Photo: Mojo Hand · CC BY-SA 4.06% of Bensley’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
0.4 miles of mapped trail cross Bensley, 0.1 per square mile of land. 6% of Bensley’s land is conserved, about 103 acres. 106 acres are parks and preserves, 18 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns · #120 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Bensley?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Bensley have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bensley is ahead of 66% of U.S. towns, #120 of 253 in Virginia. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; trail miles pull it down.
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
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Falling Creek Ironworks
Gates Mill Park
All 5 parks & preserves
103 conserved acres
6% of Bensley’s land. Who manages Bensley’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falling Creek Linear Park Local Park | County | 206 | Open |
1 named trail and 2 lakes & rivers
0.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Bensley: 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) | 9.8 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 49 | 53 | 61 | 71 | 78 | 85 | 90 | 88 | 81 | 71 | 61 | 52 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 4.7 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Bensley →
Bensley 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bensley | 6% | 0.1 | 18 | 96% | B+ |
| Bellwood | 1% | 0.4 | 7 | 51% | C+ |
| Meadowbrook | under 1% | 0.6 | 1 | 40% | C |
| Richmond | 8% | 1.7 | 11 | 94% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bensley
Where can I hike in Bensley?
The longest trail networks: Falling Creek Ironworks, 0.1 miles; Gates Mill Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bensley is conserved land?
6% of its land, against a typical 4% for a Virginia town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bensley’s trails?
Falling Creek Park and Falling Creek Linear Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bensley?
0.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Bensley?
16,076 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bensley or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 106 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bensley have?
Ahead of 66% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #120 of 253 in Virginia. 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 Bensley 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 →