Mackenzie Park
Managed by City of Lubbock
662 acres12.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Warren and Myrta Bacon House · Photo: Robert Lawton · CC BY-SA 2.5B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Lubbock
Lubbock has 172 miles of mapped trails, 1.2 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Mackenzie Park (12.5 mi), Dunbar Historical Lake Park (8.7 mi), City of Lubbock land (8.6 mi). 77% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 4% of Lubbock’s land is conserved, about 3,396 acres.
Ahead of 71% of U.S. towns · #111 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
3,396 acres · of 143.2 sq mi of land
Trails
172 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,604 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
77%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
11 mi
11 mi lanes · 0.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
14
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Lubbock?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lubbock have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lubbock is ahead of 71% of U.S. towns, #111 of 642 in Texas. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lubbock’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical TX town 2% · U.S. 4%B−Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (172 mi) · TX 0.2 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,604 acres) · TX 9 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home77% of residents within a half mile of a park · TX 69% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 71%
LessMore
Texas towns of 2,500+ (642)Ahead of 83%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Lubbock ranks #262 on Outdoors.
Few Texas towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Lubbock’s 4% is ahead of 71% of Texas towns, while its trails per square mile lead 92% 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 Mackenzie Park, with 12.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Dunbar Historical Lake Park
Managed by City of Lubbock
277 acres8.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
City of Lubbock land
Park
287 acres8.6 mi of trail
Old AT & SF Railway
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Buddy Holly Recreation Area
Park
119 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lubbock Youth Sports Complex
Park
158 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Clapp Park
Managed by City of Lubbock
101 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Canyon Rim
Managed by City of Lubbock
41 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 91 parks & preserves
Mackenzie Park662 acres · 12.5 mi of trail · City of Lubbock
DirectionsDunbar Historical Lake Park277 acres · 8.7 mi of trail · City of Lubbock
DirectionsCity of Lubbock land287 acres · 8.6 mi of trail
Buddy Holly Recreation Area119 acres · 2.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLubbock Youth Sports Complex158 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsClapp Park101 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · City of Lubbock
DirectionsCanyon Lakes51 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCanyon Rim41 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · City of Lubbock
DirectionsRodgers Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMemorial Circle3 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMaxey Park72 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsElm Park38 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBerry Park12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsUrbanovsky Park8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMcAlister Park257 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFrank Higginbotham Park21 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Ribble Park20 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsGeorge C Woods Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDavis Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Alex and Verna Cooke Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Carlisle Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Mae Simmons Park78 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsAztlan Park30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPhilip Hoel Park13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Underwood Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Gary Ward Basin7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Hollins Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBurns Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsYellow House Canyon Park155 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLeroy Elmore Park41 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMiller Park36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKastman Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Lubbock
Hodges Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJack and Mary Nell Strong Park10 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Pallotine Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMaedgen Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMC Overton Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBuddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPlant Sciences Garden1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLeftwich Park46 acres
DirectionsEarl Crow Park38 acres
DirectionsJan Jennings Park35 acres
DirectionsDupree Park34 acres
DirectionsCliff Andrews Park31 acres
DirectionsMcCullough Park23 acres
DirectionsBuster Long Park21 acres
DirectionsRemington Park19 acres
Tech Terrace Park19 acres
Charles A. Guy Park18 acres
Henry Huneke Park17 acres
DirectionsGlenna Goodacre Median Greenway16 acres
DirectionsMahon Park15 acres
Jack Stevens Park13 acres
Mose Hood Park12 acres
DirectionsLt. Col. George Davis Park9 acres · City of Lubbock
Lewis Park9 acres · City of Lubbock
Richard Lopez Park9 acres
Wagner Park9 acres
Casey Park8 acres
Dr. Armando Duran Park8 acres
DirectionsErnest Butler Park8 acres
DirectionsRatliff Park8 acres
Stubbs Park7 acres
Stumpy Hamilton Park7 acres
DirectionsWille Lusk Park6 acres · City of Lubbock
DirectionsJudge Davies Park6 acres
