Magic Island Park
Park
12 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Daniel G Rego · CC BY-SA 4.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Charleston
Charleston has 12 miles of mapped trails, 0.4 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Magic Island Park (0.8 mi), Coonskin Park (0.6 mi), Carriage Trail (0.6 mi). 78% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 471 acres are parks and preserves, 9.9 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns · #27 of 61 in West Virginia. What drives it
Conserved land
3%
592 acres · of 31.4 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
471 ac
9.9 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
78%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
12 mi
8.6 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
2 beaches · 3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Charleston?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Charleston have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Charleston is ahead of 54% of U.S. towns, #27 of 61 in West Virginia. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Charleston’s overall grade.
Conserved land3% of the land · typical WV town 2% · U.S. 4%B−Trails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (12 mi) · WV 0.3 · U.S. 0.4BPark land9.9 acres of park per 1,000 residents (471 acres) · WV 10 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home78% of residents within a half mile of a park · WV 71% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 54%
LessMore
West Virginia towns of 2,500+ (61)Ahead of 57%
Few West Virginia towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Charleston’s 3% is ahead of 60% of West Virginia towns, while its trails per square mile lead 55% of them.
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 Magic Island Park, with 0.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Coonskin Park
Park
73 acres0.6 mi of trail
Capital Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Carriage Trail
Managed by Charleston Parks and Recreation
11 acres0.6 mi of trail
Carriage Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Wallace Hartman Nature Preserve
Managed by West Virginia Land Trust
32 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
ML King Jr Community Center
Managed by City of Charleston
6 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Capitol Complex Monument Park
Park
1 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 26 parks & preserves
Magic Island Park12 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Coonskin Park73 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCarriage Trail11 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Charleston Parks and Recreation
DirectionsWallace Hartman Nature Preserve32 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · West Virginia Land Trust
ML King Jr Community Center6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Charleston
Haddad Riverfront Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsCapitol Complex Monument Park1 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsOakmont Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Charleston Parks and Recreation
Governor's Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKanawha Riflemens Memorial Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsElk River City Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Charleston
DirectionsCato Park150 acres
DirectionsDanner Meadow Park24 acres · Charleston Parks and Recreation
DirectionsNorth Charleston Recreation Center17 acres
DirectionsWalt Powell Park8 acres
DirectionsChilton Reserve6 acres · Charleston Parks and Recreation
Bigley Avenue Little League Fields5 acres
DirectionsRiver Front Park2 acres
DirectionsEast End Community Park1 acres · City of Charleston
Henry Gassaway Davis Park1 acres
DirectionsMary Price Ratrie Greenspace1 acres
DirectionsBible Center Bicycle Park1 acres · Bible Center Church
DirectionsSlack Plaza1 acres · City of Charleston
DirectionsElk River Trail Park1 acres
DirectionsRiverview Park1 acres · City of Charleston, WV
Briar St Park1 acres · City of Charleston
Who protects it
592 conserved acres
3% of Charleston’s land. Who manages Charleston’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city520 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits97 ac
Other state land29 ac
County5 ac
Regional agency1 ac
Not recorded238 ac
Local Park · 492 acLocal Historic or Cultural Area · 174 acConservation Easement · 65 acPrivate Conservation · 65 acLocal Conservation Area · 62 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1 acre is a conservation easement, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cato Park Local Park | Town or city | 302 | Open |
| Spring Hill Cemetery Park & Mary Price Ratrie Arboretum Local Historic or Cultural Area | Town or city | 173 | Open |
| Jones Woodlands Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 62 | Open |
| Danner Meadow Park Local Park | Not recorded | 48 | Open |
| Wallace Hartman Wildlife Management Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| Wallace Hartman Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 32 | Closed |
| West Virginia State Capitol Grounds Local Park | Other state land | 29 | Open |
| East Kanawha Boulevard Trail Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| North Charleston Community Center Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
| Magic Island Park Local Park | Not recorded | 14 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
40 places to go in Charleston
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Charleston
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Charleston
Kanawha City Elementary Playground
DirectionsKids Splash ParkIn Magic Island Park
DirectionsWest Virginia Early Learning Academy Playground
DirectionsWest Virginia Early Learning Academy Playground
Directions31 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Charleston
Ruth Rafferty Peyton Dog Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Charleston
3 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Charleston
Mouth of the Elk Fishing Area
DirectionsScenic views in Charleston
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Charleston
East End Community Gardens
DirectionsTrails & water
3 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.1 miHorses · 0.6 miUnpaved · 1.8 mi
Carriage Trail0.7 mi
Capital Trail0.5 mi
Public Access0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
12 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
8.6 mi
off-road bike paths
3.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
36Tennis
16Baseball
9Basketball
8Soccer
3Football
2Pickleball
1Beach volleyball
1Volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →57 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.
Craik-Patton HouseBuilding · listed 1970
About itSunriseBuilding · listed 1974
About itHolly Grove MansionBuilding · listed 1974
About itWest Virginia Capitol ComplexDistrict · listed 1974
About itEast End Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1978
About itKanawha County CourthouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itLaidley-Summers-Quarrier HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itMacFarland HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itCol. Henry Hewitt Wood HouseBuilding · listed 1980
About itKearse TheaterBuilding · listed 1980
About itBreezemontBuilding · listed 1982
About itLittlepage Stone MansionBuilding · listed 1982
About it45 more on the History page.
When to get out
April is the best month for walking in Charleston
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) | 44 | 48 | 57 | 70 | 77 | 84 | 87 | 86 | 81 | 69 | 58 | 48 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.7 |
October is the driest month (3.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 5.2 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Charleston →
Next door
Charleston and its neighbors
Charleston has the second 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 3% | 0.4 | 10 | 78% | B− |
| South Charleston | 5% | 2.2 | 23 | 72% | A− |
| Dunbar | 10% | 0.3 | 29 | 64% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Charleston
Where can I hike in Charleston?
The longest trail networks: Magic Island Park, 0.8 miles; Coonskin Park, 0.6 miles; Carriage Trail, 0.6 miles; Wallace Hartman Nature Preserve, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Charleston is conserved land?
3% of its land, against a typical 2% for a West Virginia town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Charleston’s trails?
Magic Island Park and Coonskin Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Charleston?
12 miles of bike routes are on the map: 8.6 of off-road paths and 3.4 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Charleston?
12,916 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Charleston or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 471 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Charleston have?
Ahead of 54% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #27 of 61 in West 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 Charleston 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 →