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Aggie0083 at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in College Station
6% of College Station’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
The biggest trail networks: Lick Creek Park (5.1 mi), Wolf Pen Creek Park (1.7 mi), Research Park (1.3 mi). 38 miles of mapped trail cross College Station, 0.7 per square mile of land. 2,027 acres are parks and preserves, 16 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #57 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
1,997 acres · of 51.2 sq mi of land
Trails
38 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,027 ac
16 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
93 mi
64 mi lanes · 18 mi paths
Highest peak
316 ft
Mount Aggie
Lakes & rivers
14
What kind of outdoors town is College Station?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does College Station have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, College Station is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #57 of 642 in Texas. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of College Station’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical TX town 2% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (38 mi) · TX 0.2 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land16 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,027 acres) · TX 9 · U.S. 13BParks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · TX 69% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 81%
LessMore
Texas towns of 2,500+ (642)Ahead of 91%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, College Station ranks #184 on Outdoors.
Few Texas towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so College Station’s 6% is ahead of 80% of Texas towns, while its trails per square mile lead 83% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Lick Creek Park, with 5.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
All 67 parks & preserves
Lick Creek Park507 acres · 5.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWolf Pen Creek Park83 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsResearch Park43 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAggie Park24 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsAcademic Plaza4 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBee Creek Park35 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsBridgewood Park9 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHensel Park52 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsW.A. Tarrow Park25 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthern Oaks Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
University Park10 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of College Station
DirectionsOaks Park9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsVeteran's Park & Athletic Complex148 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSandstone Park15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBrothers Pond Park15 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Edelweiss Gartens Park14 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsRichard Carter Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodcreek Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Crescent Pointe Park5 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsJack and Dorothy Miller Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Castle Rock Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDr. David E. Schob Nature Preserve6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Longmire Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBachmann Park30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWildwood Park30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsThomas Park12 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEdelweiss Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthwest Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodland Hills Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSpence Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsChemistry Plaza2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsSteeplechase Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWallace Lake Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEli L. Whiteley Medal of Honor Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsStephen C. Beachy Central Park50 acres
DirectionsSouthwood Park41 acres
DirectionsJohn Crompton Park17 acres
DirectionsRaintree Park14 acres
George K. Fitch Park12 acres
DirectionsLemon Tree Park12 acres
DirectionsGabbard Park11 acres
Emerald Forest Park11 acres
Anderson Athletic Park9 acres
Brison Park7 acres
DirectionsCreek View Park7 acres
DirectionsSonoma Park7 acres
DirectionsMerry Oaks Park6 acres
Billie Madeley Park5 acres
St. Andrews Park5 acres
Castlegate5 acres
DirectionsCove of Nantucket Park4 acres
Barracks Airborn Park4 acres
Phillips Park3 acres
Parkway Park3 acres
Reatta Meadows Park3 acres
Barracks II3 acres
DirectionsCy Miller Park2 acres
DirectionsLuther Jones Park2 acres
Lions Park2 acres
DirectionsNorthgate Park1 acres
DirectionsBarracks II Park1 acres
St. Mary's Park1 acres
DirectionsEtonbury Park1 acres
East Gate Park1 acres
DirectionsBarracks Deacon West Park1 acres
Mount ESTI1 acres
DirectionsEastgate Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,997 conserved acres
6% of College Station’s land. Who manages College Station’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,782 ac
Joint153 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,603 acLocal Park · 1,127 acLocal Conservation Area · 527 acRecreation or Education Easement · 302 acLocal Recreation Area · 301 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 46 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 132 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lick Creek Park Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 527 | Open |
| Veterans Park and Athletic Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 149 | Open |
| Woodland Hills Park Local Park | Town or city | 123 | Open |
| Stephen C Beachy Central Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 107 | Open |
| Hensel Park Local Park | Town or city | 82 | Open |
| Smith Tract Local Park | Town or city | 78 | Open |
| Castlerock Park Local Park | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Raintree Park Local Park | Town or city | 72 | Open |
| Southeast Park Local Park | Town or city | 69 | Open |
| Wolf Pen Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 61 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
48 places to go in College Station
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in College Station
40 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in College Station
Barracks Dog Park
DirectionsBarracks Dog Park
DirectionsUniversity Dog ParkIn University Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in College Station
Mount Aggie316 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in College Station
3 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
6 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.5 miHorses · 3.5 miUnpaved · 3.2 mi
Deer Run Trail1.7 mi
Iron Bridge Trail1.2 mi
Yaupon Loop Trail0.8 mi
Racoon Run Trail0.7 mi
Post Oak Trail0.6 mi
Lick Creek Greenway Trail0.4 mi
Biking & sports
93 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
64 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
18 mi
off-road bike paths
12 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
100Tennis
59Basketball
30Baseball
25Volleyball
23Soccer
18Golf
10Beach volleyball
7Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in College Station
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) | 10.4 | 11.1 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.7 | 14.1 | 13.9 | 13.2 | 12.3 | 11.4 | 10.6 | 10.2 |
| High (°F) | 61 | 65 | 72 | 79 | 86 | 92 | 95 | 96 | 90 | 81 | 70 | 63 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.8 |
July is the driest month (2.2 in) and August the warmest (highs of 96 °F). 4.9 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 96 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in College Station →
Next door
College Station and its neighbors
College Station has the most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Station | 6% | 0.7 | 16 | 96% | A− |
| Bryan | 2% | 0.2 | 9 | 84% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in College Station
Where can I hike in College Station?
The longest trail networks: Lick Creek Park, 5.1 miles; Wolf Pen Creek Park, 1.7 miles; Research Park, 1.3 miles; Aggie Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of College Station is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 2% for a Texas town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on College Station’s trails?
Lick Creek Park and Wolf Pen Creek Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in College Station?
93 miles of bike routes are on the map: 64 of painted or protected lanes, 18 of off-road paths and 12 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near College Station?
3,033 acres of parks and open public land lie inside College Station or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,126 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does College Station have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #57 of 642 in Texas. 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 College Station 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 →