TownTapestry
Sign inJoin
National rankings

Towns with the most conserved land in the U.S.

Ranked by the share of the town's area that is permanently protected: town forests, state and federal land, land-trust preserves and conservation easements (USGS PAD-US). Top 100 towns and cities with 10,000+ residents.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Spring Lake 1 Spring Lake NC 81.9% Conserved acres 12,432 Gold Canyon 2 Gold Canyon AZ 65.7% Conserved acres 11,997 Big Bear City 3 Big Bear City CA 60.2% Conserved acres 12,276
#TownConserved landConserved acresTrails
1 Spring Lake Spring LakeNC · 11,573 people 81.9% 12,432 46.0 mi
2 Gold Canyon Gold CanyonAZ · 13,107 people 65.7% 11,997 103.4 mi
3 Big Bear City Big Bear CityCA · 11,431 people 60.2% 12,276 124.7 mi
4 Butte-Silver Bow Butte-Silver BowMT · 35,785 people 55.8% 254,865 413.2 mi
5 Stafford StaffordOcean County, NJ · 29,834 people 52.3% 18,206 64.0 mi
6 Map of Jacksonville JacksonvilleNC · 71,279 people 51.5% 18,871 51.6 mi
7 Lehman LehmanPike County, PA · 11,105 people 49% 15,682 24.4 mi
8 Durham DurhamStrafford County, NH · 15,080 people 39.9% 6,280 75.4 mi
9 Fishkill FishkillDutchess County, NY · 22,924 people 37% 7,507 50.8 mi
10 Berkeley BerkeleyOcean County, NJ · 44,634 people 36.9% 12,758 70.3 mi
11 Fall River Fall RiverMA · 94,082 people 36.6% 9,366 95.8 mi
12 Buckeye BuckeyeAZ · 104,923 people 35.5% 89,607 496.0 mi
13 Clinton ClintonHunterdon County, NJ · 13,350 people 33% 7,116 32.4 mi
14 Palm Springs Palm SpringsCA · 45,070 people 31.7% 19,102 126.7 mi
15 Conway ConwayCarroll County, NH · 10,141 people 31.5% 14,383 153.9 mi
16 Southborough SouthboroughWorcester County, MA · 10,493 people 31.4% 3,105 32.3 mi
17 Exeter ExeterRockingham County, NH · 16,151 people 31.3% 3,976 61.4 mi
18 Hanover HanoverGrafton County, NH · 11,685 people 30.8% 9,817 143.0 mi
19 Rancho Mirage Rancho MirageCA · 17,563 people 30.6% 5,012 31.2 mi
20 Rancho Santa Margarita Rancho Santa MargaritaCA · 46,990 people 30.1% 2,480 41.8 mi
21 Channahon ChannahonWill County, IL · 10,769 people 29.8% 6,720 13.8 mi
22 Map of South Laurel South LaurelMD · 29,272 people 29.5% 1,522 6.6 mi
23 Granby GranbyCapitol Planning Region, CT · 11,184 people 29.3% 7,617 68.1 mi
24 Glastonbury GlastonburyCapitol Planning Region, CT · 35,293 people 28.6% 9,483 174.3 mi
25 Griswold GriswoldSoutheastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT · 11,530 people 26.9% 6,342 33.6 mi
26 Franklin FranklinSomerset County, NJ · 68,907 people 25.9% 7,727 58.2 mi
27 PlumsteadBucks County, PA · 14,154 people 25.9% 4,495 8.1 mi
28 Concord ConcordNH · 44,375 people 24.6% 10,508 143.3 mi
29 Genoa GenoaDelaware County, OH · 26,510 people 24.6% 3,363 16.1 mi
30 Hooksett HooksettMerrimack County, NH · 15,057 people 24.2% 5,711 41.6 mi
31 Map of Emeryville EmeryvilleCA · 13,081 people 24% 342 1.4 mi
32 Helena HelenaMT · 33,639 people 23.9% 2,636 74.6 mi
33 Map of Fairview Park Fairview ParkOH · 17,018 people 23.4% 696 9.7 mi
34 East Hampton East HamptonLower Connecticut River Valley Planning Region, CT · 12,925 people 23.3% 5,461 71.6 mi
35 West Hartford West HartfordCapitol Planning Region, CT · 63,620 people 23% 3,258 56.1 mi
36 Acton ActonMiddlesex County, MA · 24,155 people 22.7% 2,935 61.0 mi
37 Suitland SuitlandMD · 23,793 people 22% 595 2.3 mi
38 Wheaton WheatonMD · 52,926 people 21.9% 968 11.8 mi
39 Map of Grand Prairie Grand PrairieTX · 201,883 people 21.7% 11,812 24.4 mi
40 Keene KeeneNH · 22,939 people 21.6% 5,137 80.9 mi
41 Lebanon LebanonNH · 14,999 people 21.6% 5,674 106.0 mi
42 Braintree Town Braintree TownMA · 38,899 people 21.5% 1,992 20.5 mi
43 Map of Pekin PekinTazewell County, IL · 27,280 people 21.1% 1,878 13.0 mi
44 Missoula MissoulaMT · 76,514 people 21% 4,698 112.3 mi
45 Doylestown DoylestownBucks County, PA · 18,008 people 20.9% 2,077 8.1 mi
46 Hendersonville HendersonvilleTN · 63,091 people 20.8% 4,923 12.6 mi
47 Miami MiamiHamilton County, OH · 15,904 people 20.3% 3,050 19.5 mi
48 Middletown MiddletownBucks County, PA · 45,861 people 20.2% 2,483 20.9 mi
49 Gulf Shores Gulf ShoresAL · 16,401 people 20.1% 4,290 7.9 mi
50 Dover DoverNH · 33,364 people 20% 3,694 32.5 mi
