Gallagher Fen Sate Nature Preserve
Managed by Ohio Department of Natural Resources
221 acres1.2 mi of trail
Gallagher Fen Trail
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in Springfield Township
Springfield Township has 388 acres of parks, 32 for every 1,000 residents
The biggest trail networks: Gallagher Fen Sate Nature Preserve (1.2 mi). 35% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 5% of Springfield Township’s land is conserved, about 914 acres.
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns · #515 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
914 acres · of 30.3 sq mi of land
Trails
5.6 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
388 ac
32 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
35%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.9 mi
0.6 mi lanes · 3.3 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
Outdoors grade
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 50% of U.S. towns, #515 of 993 in Ohio. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Springfield Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (6 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land32 acres of park per 1,000 residents (388 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home35% of residents within a half mile of a park · OH 60% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 50%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 48%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ 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 Gallagher Fen Sate Nature Preserve, with 1.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Clark County Fairgrounds
Managed by Clark County Agricultural Society
104 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Mad River Gorge & Nature Preserve
Park
5 acres0.2 mi of trail
Mad River Recreation Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Gallagher Fen Sate Nature Preserve221 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Ohio Department of Natural Resources
DirectionsMad River Gorge & Nature Preserve5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Clark County Fairgrounds104 acres · Clark County Agricultural Society
New Reid Park26 acres
DirectionsTed R. Kneisley Park3 acres · Springfield Youth Baseball Association
DirectionsOld Reid Park2 acres
Who protects it
914 conserved acres
5% of Springfield Township’s land. Who manages Springfield Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
USDA easements (NRCS)382 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits268 ac
State natural resources213 ac
Other state land155 ac
Army Corps of Engineers140 ac
County106 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government37 ac
Agricultural Easement · 677 acState Recreation Area · 213 acState Park · 155 acRecreation Management Area · 140 acLocal Recreation Area · 112 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 416 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallagher / Springfield Fen State Recreation Area | State natural resources | 213 | Open |
| Buck Creek State Park State Park | Other state land | 155 | Open |
| Clarence J. Brown Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 140 | Open |
| Clark County Fairgrounds Local Recreation Area | County | 106 | Open |
| Forest Hills Golf Course Private Park | Private owners | 10 | Open |
| Jack Hemry Park Local Recreation Area | Regional agency | 6 | Open |
| New Reid Park Local Park | Town or city | 1 | Open |
| Springfield Country Club Private Park | Private owners | 1 | Open |
Things to do
2 places to go in Springfield Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Springfield Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.2 miUnpaved · 1.2 mi
Buck Creek Scenic Trail1.2 mi
Gallagher Fen Trail1.2 mi
Mad River Recreation Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
3.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.6 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.3 mi
off-road bike paths
Buck Creek Scenic TrailBike route
1.2 miCourts & fields
13Baseball
5Tennis
3Football
3Equestrian
2Soccer
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
August is the best month for walking in Springfield 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 36 | 40 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 84 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 51 | 40 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Springfield Township →
Next door
Springfield Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Moorefield Township15 miSpringfield14 miSpringfield Township5.6 miBethel Township4.9 miGreen Township4.3 miMad River Township2.8 miHarmony Township1.0 miGerman Township0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield Township | 5% | 0.2 | 32 | 35% | B− |
| Springfield | 8% | 0.5 | 18 | 72% | B+ |
| Mad River Township | 5% | 0.1 | 75 | 14% | B− |
| German Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 4 | 11% | D |
| Green Township | 9% | 0.1 | under 1 | 2% | C− |
| Moorefield Township | 22% | 0.5 | 22 | 26% | B+ |
| Harmony Township | 11% | under 0.1 | 10 | 16% | C |
| Bethel Township | 5% | 0.1 | 69 | 69% | B |
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: Gallagher Fen Sate Nature Preserve, 1.2 miles; Mad River Gorge & Nature Preserve, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Springfield Township is conserved land?
5% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Ohio 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?
Gallagher Fen Sate Nature Preserve and Clark County Fairgrounds don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Springfield Township?
3.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.6 of painted or protected lanes and 3.3 of off-road paths. Named routes: Buck Creek Scenic Trail.
Is there public land near Springfield Township?
10,063 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Springfield Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 490 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Springfield Township have?
Ahead of 50% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #515 of 993 in Ohio. 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.
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 →