Sand Island Park
Managed by City of Bethlehem
11 acres1.1 mi of trail
Sand Island TrailLehigh Canal Towpath Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel · CC BY-SA 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Bethlehem
5% of Bethlehem’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
18 miles of mapped trail cross Bethlehem, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Sand Island Park (1.1 mi). 5% of Bethlehem’s land is conserved, about 646 acres.
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns · #361 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
5%
646 acres · of 19.1 sq mi of land
Trails
18 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
587 ac
7.5 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.9 mi
2.4 mi paths
Highest peak
925 ft
South Mountain
Lakes & rivers
5
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Bethlehem?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bethlehem have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bethlehem is ahead of 76% of U.S. towns, #361 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bethlehem’s overall grade.
Conserved land5% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%BTrails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (18 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land7.5 acres of park per 1,000 residents (587 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13C+Parks close to home99% of residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 76%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 65%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Bethlehem’s 5% is ahead of 37% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 74% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B 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 Sand Island Park, with 1.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Monocacy Park Complex
Managed by City of Bethlehem
57 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hal Fenicle Memorial Park
Managed by City of Bethlehem
22 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 39 parks & preserves
Sand Island Park11 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsSaucon Park99 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMonocacy Park Complex57 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsWest Side Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsIllick's Mill Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBethlehem Rose Garden9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsNorthdale Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsJohnston Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsJenkins Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Bethlehem
Hal Fenicle Memorial Park22 acres · City of Bethlehem
South Bethlehem Greenway19 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsSell Field Park14 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsArchibald Johnston Conservation Area11 acres · Northampton County
Clearview Park10 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsGlasser Field8 acres · Moravian Academy
Yellis Tract7 acres · City of Bethlehem
Rockland Park7 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsPembroke Park6 acres
DirectionsBernie Fritz Park6 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsKings Mansion Park6 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsBayard Park4 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsGertrude B. Fox Conservation Area3 acres · Northampton County
L.G. Stewart Park3 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsJanet Johnston Housenick and William D. Housenick Memorial Park2 acres · Bethlehem Township
Camel's Hump Farm2 acres
Ullman Park2 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsThird & Wyandotte Park2 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsDaniel E. Rice Memorial Plaza2 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsJohn Glenn Park2 acres · City of Bethlehem
Friendship Park1 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsHolton Park1 acres · City of Bethlehem
Yosko Park1 acres
DirectionsNick Dutko Monument Park1 acres · City of Bethlehem
Elmwood Park1 acres · City of Bethlehem
Bryan Street Park1 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsHigbee Park1 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsFairview Park1 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsMadison Park1 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsSteelworkers' Memorial1 acres · City of Bethlehem
DirectionsWho protects it
646 conserved acres
5% of Bethlehem’s land. Who manages Bethlehem’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government553 ac
Town or city50 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits5 ac
County3 ac
Not recorded124 ac
Local Park · 396 acLocal Recreation Area · 230 acLocal Other or Unknown · 75 acConservation Easement · 12 acLocal Conservation Area · 12 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 12 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 54 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Golf Club Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 153 | Unknown |
| Saucon Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 124 | Open |
| Canal Park Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 73 | Open |
| Illicks Mill Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 54 | Open |
| South Bethlehem Greenway Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| Hal Fenicle Memorial Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 22 | Open |
| Sand Island Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 19 | Open |