51 Brigham City Brigham CityUT · 19,992 people 20% 3,229 45.5 mi
52 MoreauSaratoga County, NY · 16,631 people 19.9% 5,515 47.6 mi
53 Richmond RichmondCA · 115,505 people 19.8% 6,622 66.8 mi
54 Plain PlainFranklin County, OH · 12,904 people 19.6% 2,509 27.5 mi
55 Hamilton HamiltonMercer County, NJ · 92,506 people 19.2% 4,927 22.3 mi
56 Map of Merrimack MerrimackHillsborough County, NH · 28,164 people 19.2% 4,076 57.3 mi
57 Smyrna SmyrnaDE · 13,165 people 19.2% 794 0.4 mi
58 Bethany BethanyOR · 33,106 people 19% 658 7.2 mi
59 Map of Avon AvonLake County, IL · 63,428 people 18.8% 2,843 11.0 mi
60 Brownsville BrownsvilleTX · 189,177 people 18.3% 15,000 171.0 mi
61 Map of Albany AlbanyCA · 19,414 people 18.1% 632 6.6 mi
62 Milford MilfordHillsborough County, NH · 16,337 people 17.5% 2,839 48.7 mi
63 Manassas Park Manassas ParkVA · 16,798 people 17.4% 335 3.8 mi
64 Mapleton MapletonUT · 13,114 people 17.4% 1,478 12.2 mi
65 WilbrahamHampden County, MA · 14,572 people 17.3% 2,455 39.1 mi
66 Upper Merion Upper MerionMontgomery County, PA · 34,977 people 17% 1,868 21.2 mi
67 Oakleaf PlantationFL · 32,070 people 16.9% 1,793 11.8 mi
68 Newburyport NewburyportMA · 18,652 people 16.8% 1,146 39.1 mi
69 Map of Hunters Creek Hunters CreekFL · 22,819 people 16.6% 749 5.5 mi
70 New York New YorkNY · 8,483,844 people 16.4% 49,208 496.4 mi
71 Folsom FolsomCA · 83,916 people 16.4% 3,145 37.8 mi
72 Map of Mantua MantuaGloucester County, NJ · 15,404 people 16.4% 1,680 12.7 mi
73 Albuquerque AlbuquerqueNM · 562,218 people 16% 19,290 322.3 mi
74 Goffstown GoffstownHillsborough County, NH · 18,513 people 16% 3,829 95.2 mi
75 Ellicott City Ellicott CityMD · 75,257 people 15.9% 3,055 62.6 mi
76 Gresham GreshamOR · 112,378 people 15.8% 2,384 18.6 mi
77 Eden Prairie Eden PrairieMN · 63,051 people 15.8% 3,546 37.3 mi
78 Map of Country Club Country ClubFL · 51,296 people 15.7% 448 3.2 mi
79 Map of Nunda NundaMcHenry County, IL · 38,565 people 15.6% 4,772 38.3 mi
80 Warrington WarringtonBucks County, PA · 25,972 people 15.6% 1,370 7.7 mi
81 StonecrestGA · 60,501 people 15.5% 3,756 22.5 mi
82 Amherst AmherstHillsborough County, NH · 11,861 people 15.5% 3,390 53.2 mi
83 Campton Hills Campton HillsIL · 10,877 people 15.5% 1,672 18.6 mi
84 Bozeman BozemanMT · 56,114 people 15.4% 2,097 66.8 mi
85 Map of Bel Air North Bel Air NorthMD · 31,302 people 15.4% 1,574 5.2 mi
86 Agawam Town Agawam TownMA · 28,539 people 15.4% 2,378 48.6 mi
87 Raymond RaymondRockingham County, NH · 10,900 people 15.3% 2,885 32.6 mi
88 Map of Salisbury SalisburyLancaster County, PA · 11,521 people 15.2% 4,067 4.5 mi
89 Orinda OrindaCA · 19,514 people 15.1% 1,235 18.1 mi
90 El Reno El RenoOK · 18,557 people 15.1% 7,694 17.8 mi
91 Milford MilfordBucks County, PA · 10,231 people 15.1% 2,682 3.9 mi
92 Oceanside OceansideCA · 172,242 people 15% 4,017 41.8 mi
93 Corning CorningNY · 10,643 people 15% 310 5.2 mi
94 Map of Erie ErieCO · 33,808 people 14.9% 2,039 19.5 mi
95 Londonderry LondonderryRockingham County, NH · 26,685 people 14.9% 4,003 66.4 mi
96 Concord ConcordLake County, OH · 19,211 people 14.9% 2,196 28.0 mi
97 HuronWayne County, MI · 16,695 people 14.9% 3,390 26.1 mi
98 Billings BillingsMT · 119,434 people 14.5% 4,285 38.9 mi
99 Map of Wallingford WallingfordSouth Central Connecticut Planning Region, CT · 44,362 people 14.5% 3,677 53.9 mi
100 Batavia BataviaClermont County, OH · 28,055 people 14.3% 3,774 36.5 mi

How this ranking works

We rank every town by the share of the town's area that is permanently protected: town forests, state and federal land, land-trust preserves and conservation easements (USGS PAD-US). Easements protect land from development but are often private, so not all of it is open to visitors. The town with the highest figure ranks #1.

Only towns with at least 10,000 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Trails, streets and parks: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Conserved land: USGS PAD-US. Measured within each town's Census boundary. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

AL CA CT FL GA IL IN KS KY MD MA MI MN MO MT NH NJ NY NC OH OR PA TN TX UT VA WA WI All of the U.S.