Heritage Community Park & Natural Area
Managed by Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
168 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Smash the Iron Cage · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Blacksburg
Blacksburg has 35 miles of mapped trails, 1.8 for every square mile of land
98% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Heritage Community Park & Natural Area (1.9 mi), Gateway Trail Park (0.9 mi). 7% of Blacksburg’s land is conserved, about 862 acres.
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns · #51 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
862 acres · of 19.8 sq mi of land
Trails
35 mi
1.8 per sq mi of land
Park land
563 ac
12 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
65 mi
16 mi lanes · 46 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Blacksburg?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Blacksburg have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Blacksburg is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns, #51 of 253 in Virginia. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Blacksburg’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical VA town 4% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.8 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (35 mi) · VA 0.7 · U.S. 0.4APark land12 acres of park per 1,000 residents (563 acres) · VA 8 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · VA 76% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 87%
LessMore
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 80%
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 Heritage Community Park & Natural Area, with 1.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Gateway Trail Park
Managed by Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
15 acres0.9 mi of trail
ChimneyGateway Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Blacksburg Municipal Park
Managed by Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
35 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Shenandoah Bike Trail and Park
Managed by Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
22 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 32 parks & preserves
Heritage Community Park & Natural Area168 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsGateway Trail Park15 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsDrillfield21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Virginia Tech
Wong Park at Bennett Hill9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Lower Drillfield2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Municipal Park35 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsShenandoah Bike Trail and Park22 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsOld Blacksburg High School Recreation Fields14 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNorthside Park14 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsHethwood Park12 acres
Brookfield Village Park12 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
The Meadow at Nellie's Cave11 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWinfrey Fields11 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Nellie's Cave Park10 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsTom's Creek Park9 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsHuckleberry Trail7 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Primrose Lane Park6 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Westover Hills Park5 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Deerfield Park4 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Lark Lane Park4 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Seneca Drive Park4 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsShawnee Swim Club4 acres
DirectionsOwens Street Park3 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Slusher Beach2 acres
Cedar Hill Park1 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Marcia's Park1 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsSpring Lot1 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsGraves Park1 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Sunrise Park1 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
Drone Park1 acres · Virginia Tech
Price House & Nature Museum1 acres · Blacksburg Parks and Recreation
DirectionsVTCC 'VT"1 acres · VTCC
DirectionsWho protects it
862 conserved acres
7% of Blacksburg’s land. Who manages Blacksburg’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land530 ac
Town or city460 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits157 ac
State conservation52 ac
Regional Water Districts45 ac
County9 ac
U.S. Forest Service2 ac
Local Park · 921 acOther Easement · 392 acUnknown Easement · 232 acConservation Easement · 135 acHistoric or Cultural Easement · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 367 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 70 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heritage Community Park and Natural Area Local Park | Town or city | 337 | Open |
| Golf Course Local Park | Not recorded | 107 | Open |
| Community Center Aquatic Center and Muni Park Local Park | Town or city | 68 | Open |
| Shenandoah Bike Trail and Park Local Park | Town or city | 46 | Open |
| Huckleberry Trail Local Park | Town or city | 43 | Open |
| Interchange Park Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Northside Park Local Park | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| Gateway Trail Park Local Park | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Brookfield Village Local Park | Not recorded | 25 | Open |
| Winfrey Fields Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
67 places to go in Blacksburg
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Blacksburg
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Blacksburg
Piedmont Community PoolFee
DirectionsSports PoolIn Shawnee Swim Club
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Blacksburg
Brookfield Circle PlaygroundIn Brookfield Village Park
DirectionsCaboose ParkIn Blacksburg Municipal Park
DirectionsCaboose Park And Hand In Hand PlaygroundIn Blacksburg Municipal Park
DirectionsHand in Hand PlaygroundIn Blacksburg Municipal Park
DirectionsNellie's Cave Park PlaygroundIn Nellie's Cave Park
DirectionsOwens Street Park PlaygroundIn Owens Street Park
DirectionsVillage at Tom's Creek Playground
DirectionsWestover playgroundIn Westover Hills Park
Directions46 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Blacksburg
5 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Blacksburg
11 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Blacksburg
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Blacksburg
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
10 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.2 miHorses · 0.7 miUnpaved · 22.9 mi
Chimney2.2 mi
Yard Sale0.9 mi
Wavelength0.7 mi
Gateway Trail0.5 mi
Snyder's Knob0.5 mi
CRC Walking Trail0.4 mi
Smithfield Pavilion Service Entrance0.2 mi
Pine Forest0.2 mi
Road Connector0.1 mi
Possum Track0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
65 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
16 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
46 mi
off-road bike paths
3.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Huckleberry TrailBike route
0.5 miCourts & fields
44Tennis
26Soccer
20Basketball
14Beach volleyball
10Baseball
10Football
9Lacrosse
4Softball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →15 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 16 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
SmithfieldBuilding · listed 1969
About itSolitudeBuilding · listed 1989
About itAmiss-Palmer HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itKeister HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itLinkous-Kipps HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itMichael Kinzer HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itPhillips-Ronald HouseBuilding · listed 1989
About itWhitethornBuilding · listed 1989
About itMiller-Southside Residential Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itBlacksburg Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itJoseph McDonald FarmBuilding · listed 1991
About itCurrie HouseBuilding · listed 1994
About it3 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Blacksburg: April, June and August
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) | 9.9 | 10.8 | 11.9 | 13.1 | 14.1 | 14.7 | 14.5 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.2 | 10.1 | 9.6 |
| High (°F) | 43 | 47 | 55 | 66 | 74 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 77 | 67 | 56 | 46 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.4 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Blacksburg →
Next door
Blacksburg and its neighbors
Blacksburg has the most mapped trails of the 3 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blacksburg | 7% | 1.8 | 12 | 98% | A |
| Merrimac | 1% | 0.2 | 4 | 98% | C+ |
| Prices Fork | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Blacksburg
Where can I hike in Blacksburg?
The longest trail networks: Heritage Community Park & Natural Area, 1.9 miles; Gateway Trail Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Blacksburg is conserved land?
7% 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 Blacksburg’s trails?
Heritage Community Park & Natural Area and Gateway Trail Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Blacksburg?
65 miles of bike routes are on the map: 16 of painted or protected lanes, 46 of off-road paths and 3.4 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Huckleberry Trail.
Is there public land near Blacksburg?
25,576 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Blacksburg or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 565 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Blacksburg have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #51 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 Blacksburg 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 →