| Lehigh Canal Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 16 | Open |
| Bethlehem Skateplaza Local Park | Town or city | 16 | Open |
| Lehigh Canal Park (Bethlehem Northampton County) Local Park | Not recorded | 15 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
91 places to go in Bethlehem
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Bethlehem
Clearview PoolIn Clearview Park
DirectionsMemorial PoolIn Monocacy Park Complex
DirectionsStark PoolIn Sell Field Park
DirectionsWestside PoolIn West Side Park
DirectionsYosko PoolIn Yosko Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Bethlehem
Clearview Playground
DirectionsClearview Playground
DirectionsFairview Park
DirectionsKline Park
DirectionsLincoln Playground
DirectionsMarvine Playground
DirectionsStephen P. Godbolt Memorial Recreation Complex
Directions57 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Bethlehem
Bethlehem Fields Dog Park
DirectionsMonocacy Park Off-Leash Recreation AreaIn Monocacy Park Complex
DirectionsPlus 3 dog parks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Bethlehem
Sand Island Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Bethlehem
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Bethlehem
Lehigh Overlook
DirectionsMarcon Overlook
DirectionsPeaks in Bethlehem
South Mountain925 ft elevation
DirectionsCamelhump574 ft elevation
DirectionsPinetop449 ft elevation
DirectionsQuaker Hill
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bethlehem
Charlie Brown's Clearing
DirectionsPicinic Table (C)
DirectionsPicinic Table (C)In Illick's Mill Park
DirectionsPicinic Table (C)In Illick's Mill Park
DirectionsPicinic Table (S)
DirectionsPicinic Table (S)In Illick's Mill Park
DirectionsPicinic Table (S)In Illick's Mill Park
DirectionsPicinic Table (S)In Illick's Mill Park
Directions1 more picnic area
Picinic Table (S)
DirectionsPlus 2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Bethlehem
EsperanzaIn South Bethlehem Greenway · Afros In Natue
DirectionsLehigh Community Garden
DirectionsPlus 2 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 12.0 miHorses · 4.1 miUnpaved · 6.0 mi
D&L Trail3.9 mi
Sand Island Trail0.9 mi
Blue Trail0.5 mi
Witch Trail0.4 mi
Lehigh Canal Towpath Trail0.2 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.4 mi
off-road bike paths
5.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
9/11 National Memorial Trail (Pennsylvania thru route)Bike route
4.1 miD&L TrailBike route
4.1 miCourts & fields
47Tennis
33Baseball
31Basketball
11Soccer
9Tracks
7Softball
5Football
3Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →22 places on the National Register, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 43 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Gemeinhaus-Lewis David De Schweinitz ResidenceNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 1975
About it★
Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic DistrictNational Historic Landmark · District · listed 2012
About itCentral Bethlehem Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1972
About itTannery, TheBuilding · listed 1972
About itGristmiller's HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itMoravian Sun InnBuilding · listed 1973
About itPacker Memorial ChapelBuilding · listed 1979
About itLehigh Valley Railroad Headquarters BuildingBuilding · listed 1984
About itElmwood Park Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988
About itFountain Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988
About itPembroke Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1988
About it10 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bethlehem: April to June
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 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 42 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 5.0 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Bethlehem →
Next door
Bethlehem and its neighbors
Bethlehem has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Salisbury Township34 miBethlehem18 miLower Saucon Township16 miBethlehem Township14 miHanover Township3.2 miFreemansburg2.6 miHellertown1.8 miHanover Township1.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | 5% | 0.9 | 8 | 99% | A− |
| Hanover Township | 5% | 0.5 | 19 | 98% | A− |
| Lower Saucon Township | 10% | 0.7 | 68 | 65% | A− |
| Hellertown | 12% | 1.4 | 19 | 99%+ | A |
| Hanover Township | 1% | 0.4 | 19 | 77% | B− |
| Bethlehem Township | 5% | 1.0 | 14 | 90% | A− |
| Freemansburg | 6% | 3.7 | 10 | 99%+ | A |
| Salisbury Township | 20% | 3.1 | 103 | 94% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bethlehem
Where can I hike in Bethlehem?
The longest trail networks: Sand Island Park, 1.1 miles; Saucon Park, 0.4 miles; Monocacy Park Complex, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bethlehem is conserved land?
5% of its land, against a typical 8% for a Pennsylvania town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bethlehem’s trails?
Sand Island Park and Saucon Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bethlehem?
7.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.4 of off-road paths and 5.5 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: 9/11 National Memorial Trail (Pennsylvania thru route) and D&L Trail.
Is there public land near Bethlehem?
22,829 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bethlehem or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 599 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Bethlehem have?
Ahead of 76% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #361 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. 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 Bethlehem 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 →