The Arboretum at Penn State
Park
228 acres7.2 mi of trail
Gerhold Wildflower TrailMaple LoopOak BendLimestone Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: User:RockinRob · Public domainA+Outdoors
Outdoors in College Township
College Township has 43 miles of mapped trails, 2.3 for every square mile of land
16% of College Township’s land is conserved, about 1,829 acres. 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 603 acres are parks and preserves, 57 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns · #30 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
16%
1,829 acres · of 18.3 sq mi of land
Trails
43 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
603 ac
57 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
5.4 mi lanes · 8.8 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is College Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does College Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, College Township is ahead of 97% of U.S. towns, #30 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of College Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land16% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (43 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land57 acres of park per 1,000 residents (603 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home96% 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 97%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 97%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so College Township’s 16% is ahead of 72% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% of them.
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 The Arboretum at Penn State, with 7.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Oak Hall Regional Park
Park
66 acres1.7 mi of trail
Outer LoopSection BSection CSection A+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Millbrook Marsh Nature Center
Managed by Centre Region Parks and Recreation
63 acres1.7 mi of trail
Millbrook Marsh BoardwalkMillbrook Marsh Boardwalk (closed for repairs)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Thompson Woods Preserve
Nature preserve
47 acres1.1 mi of trail
Woodlot TrailStreamside Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Thompson Woods Preserve Parking
Walnut Springs Park
Park
15 acres1 mi of trail
Streamside TrailWalnut PathWalnut Springs Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens
Park
10 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Stony Batter Natural Area
Managed by College Township
29 acres0.5 mi of trail
Blue Blazed TrailWhite Blazed Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
College Township Water Authority
Managed by College Township Water Authority
9 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 26 parks & preserves
The Arboretum at Penn State228 acres · 7.2 mi of trail
DirectionsOak Hall Regional Park66 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMillbrook Marsh Nature Center63 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Centre Region Parks and Recreation
DirectionsThompson Woods Preserve47 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWalnut Springs Park15 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsH.O. Smith Botanic Gardens10 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsStony Batter Natural Area29 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · College Township
DirectionsCollege Township Water Authority9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · College Township Water Authority
Spring Creek Park29 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFogleman Fields18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMountainside Park9 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Slab Cabin Park14 acres
DirectionsDalevue Park13 acres
DirectionsMillbrook Marsh Fen7 acres · Clear Water Conservancy of Central Pennsylvania
DirectionsBlue Band Practice IM Fields6 acres
DirectionsPark Ave Lower Intramural Fields6 acres
DirectionsCrossing Park5 acres
Upper Intramural Fields5 acres
DirectionsPenn Hills Park5 acres
DirectionsNittany Orchard Park4 acres
Oak Grove Park3 acres
DirectionsShamrock Park3 acres
Nittany Terrace Park2 acres
Fieldstone Park1 acres
DirectionsGlenn Park1 acres
Harris Acres Parklet1 acres
Who protects it
1,829 conserved acres
16% of College Township’s land. Who manages College Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits3,195 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government305 ac
County289 ac
Regional agency53 ac
Town or city3 ac
Not recorded999 ac
Private Conservation · 2,325 acAgricultural Easement · 1,419 acLocal Park · 342 acConservation Easement · 238 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 176 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 374 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 73 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stony Batter Nature Park Private Conservation | Not recorded | 1,503 | Open |
| Mount Nittany Conservancy Property Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 785 | Closed |
| Centre County Ag Easement #060 Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 169 | Closed |
| Millbrook Marsh Nature Center Local Conservation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 121 | Open |
| Oak Hall Regional Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 66 | Open |
| Penn State Arboretum Local Park | Regional agency | 53 | Open |
| Thompson Woods Preserve Local Conservation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 37 | Open |
| Slab Cabin Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 31 | Open |
| Fogleman Field Complex Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 30 | Open |
| Spring Creek Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 30 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
36 places to go in College Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in College Township
Slab Cabin Park PlaygroundIn Slab Cabin Park
DirectionsVillandry PlaygroundIn Oak Grove Park
DirectionsPlus 24 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in College Township
Boalsburg & Mt. Nittany Middle School Overlook
DirectionsLittle Flat Overlook
DirectionsMike Lynch Overlook
DirectionsNittany Mall Overlook
DirectionsNorthwest Overlook
DirectionsTom Smith Overlook
DirectionsPeaks in College Township
Mount Nittany
DirectionsPicnic areas in College Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Disc golf in College Township
1 disc golf course without a name on the map.
Community gardens in College Township
The Giving Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
23 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.5 miUnpaved · 25.1 mi
Blue Blazed Trail3.3 mi
White Blazed Trail2.6 mi
Outer Loop0.9 mi
Streamside Trail0.5 mi
Blue/White Blazed Trail0.5 mi
Millbrook Marsh Boardwalk0.4 mi
ROTC Endurance Course0.4 mi
Gerhold Wildflower Trail0.3 mi
Walnut Path0.3 mi
Woodlot Trail0.3 mi
13 more trails
Walnut Springs Trail
0.2 miMaple Loop
0.2 miSlab Cabin Trail
0.2 miShortcut to Blue Trail
0.2 miSection B
0.2 miOak Bend
0.1 miSection C
0.1 miSection A
0.1 miSection F
0.1 miSection G
0.1 miLimestone Trail
0.1 miSection E
0.1 miMillbrook Marsh Boardwalk (closed for repairs)
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
8.8 mi
off-road bike paths
1.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
15Soccer
12Tennis
11Tracks
10Basketball
10Baseball
5Football
5Softball
3Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in College Township: April to August
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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 35 | 38 | 48 | 61 | 71 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 63 | 50 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.2 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in College Township →
Next door
College Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Harris Township84 miFerguson Township74 miPatton Township72 miCollege Township43 miBenner Township41 miState College6.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| College Township | 16% | 2.3 | 57 | 96% | A+ |
| State College | 5% | 1.5 | 4 | 99% | A− |
| Harris Township | 51% | 2.7 | 186 | 83% | A+ |
| Benner Township | 14% | 1.4 | 7 | 24% | B |
| Ferguson Township | 32% | 1.6 | 36 | 94% | A+ |
| Patton Township | 20% | 2.9 | 51 | 95% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in College Township
Where can I hike in College Township?
The longest trail networks: The Arboretum at Penn State, 7.2 miles; Oak Hall Regional Park, 1.7 miles; Millbrook Marsh Nature Center, 1.7 miles; Thompson Woods Preserve, 1.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of College Township is conserved land?
16% 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 College Township’s trails?
The Arboretum at Penn State and Oak Hall Regional Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in College Township?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.4 of painted or protected lanes, 8.8 of off-road paths and 1.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near College Township?
96,537 acres of parks and open public land lie inside College Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 694 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does College Township have?
Ahead of 97% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #30 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 College 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 →