Williston Community Park
Park
61 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Williston
Williston has 62 miles of mapped trails, 2.0 for every square mile of land
14% of Williston’s land is conserved, about 2,707 acres. 410 acres are parks and preserves, 40 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Williston Community Park (1.2 mi).
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #11 of 71 in Vermont. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
2,707 acres · of 30.5 sq mi of land
Trails
62 mi
2.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
410 ac
40 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
63%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
17 mi
5.1 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Highest peak
814 ft
Brownell Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
1 beach · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Williston?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Williston have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Williston is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #11 of 71 in Vermont. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Williston’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical VT town 14% · U.S. 4%A−Trails2.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (62 mi) · VT 0.6 · U.S. 0.4APark land40 acres of park per 1,000 residents (410 acres) · VT 97 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home63% of residents within a half mile of a park · VT 38% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
Vermont towns of 2,500+ (71)Ahead of 86%
Vermont towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 14%; the U.S., 4%), so Williston’s 14% is ahead of 50% of Vermont towns, while its trails per square mile lead 86% of them.
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 Williston Community Park, with 1.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Brennan Park
Park
4 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Overlook Park
Managed by Green Mountain Power
3 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lake Iroquois Recreation District Beach
Park
3 acres0.1 mi of trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lot
All 6 parks & preserves
Williston Community Park61 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOverlook Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Green Mountain Power
DirectionsLake Iroquois Recreation District Beach3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWilliston Village Green2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBrennan Park4 acres
Maple Tree Place1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
2,707 conserved acres
14% of Williston’s land. Who manages Williston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits3,368 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)262 ac
State fish & wildlife238 ac
Other state land234 ac
State conservation172 ac
Town or city32 ac
Regional agency7 ac
Conservation Easement · 2,300 acAgricultural Easement · 1,406 acUnknown Easement · 546 acLocal Other or Unknown · 247 acLocal Park · 223 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,129 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 48 of 144 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Iroquois Recreation District, VTFWD Access Local Park | Not recorded | 154 | Unknown |
| Brownell Mountain Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 109 | Unknown |
| Talcott Woodlot Research or Educational Area | Not recorded | 82 | Unknown |
| Mehan Farm Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 59 | Unknown |
| Burnett Property Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 52 | Unknown |
| Five Tree Hill Country Park Local Park | Not recorded | 51 | Unknown |
| Unknown Ball Fields Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 21 | Open |
| Marshall Blueberry Swamp Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 14 | Unknown |
| Mud Pond Conservation Area Local Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 13 | Unknown |
| Brownell Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Williston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Williston
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Williston
Allen Brook School Playground
DirectionsChelsea Place Playground
DirectionsIndian Ridge Playground
DirectionsSouthridge Park PlaygroundIn Southridge Park
DirectionsPlus 7 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Williston
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Williston
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Williston
3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Williston
Brownell Mountain814 ft elevation
DirectionsIndian Lookout
DirectionsPicnic areas in Williston
Finney Crossing Grills and Picnic Tables
DirectionsDisc golf in Williston
Williston Disc Golf CourseIn Williston Community Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Williston
Williston Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 29.2 miUnpaved · 10.4 mi
Indian Lookout1.7 mi
Sandman's1.7 mi
Five Tree Hill Trail1.1 mi
Night Trail1.0 mi
Sucker Brook Hollow Trail1.0 mi
Snowshoe trail1.0 mi
The Beach0.8 mi
Woodstrace0.7 mi
Shovelhead0.7 mi
Three Rivers0.7 mi
15 more trails
Pop's
0.6 miSlalom
0.6 miGoose Hill
0.6 miCoyote Turnpike
0.6 miThe Garden
0.6 miTrout Lily
0.6 miBalsams
0.5 miGoose Hill Return
0.5 miCliffs of Insanity
0.5 miLabyrinth
0.5 miBear Run
0.4 miClover's Rollers
0.4 miGeronimo
0.4 miPure Bliss
0.4 miRamway
0.4 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
17 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
MTB Catamount Outdoor Family CentreBike route
25 miMud Pond LoopBike route
3.1 miCourts & fields
9Tennis
8Basketball
6Soccer
6Baseball
1Football
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Williston: May and September
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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 31 | 40 | 54 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 79 | 71 | 57 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Williston →
Next door
Williston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Williston | 14% | 2.0 | 40 | 63% | A |
| South Burlington | 8% | 2.5 | 22 | 85% | A |
| Essex | 7% | 2.1 | 32 | 72% | A |
| Jericho | 11% | 1.1 | 67 | 23% | A− |
| Essex Junction | 19% | 3.0 | 6 | 73% | A− |
| Richmond | 17% | 2.3 | 115 | 32% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Williston
Where can I hike in Williston?
The longest trail networks: Williston Community Park, 1.2 miles; Overlook Park, 0.2 miles; Lake Iroquois Recreation District Beach, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Williston is conserved land?
14% of its land, against a typical 14% for a Vermont town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Williston’s trails?
Williston Community Park and Brennan Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Williston?
17 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.1 of painted or protected lanes and 12 of off-road paths. Named routes: MTB Catamount Outdoor Family Centre and Mud Pond Loop.
Is there public land near Williston?
28,735 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Williston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 633 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Williston have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #11 of 71 in Vermont. 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 Williston 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 →