Photo: Jared Kofsky/Placenj.com · CC BY-SA 3.016% of Springfield Township’s land is conserved, and 98% of residents live within a half mile of a park
6.8 miles of mapped trail cross Springfield Township, 1.3 per square mile of land. 16% of Springfield Township’s land is conserved, about 516 acres. The biggest trail networks: Meisel Avenue Park (1 mi), Hidden Valley Park (0.8 mi).
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #109 of 468 in New Jersey. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Springfield Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Springfield Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Springfield Township is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #109 of 468 in New Jersey. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
New Jersey towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 11%; the U.S., 4%), so Springfield Township’s 16% is ahead of 60% of New Jersey towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Meisel Avenue Park, with 1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hidden Valley Park
Watchung Reservation
All 10 parks & preserves
516 conserved acres
16% of Springfield Township’s land. Who manages Springfield Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 19 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rahway River Parkway Local Other or Unknown | County | 221 | Open |
| Lenape Park Local Park | County | 168 | Open |
| Union Co Local Park | County | 82 | Open |
| Houdaille Quarry Local Other or Unknown | County | 67 | Open |
| Hidden Valley Park Local Park | County | 58 | Open |
| Watchung Reservation Local Conservation Area | County | 28 | Open |
| Municipal Pool Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| unknown Local Park | Not recorded | 6 | Open |
| Ruby Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Irwin Park Local Park | Town or city | 5 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
7 places to go in Springfield Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
0.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
4 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Springfield Township: April to June, August 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 42 | 51 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 85 | 77 | 66 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 4.4 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Springfield Township →
Springfield Township 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield Township | 16% | 1.3 | 30 | 98% | A+ |
| Union Township | 10% | 0.4 | 11 | 99%+ | A− |
| Millburn Township | 29% | 3.6 | 78 | 91% | A+ |
| Summit | 12% | 1.2 | 24 | 94% | A |
| Short Hills | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Kenilworth | 19% | 3.1 | 34 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Westfield | 6% | 1.1 | 9 | 99% | A− |
| Cranford Township | 14% | 1.5 | 20 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Springfield Township
Where can I hike in Springfield Township?
The longest trail networks: Meisel Avenue Park, 1 miles; Hidden Valley Park, 0.8 miles; Watchung Reservation, 0.4 miles; Patriot Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Springfield Township is conserved land?
16% of its land, against a typical 11% for a New Jersey town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Springfield Township’s trails?
Meisel Avenue Park and Hidden Valley Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Springfield Township?
0.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.3 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Springfield Township?
32,932 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Springfield Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 519 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Springfield Township have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #109 of 468 in New Jersey. 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 Springfield Township neighbors.
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 →