Franke Park
Park
218 acres11.5 mi of trail
Goshen LoopChristmas TrailLog JamTiger Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
BOutdoors
Outdoors in Washington Township
Washington Township has 28 miles of mapped trails, 0.9 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Franke Park (11.5 mi), Salomon Farm Park (1.4 mi), Buckner Park (0.7 mi). 810 acres are parks and preserves, 21 per 1,000 residents. 41% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns · #100 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
988 acres · of 31.7 sq mi of land
Trails
28 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
810 ac
21 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
41%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
24 mi
0.4 mi lanes · 22 mi paths
Highest peak
820 ft
Buckner Hill
Lakes & rivers
10
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Washington Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Washington Township is ahead of 64% of U.S. towns, #100 of 593 in Indiana. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Washington Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical IN town 2% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (28 mi) · IN 0.1 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land21 acres of park per 1,000 residents (810 acres) · IN 10 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home41% of residents within a half mile of a park · IN 51% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 64%
LessMore
Indiana towns of 2,500+ (593)Ahead of 83%
Few Indiana towns conserve much land (a typical one, 2%; the U.S., 4%), so Washington Township’s 5% is ahead of 79% of Indiana towns, while its trails per square mile lead 93% 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 Franke Park, with 11.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Buckner Park
Managed by Fort Wayne City Of Board Of Park Commissioners
195 acres0.7 mi of trail
Buckner Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Gren Park
Managed by Fort Wayne City Of Bd Of Park Commissioners
7 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
Franke Park218 acres · 11.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSalomon Farm Park169 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsBuckner Park195 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Fort Wayne City Of Board Of Park Commissioners
DirectionsGren Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Fort Wayne City Of Bd Of Park Commissioners
DirectionsAlumni Park55 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWooded Trail1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Johnny Appleseed Park4 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
988 conserved acres
5% of Washington Township’s land. Who manages Washington Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city709 ac
Private owners278 ac
Local Park · 709 acPrivate Park · 278 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franke Park Local Park | Town or city | 291 | Open |
| Buckner Farm Park Local Park | Town or city | 200 | Open |
| Salomon Farm Park Local Park | Town or city | 172 | Open |
| Fort Wayne Elks Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 155 | Open |
| Colonial Oaks Golf Club Private Park | Private owners | 123 | Open |
| Johnny Appleseed Park Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Gren Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Rivergreenway Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Pufferbelly Trail Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
Things to do
41 places to go in Washington Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Washington Township
Plus 19 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Washington Township
Camp CanineIn Alumni Park
DirectionsCamp Canine: Members OnlyIn Alumni Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Washington Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Washington Township
3 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Washington Township
A FrameIn Franke Park
DirectionsDave's CornerIn Franke Park
DirectionsNo ReturnIn Franke Park
DirectionsSilver SpoonIn Franke Park
DirectionsSoap Box Derby HillIn Franke Park
DirectionsSwamp BridgeIn Franke Park
DirectionsTerry's TurnIn Franke Park
DirectionsThe PointIn Franke Park
DirectionsPlus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Washington Township
Buckner Hill820 ft elevation · In Buckner Park
DirectionsTrails & water
13 named trails and 10 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.3 miUnpaved · 13.2 mi
Goshen Loop1.6 mi
Christmas Trail1.5 mi
Buckner Trail0.6 mi
Log Jam0.3 mi
Tiger Trail0.2 mi
Derby Hill0.2 mi
Freeway0.2 mi
Frog Pond Loop0.2 mi
Rollercoaster0.2 mi
Mo-Ron0.1 mi
3 more trails
Deer Alley
0.1 miRidge Run
0.1 miTwitch Ditch
0.1 miBiking & sports
24 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
22 mi
off-road bike paths
1.4 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Franke Park EasyBike route
3.1 miFranke park moderateBike route
2.4 miFranke Park HardBike route
0.6 miCourts & fields
24Baseball
14Tennis
13Basketball
10Soccer
10Pickleball
4Football
3Volleyball
1Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Washington Township
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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 48 | 61 | 72 | 81 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 64 | 49 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Washington Township →
Next door
Washington Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Fort Wayne82 miWayne Township33 miWashington Township28 miPerry Township17 miSt. Joseph Township14 miLake Township10 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township | 5% | 0.9 | 21 | 41% | B |
| St. Joseph Township | 3% | 0.4 | 5 | 56% | C+ |
| Wayne Township | 6% | 0.8 | 11 | 88% | B+ |
| Perry Township | 5% | 0.5 | 10 | 42% | B− |
| Lake Township | 1% | 0.3 | under 1 | under 1% | D |
| Fort Wayne | 5% | 0.7 | 9 | 71% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Washington Township
Where can I hike in Washington Township?
The longest trail networks: Franke Park, 11.5 miles; Salomon Farm Park, 1.4 miles; Buckner Park, 0.7 miles; Gren Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Washington Township is conserved land?
5% of its land, against a typical 2% for an Indiana town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Washington Township’s trails?
Franke Park and Salomon Farm Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Washington Township?
24 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of painted or protected lanes, 22 of off-road paths and 1.4 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Franke Park Easy, Franke park moderate and Franke Park Hard.
Is there public land near Washington Township?
4,469 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Washington Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 810 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
Ahead of 64% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #100 of 593 in Indiana. 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 Washington Township 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 →