America's 5 Best Urban Parks To Visit For A Downtown Escape Into Nature, According To Reviews

One of the downsides of living in a big city is that the abundance of concrete, steel, and glass can create an overwhelmingly drab atmosphere. Fortunately, for most people in large metro areas, there's an easy way to incorporate more green spaces in their lives, even if they don't have a car. Urban parks are a fabulous aspect of city planning that combines both the concrete jungle and actual nature. But, depending on where you go, these parks offer far more than just grassy fields and picnic benches.

For example, if you're in the Memphis area, you can visit the tranquil Tennessee gem with miles of scenic trails to hike and bike: Shelby Falls Park. Or, if you're traveling to the Pacific Northwest, you can explore the largest urban forest in the United States, Forest Park.

But while both of these options are fantastic, it got us thinking: what are the five best urban parks in America? A daunting question, to be sure, as so many cities have excellent green spaces that are worth visiting. To help us know where to look, we relied on review rundowns as well as posts on social media. Then, in the spirit of objectivity, we're using online reviews to know how to rank our top five picks. Now let's head out!

For the most part, the parks we added to this list are world-famous, such as Central Park in New York and Millennium Park in Chicago. However, we were pleasantly surprised when we discovered that one park actually ranked higher than all the others. At the time of this writing, Falls Park on the Reedy has a 4.9-star rating and over 20,000 reviews, making it an easy choice for our number one pick. It's also such a popular place that it's often referred to as the "heart of downtown Greenville," thanks to its spectacular waterfalls and trails.

Although the waterfalls, which are the highlight of the park, were always there, they used to be obscured by the Camperdown Bridge. Once that bridge was torn down in 2002, work began on transforming the space into a revitalized nature hub. The old bridge was replaced by the pedestrian-only Liberty Bridge, and the park opened in 2004, making this one of the younger sites on this list.

Reading through the reviews, it's clear that the waterfalls help elevate this park to its near-perfect rating status. Many visitors comment that it's so impressive to see a natural waterfall in the middle of a big city. The skyscrapers behind the water create a unique and stunning backdrop that's nearly impossible to find anywhere else. Others comment that the park is "family-friendly" and accessible for visitors of all ages, and it's easy to spend hours relaxing by the river. But, if you need something to do, the park hosts events throughout the year, and there's the Grand Bohemian Lodge and two restaurants if you want to grab a bite to eat.

As one of the most famous parks in the world, it's easy to put Central Park on any roundup of the best urban green spaces in the United States. However, what's most impressive is how well it's rated, even compared to other well-known options. At the time of this writing, Central Park has 4.8 stars and over 296,000 reviews, making it one of the most well-reviewed locations we've ever seen. So, it's no wonder that Central Park was officially named the number one tourist attraction in America in 2025.

A big reason for the park's broad appeal is that it's home to so many landmarks and iconic attractions. On the southern end, there's the Central Park Zoo, the Carousel, Wollman Rink, and the Pond at Central Park. As you reach the center, you'll run into the Lake at Central Park, Belvedere Castle, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Ramble, a 36-acre section that is much more wooded and wild, just in case you really need a break from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. Finally, in the northern section, there's the massive Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, the Conservatory Garden with its impressive fountains, and the Harlem Meer Nature Preserve. Since the park spans over 840 acres, it's impossible to see everything in a single day.

One element of Central Park that comes through in the reviews is that it feels like a magical place, no matter the time of year. During the winter, snow blankets the park, adding a bit of whimsy to the frigid weather. Spring and summer are colorful and perfect for outdoor adventures, including hiking, biking, boating, or watching various live performances and events. However, if you're really trying to see the park in all of its splendor, visit during the fall. For one reviewer, "[v]isiting Central Park in autumn was better than [they] ever imagined."

Many of the best urban parks in the United States have an impressive average rating of 4.8 stars. So, since the ratings were the same across the board, we had to rank them by the number of reviews. In this case, our third-place pick, Millennium Park, has over 91,000 of them. It also shares some attributes with our first-place park, such as opening in 2004 and being just under 25 acres (24.5, to be exact).

