Giant Mountain Wilderness
Nature preserve
11,944 acres13.6 mi of trail
East TrailNorth TrailIron mountainpath (red blazes)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Mwanner · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Elizabethtown
More than half of Elizabethtown’s land is conserved: 57%
57% of Elizabethtown’s land is conserved, about 29,563 acres. 5,874 acres are parks and preserves, 5,112 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Giant Mountain Wilderness (13.6 mi), Hammond Pond Wild Forest (4.2 mi), Hurricane Mountain Wilderness (2 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
57%
29,563 acres · of 81.6 sq mi of land
Trails
53 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,874 ac
5,112 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
71%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
4,055 ft
Rocky Peak Ridge - East Peak
Lakes & rivers
15
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Elizabethtown?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Elizabethtown have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Elizabethtown is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Elizabethtown’s overall grade.
Conserved land57% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (53 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land5,112 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,874 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home71% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. 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 Giant Mountain Wilderness, with 13.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hammond Pond Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
5,174 acres4.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hurricane Mountain Wilderness
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
3,123 acres2 mi of trail
East Hurricane TrailHurricane Crag Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
4 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
Giant Mountain Wilderness11,944 acres · 13.6 mi of trail
DirectionsHammond Pond Wild Forest5,174 acres · 4.2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsHurricane Mountain Wilderness3,123 acres · 2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsHurricane Mountain Primitive Area4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
High Peaks Wilderness88 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsTaylor Pond Wild Forest94 acres
Boquet River Primitive Area84 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsPauline Murdock Wildlife Management Area70 acres
Who protects it
29,563 conserved acres
57% of Elizabethtown’s land. Who manages Elizabethtown’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation37,666 ac
Town or city312 ac
Regional Water Districts2 ac
State Wilderness · 15,162 acForest Stewardship Easement · 8,495 acUnknown Easement · 8,419 acState Conservation Area · 5,385 acLocal Park · 312 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 8,498 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 9 of 20 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Mountain Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 11,957 | Open |
| Hammond Pond Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 5,200 | Open |
| Hurricane Mountain Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 3,118 | Open |
| Town Of Elizabethtown Land Local Park | Town or city | 312 | Unknown |
| Lincoln Pond Campground State Recreation Area | State conservation | 133 | Open |
| Taylor Pond Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 97 | Open |
| High Peaks Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 88 | Open |
| Boquet River Primtive Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 84 | Open |
| Pauline Murdock Wma State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 71 | Open |
| Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 3 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
50 places to go in Elizabethtown
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Elizabethtown
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Elizabethtown
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Elizabethtown
Split Rock FallsIn Hammond Pond Wild Forest
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Elizabethtown
Blueberry CobblesIn Giant Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsCalifornia Overlook
DirectionsGiant View
DirectionsHigh BankIn Giant Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsPlus 19 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Elizabethtown
Rocky Peak Ridge - East Peak4,055 ft elevation · In Giant Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsBald Peak3,018 ft elevation · In Giant Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsPitchoff Mountain2,756 ft elevation · In Hurricane Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsOwls Head Lookout2,493 ft elevation · In Giant Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsIron Mountain2,415 ft elevation · In Giant Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsHolcomb Mountain2,310 ft elevation · In Giant Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsDeer Mountain2,201 ft elevation · In Giant Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsSplit Rock Mountain1,949 ft elevation · In Hammond Pond Wild Forest
Directions9 more peaks
Raven Hill1,923 ft elevation
DirectionsOak Hill1,791 ft elevation · In Giant Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsCobble Hill1,781 ft elevation
DirectionsGreen Hill1,493 ft elevation · In Hammond Pond Wild Forest
DirectionsNegro Hill1,483 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Raven Hill1,391 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Gilligan1,378 ft elevation
DirectionsWoods Hill1,201 ft elevation
DirectionsOtis Mountain1,119 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Elizabethtown
Footbridge Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Elizabethtown
Lincoln Pond CampgroundIn Hammond Pond Wild Forest
DirectionsLincoln Pond Interior CampsitesIn Hammond Pond Wild Forest
DirectionsLincoln Pond Interior CampsitesIn Hammond Pond Wild Forest
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 15 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.8 miUnpaved · 50.2 mi
East Trail5.5 mi
North Trail4.4 mi
Iron mountain1.9 mi
East Hurricane Trail1.6 mi
Lower Currey1.3 mi
Cobble Hill1.1 mi
GBH1.0 mi
Handy Trail1.0 mi
Mt. Gilligan Trail1.0 mi
Upper Currey0.9 mi
15 more trails
Sugarhouse
0.7 miCol Holst
0.7 miRidge Trail
0.6 miBuggy
0.6 miFlowbee
0.6 miUpper Liberty
0.6 miWidowmaker
0.5 miGBX
0.5 miEtown Community Connector
0.5 miLower Liberty
0.5 miBoundary Trail
0.5 miDales
0.5 miBlueberry Hill
0.4 miCalifornia
0.4 miCreekside
0.4 miBiking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Tennis
1Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Elizabethtown: May and July to 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) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 30 | 38 | 52 | 65 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 68 | 55 | 43 | 32 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Elizabethtown →
Next door
Elizabethtown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabethtown | 57% | 0.7 | 5,112 | 71% | A |
| Westport | 44% | 0.7 | 3,100 | 59% | A |
| Lewis | 23% | 0.7 | 951 | 30% | A− |
| Keene | 78% | 1.3 | 2,499 | 36% | A |
| Moriah | 40% | 0.5 | 1,471 | 27% | A− |
| North Hudson | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Jay | 22% | 0.7 | 1,095 | 40% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Elizabethtown
Where can I hike in Elizabethtown?
The longest trail networks: Giant Mountain Wilderness, 13.6 miles; Hammond Pond Wild Forest, 4.2 miles; Hurricane Mountain Wilderness, 2 miles; Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Elizabethtown is conserved land?
57% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Elizabethtown’s trails?
Giant Mountain Wilderness and Hammond Pond Wild Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Elizabethtown?
183,160 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Elizabethtown or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 21,195 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Elizabethtown have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Elizabethtown 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 →