Montgomery Hall Park
Managed by City of Staunton
146 acres4.8 mi of trail
Montgomery Hall Park ExpresswayScout TrailYulee TrailWalking Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Cobble Hill Farm · Photo: Nyttend · Public domainBOutdoors
Outdoors in Staunton
Staunton has 657 acres of parks, 25 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Montgomery Hall Park (4.8 mi), American Frontier Culture Museum (1.3 mi). 6% of Staunton’s land is conserved, about 717 acres. 6.9 miles of mapped trail cross Staunton, 0.3 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns · #127 of 253 in Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
717 acres · of 19.9 sq mi of land
Trails
6.9 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
657 ac
25 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
58%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.3 mi
2.6 mi lanes
Highest peak
1,946 ft
Betsy Bell
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Staunton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Staunton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Staunton is ahead of 63% of U.S. towns, #127 of 253 in Virginia. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Staunton’s overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical VA town 4% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (7 mi) · VA 0.7 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land25 acres of park per 1,000 residents (657 acres) · VA 8 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home58% of residents within a half mile of a park · VA 76% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 63%
LessMore
Virginia towns of 2,500+ (253)Ahead of 50%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B 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 Montgomery Hall Park, with 4.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
American Frontier Culture Museum
Managed by Commonwealth of Virginia
200 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Gypsy Hill Park and Golf Course
Managed by City of Staunton Parks & Recreation
178 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Betsy Bell and Mary Gray Wilderness Parks
Managed by City of Staunton
159 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 9 parks & preserves
Montgomery Hall Park146 acres · 4.8 mi of trail · City of Staunton
DirectionsAmerican Frontier Culture Museum200 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Commonwealth of Virginia
DirectionsGypsy Hill Park and Golf Course178 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Staunton Parks & Recreation
DirectionsBetsy Bell and Mary Gray Wilderness Parks159 acres · City of Staunton
DirectionsReservoir Hill Park4 acres · City of Staunton
Woodrow Wilson Park3 acres · City of Staunton
DirectionsBooker Taliaferro Washington Community Center2 acres · City of Staunton
Men's Green Thumb Park1 acres · City of Staunton
DirectionsLandes Park1 acres · City of Staunton
DirectionsWho protects it
717 conserved acres
6% of Staunton’s land. Who manages Staunton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other state land465 ac
Town or city448 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits33 ac
Joint32 ac
Regional Water Districts24 ac
State conservation4 ac
Not recorded273 ac
Local Park · 721 acConservation Easement · 267 acHistoric or Cultural Easement · 231 acOther Easement · 60 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 268 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gypsey Hill Park Local Park | Not recorded | 434 | Open |
| Montgomery Hall Park Local Park | Town or city | 167 | Open |
| Betsy Bell Park Local Park | Not recorded | 112 | Open |
| Reservoir Hill Park Local Park | Town or city | 4 | Open |
| Woodrow Park Local Park | Town or city | 2 | Open |
| Wilson Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Men's Green Thumb Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
20 places to go in Staunton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Staunton
Montgomery Hall PoolIn Montgomery Hall Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Staunton
Nature Ridge Natural PlaygroundIn Montgomery Hall Park
DirectionsOlder Kids PlaygroundIn Gypsy Hill Park and Golf Course
DirectionsPlus 12 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Staunton
Gypsy Hill Dog ParkIn Gypsy Hill Park and Golf Course
DirectionsFishing spots in Staunton
Tams LakeIn Gypsy Hill Park and Golf Course
DirectionsPeaks in Staunton
Betsy Bell1,946 ft elevation · In Betsy Bell and Mary Gray Wilderness Parks
DirectionsMary Gray1,821 ft elevation · In Betsy Bell and Mary Gray Wilderness Parks
DirectionsDogwood Hill
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.6 miUnpaved · 5.1 mi
Montgomery Hall Park Expressway2.3 mi
Scout Trail1.4 mi
Yulee Trail0.9 mi
Walking Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
16Tennis
15Soccer
11Basketball
10Baseball
1Pickleball
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →37 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Virginia School for the Deaf and BlindBuilding · listed 1969
About itWestern State Hospital ComplexBuilding · listed 1969
About itSears HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itStuart HouseBuilding · listed 1972
About itTrinity Episcopal ChurchBuilding · listed 1972
About itWharf Area Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1972
About itMary Baldwin College, Main BuildingBuilding · listed 1973
About itOld MainBuilding · listed 1974
About itC. W. Miller HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itHilltopBuilding · listed 1979
About itKable HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About it25 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Staunton: April 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) | 9.8 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 14.6 | 13.6 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 43 | 47 | 55 | 67 | 74 | 81 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 67 | 56 | 47 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.3 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Staunton →
Next door
Staunton and its neighbors
Staunton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staunton | 6% | 0.3 | 25 | 58% | B |
| Verona | under 1% | 0.7 | 2 | 21% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Staunton
Where can I hike in Staunton?
The longest trail networks: Montgomery Hall Park, 4.8 miles; American Frontier Culture Museum, 1.3 miles; Gypsy Hill Park and Golf Course, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Staunton 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 Staunton’s trails?
Montgomery Hall Park and American Frontier Culture Museum don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Staunton?
4.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.6 of painted or protected lanes and 1.7 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Staunton?
18,302 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Staunton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 657 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Staunton have?
Ahead of 63% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #127 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 Staunton 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 →