Although Millennium Park has many unique features, none are quite as famous or as vivid as the Cloud Gate sculpture, otherwise known as "the Bean" to locals. Another excellent stop within the park is the "secret garden" that offers a serene break from the Windy City's bustle, the Lurie Garden. Other highlights include the Millennium Monument, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and the Maggie Daley Park Ice Skating Ribbon. Unlike a traditional skating rink, the ribbon is a curved pathway that goes through a section of the park, offering a one-of-a-kind experience. Another advantage of visiting Millennium Park is that it's technically part of the larger Grant Park, which has its own series of statues, gardens, and lakeside views.

Reading through the reviews, the "clever and interactive" Bean comes up more than anything else in the park, but visitors note that the space is clean, family-friendly, and stunningly beautiful. One review also mentions that visiting the park is "a wonderful experience," no matter the time of year. During the holiday season, it's decked out in Christmas lights and home to a massive tree, and during the summer, it offers a cool respite when you're out and about in the city. Also, if you love watching free concerts and events, plan your trip around what's happening at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

California is home to many fantastic urban parks, including Golden Gate Park in San Francisco and Griffith Park in Los Angeles. However, the one that stood out above the rest is the cultural oasis of iconic museums, gardens, and a zoo, Balboa Park in San Diego. With over 78,000 reviews and 4.8 stars, it beat out the competition.

Sitting at over 1,200 acres, Balboa Park is one of the largest urban green spaces on this list, and it's packed with attractions for everyone. The most famous of these is the San Diego Zoo, which, despite its 100-acre size, only takes up a fraction of the entire area. Other highlights include the Carousel and the Spanish Village Art Center. You can also appreciate all of the ornate Spanish-style architecture, visible in buildings like the Casa del Prado, the California Tower, and the St. Francis Chapel. Balboa Park is also home to numerous museums, including art museums, an air and space museum, the San Diego Natural History Museum, and more.

According to reviews, the park is stunning and allows you to "enjoy warm San Diego weather" while visiting various attractions. One visitor mentions that it can take up to two days (at least) "to be able to check everything out," although you'll need more time if you plan to see most of the attractions. Another reviewer noted that the park looks magical at night, writing that "everything was perfect," so be sure to stay as long as possible.

Our final pick for the five best urban parks in America is also the largest of the group. Spanning just over 1,300 acres, Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri, is far too big to see in a single trip, unless you plan on spending about a week exploring every corner of this verdant paradise. As with Central Park and Balboa Park, the sheer number of attractions and things to do here is astonishing, and a big reason why it has 4.8 stars and over 34,000 reviews at the time of this writing.

The three main attractions within the park are the Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and the Muny. Best of all, the zoo and the museum are free to enter, making them an exciting, family-friendly addition to any Midwest vacation. But if you love plays and outdoor theaters, the Muny is the crown jewel of the park. The theater has been in operation since 1916 and is celebrating its 108th season in 2026. At the time of this writing, tickets cost between $20 to $150 per show, depending on where you sit.

Reading the reviews, it's evident that many guests appreciate the beauty, cleanliness, and abundance of free attractions at Forest Park. Many visitors also comment on how many trails there are to walk, with one saying that he did "a 10K walk" throughout the park on a regular Sunday. Others appreciate the history of the park, which dates back to the 1904 World's Fair. One guest wrote that the "history of it all [...] makes this park a treasure." Remnants of the fair include the art museum and the flight cage inside the zoo. The boathouse also recreates a popular mode of transportation for fair visitors, and the World's Fair Pavilion was built in 1909 to commemorate the event.

Trying to narrow down the five best urban parks in the United States is a tall task because there are so many great options. In fact, looking at three different top-10 roundups, including National Geographic, USA Today, and American Sky, there were shockingly few overlaps. So, we turned to online reviews to help whittle down the top contenders. Most of the parks mentioned were 4.8 stars, so we ranked them by the number of reviews.

To help illustrate the playing field, other honorable mentions that didn't quite make the cut included Piedmont Park in Atlanta, New Orleans City Park in New Orleans, and Centennial Park in Nashville. So, if your favorite urban park didn't make the list, it's not because it's not worthy — they just weren't quite as popular as these five.