Gladys Sims Park6 acres
Will Sedberry Park6 acres
DirectionsWest Wind Park5 acres
Naomi Reagan Park5 acres
Whisperwood Median5 acres
Parsons School Park5 acres
DirectionsRoy Furr Pioneer Park5 acres
DirectionsClayton Carter Park4 acres
Washington Park4 acres
DirectionsGuadalupe Park4 acres
DirectionsPreston Smith Park3 acres
Chatman Park3 acres
Monterey Church of Christ Park3 acres
DirectionsAdrianne K Hamilton Park3 acres
Rawling Park2 acres
DirectionsLubbock National Bank Park2 acres
DirectionsAtkins Middle School Field2 acres
DirectionsWheelock Park1 acres
DirectionsFounder's Park1 acres
DirectionsAustin Park1 acres
Park at City Hall1 acres
DirectionsBoulders at Lakeridge Park1 acres
DirectionsTimothy Cole Memorial Park1 acres
DirectionsGateway Plaza1 acres
DirectionsDominican Square1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,396 conserved acres
4% of Lubbock’s land. Who manages Lubbock’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,578 ac
Joint2,754 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits192 ac
Local Recreation Area · 1,876 acRecreation or Education Easement · 1,859 acConservation Easement · 1,286 acLocal Conservation Area · 598 acLocal Park · 448 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 363 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackenzie Park - North Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 464 | Open |
| Lake 6 Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 368 | Restricted |
| BILL McALISTER PARK Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 266 | Open |
| Mackenzie Park - South Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 248 | Open |
| Lubbock Lake National Historic Landmark Local Historic or Cultural Area | Town or city | 229 | Open |
| Youth Sports Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 158 | Open |
| Berl Huffman Athletic Complex Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 110 | Open |
| Clapp Park Local Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 96 | Open |
| Mae Simmons Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 75 | Open |
| Maxey Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 72 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
153 places to go in Lubbock
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Lubbock
Bumper Bayou
DirectionsStudent Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Lubbock
Legacy Play VillageIn McAlister Park
Directions134 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Lubbock
Big DogsIn Elm Park
DirectionsCanyon Run Dog ParkIn Mackenzie Park
DirectionsHub City Unleashed Dog ParkIn Clapp Park
DirectionsLittle DogsIn Elm Park
DirectionsUn/leashing AreaIn Elm Park
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Lubbock
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Lubbock
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Lubbock
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Lubbock
Texas Tech Main CourseIn Urbanovsky Park · Texas Tech University.
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Lubbock
Heart of Lubbock Community Garden
DirectionsTech Terrace Community GardenTech Terrace UNIT
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 32.0 mi
Old AT & SF Railway0.4 mi
North Cedar0.3 mi
Avenue B0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
11 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
11 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
0.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
199Tennis
73Basketball
65Baseball
24Volleyball
19Beach volleyball
17Football
11Golf
10Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →17 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 50 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Warren and Myrta Bacon HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itLubbock High SchoolBuilding · listed 1985
About itFort Worth and Denver South Plains Railway DepotBuilding · listed 1990
About itTubbs-Carlisle HouseBuilding · listed 1990
About itFred and Annie Snyder HouseBuilding · listed 1992
About itTexas Technological College Dairy BarnBuilding · listed 1992
About itKress BuildingBuilding · listed 1992
About itWilliam Curry and Olive Price Holden HouseBuilding · listed 1994
About itLubbock Post Office and Federal BuildingBuilding · listed 1995
About itSouth Overton Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1996
About itTexas Technological College Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1996
About itCactus TheaterBuilding · listed 1998
About it5 more on the History page.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Lubbock
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 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 13.9 | 14.4 | 14.2 | 13.4 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 |
| High (°F) | 55 | 60 | 68 | 76 | 84 | 92 | 93 | 92 | 85 | 76 | 64 | 56 |
| Rain (in) | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 |
February is the driest month (0.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 93 °F). 2.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 93 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Lubbock →
Questions about parks and trails in Lubbock
Where can I hike in Lubbock?
The longest trail networks: Mackenzie Park, 12.5 miles; Dunbar Historical Lake Park, 8.7 miles; City of Lubbock land, 8.6 miles; Buddy Holly Recreation Area, 2.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lubbock is conserved land?
4% 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 Lubbock’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Clapp Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Lubbock?
11 miles of bike routes are on the map: 11 of painted or protected lanes and 0.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Lubbock?
3,708 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lubbock or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,610 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Lubbock have?
Ahead of 71% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #111 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 Lubbock 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 →