Ralph H. Dean Recreation Park
Park
46 acres1.1 mi of trail
Fit Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Luray24 · CC BY 4.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Luray
Luray has 68 acres of parks, 14 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Ralph H. Dean Recreation Park (1.1 mi). 2.3 miles of mapped trail cross Luray, 0.5 per square mile of land. 2% of Luray’s land is conserved, about 64 acres.
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns · #161 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
2%
64 acres · of 4.9 sq mi of land
Trails
2.3 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
68 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
53%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.9 mi
0.9 mi paths
Highest peak
1,060 ft
Cave Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Luray?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Luray have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Luray is ahead of 50% of U.S. towns, #161 of 253 in Virginia. Trail miles hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Luray’s overall grade.
Conserved land2% of the land · typical VA town 4% · U.S. 4%C+Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (2 mi) · VA 0.7 · U.S. 0.4BPark land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (68 acres) · VA 8 · U.S. 13BParks close to home53% of residents within a half mile of a park · VA 76% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 50%
LessMore
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 37%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B−. 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 Ralph H. Dean Recreation Park, with 1.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Eugene Park
Park
2 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
64 conserved acres
2% of Luray’s land. Who manages Luray’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city64 ac
Local Recreation Area · 54 acLocal Park · 10 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ralph H. Dean Recreation Park Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 54 | Open |
| Carillon Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Unknown Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Eugene Parks Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
7 places to go in Luray
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Luray
Imagination Station PlaygroundIn Ralph H. Dean Recreation Park
DirectionsPlus 2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Luray
Cave Hill1,060 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Luray
Picnic Area
DirectionsPicnic Area
DirectionsPlus 1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Trails & water
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Fit Trail0.9 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.9 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
8Baseball
5Softball
2Soccer
2Football
1Tennis
1Basketball
1Tracks
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Aventine HallBuilding · listed 1970
About itPage County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itKanawhaBuilding · listed 1999
About itLuray Norfolk and Western Passenger StationBuilding · listed 2000
About itRuffner HouseBuilding · listed 2002
About itLuray Downtown Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2003
About itRedwell-Isabella Furnace Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2005
About itGreen Hill CemeterySite · listed 2023
About itWhen to get out
April is the best month for walking in Luray
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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 44 | 47 | 55 | 67 | 75 | 83 | 86 | 85 | 78 | 68 | 57 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Luray →
Questions about parks and trails in Luray
Where can I hike in Luray?
The longest trail networks: Ralph H. Dean Recreation Park, 1.1 miles; Carillon Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Luray is conserved land?
2% 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 Luray’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Ruffner Plaza (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Luray?
0.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.9 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Luray?
67,705 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Luray or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 68 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Luray have?
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #161 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 Luray 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 →