Great Seal State Park
Managed by Division of Parks & Watercraft, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
1,386 acres25.1 mi of trail
The MaugerSpandexMount Ives SummitBunker Hill+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Wesley Chapel · Photo: dok1 · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Springfield Township
Springfield Township has 1,775 acres of parks, 685 for every 1,000 residents
45 miles of mapped trail cross Springfield Township, 1.5 per square mile of land. 14% of Springfield Township’s land is conserved, about 2,793 acres. The biggest trail networks: Great Seal State Park (25.1 mi), Hopewell Culture National Historical Park (7.1 mi), Ross Lake State Wildlife Area (1.4 mi).
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #38 of 993 in Ohio. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
2,793 acres · of 30.4 sq mi of land
Trails
45 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,775 ac
685 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
54%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,296 ft
Sand Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
9 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Springfield Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
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 91% of U.S. towns, #38 of 993 in Ohio. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Springfield Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical OH town 3% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (45 mi) · OH 0.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land685 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,775 acres) · OH 15 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home54% 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 91%
LessMore
Ohio towns of 2,500+ (993)Ahead of 96%
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 Great Seal State Park, with 25.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
Managed by National Park Service
374 acres7.1 mi of trail
Hopetown Earthworks TrailGreat Circle Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Ross Lake State Wildlife Area
Managed by Division of Wildlife, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
1,100 acres1.4 mi of trail
Ross Lake Shoreline Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Who protects it
2,793 conserved acres
14% of Springfield Township’s land. Who manages Springfield Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources2,477 ac
National Park Service315 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land8 ac
State Park · 1,377 acState Conservation Area · 1,100 acHistoric or Cultural Area · 307 acHistoric or Cultural Easement · 16 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Seal State Park State Park | State natural resources | 1,377 | Open |
| Ross Lake Wildlife Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 1,100 | Restricted |
| Hopewell Culture National Historical Park Historic or Cultural Area | National Park Service | 307 | Restricted |
Things to do
19 places to go in Springfield Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Springfield Township
9 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Springfield Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Springfield Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Springfield Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Springfield Township
Sand Hill1,296 ft elevation · In Great Seal State Park
DirectionsRocky Knob1,280 ft elevation
DirectionsBunker Hill1,260 ft elevation · In Great Seal State Park
DirectionsRock Garden Hill1,260 ft elevation · In Great Seal State Park
DirectionsMount Logan1,240 ft elevation
DirectionsMount Ives1,152 ft elevation · In Great Seal State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 24.3 miHorses · 13.8 miUnpaved · 32.0 mi
The Mauger1.9 mi
Spandex1.6 mi
Mount Ives Summit1.6 mi
Bunker Hill1.6 mi
Lick Run Trail1.5 mi
The Cellar1.4 mi
Ross Lake Shoreline Trail1.3 mi
Grouse Rock1.2 mi
Bunker Hill Summit1.1 mi
Lawn Chair1.1 mi
15 more trails
Sand Hill
1.1 miBald Knob Trail
1.0 miHopetown Earthworks Trail
0.9 miSplit Rock
0.9 miRocky Knob
0.8 miSharp's Trail
0.7 miAnnie's Trail
0.7 miRick's Revenge
0.7 miSkidder Trail
0.6 miRock Garden Loop
0.5 miYellow Jacket
0.4 miTransformer
0.4 miBald Knob Trail Old
0.4 miOld Schrake
0.3 miGreat Circle Trail
0.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
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) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 42 | 52 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 78 | 66 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.5 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in Springfield Township →
Next door
Springfield Township and its neighbors
Springfield Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Springfield Township45 miScioto Township41 miHarrison Township39 miLiberty Township16 miUnion Township16 miChillicothe15 miColerain Township11 miGreen Township11 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield Township | 14% | 1.5 | 685 | 54% | A |
| Scioto Township | 5% | 1.0 | 43 | 64% | A− |
| Union Township | 6% | 0.2 | 168 | 57% | B+ |
| Green Township | 3% | 0.2 | 150 | 36% | B |
| Harrison Township | 39% | 1.1 | 7,220 | 43% | A |
| Liberty Township | 1% | 0.5 | 74 | 1% | C+ |
| Chillicothe | 10% | 1.4 | 25 | 71% | A− |
| Colerain Township | 20% | 0.3 | 2,267 | 30% | 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: Great Seal State Park, 25.1 miles; Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, 7.1 miles; Ross Lake State Wildlife Area, 1.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Springfield Township is conserved land?
14% 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?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Great Seal State Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Springfield Township?
32,586 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Springfield Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,775 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Springfield Township have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #38 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 →