Photo: Joseph E. B. Elliot · Public domain97% of residents live within a half mile of a park in Columbia
1.4 miles of mapped trail cross Columbia, 0.6 per square mile of land. 46 acres are parks and preserves, 4.5 per 1,000 residents. 3% of Columbia’s land is conserved, about 45 acres.
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns · #636 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Columbia?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Columbia have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Columbia is ahead of 60% of U.S. towns, #636 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. The share of residents near a park holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Columbia’s 3% is ahead of 20% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 61% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Jansen Park
Columbia River Park
45 conserved acres
3% of Columbia’s land. Who manages Columbia’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glatfelter Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 16 | Open |
| River Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 8 | Open |
| Norfolk Southern Acquisition Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 8 | Open |
| Safe Harbor Recreation Area Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 4 | Open |
| Vilgilant Field Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 4 | Open |
| Janson Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 4 | Open |
| Makle Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 3 | Open |
| Columbia River Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 3 | Open |
| Locust Street Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 2 | Open |
| Safe Harbor Recreation Lands Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 2 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
1 places to go in Columbia
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
0.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
The best walking months in Columbia: April to June and 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 42 | 52 | 64 | 74 | 82 | 86 | 84 | 78 | 66 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Columbia →
Columbia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 3% | 0.6 | 4 | 97% | B |
| West Hempfield Township | 27% | 0.4 | 10 | 81% | A− |
| Manor Township | 36% | 0.5 | 45 | 75% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Columbia
How much of Columbia is conserved land?
3% 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 Columbia’s trails?
Glatfelter Memorial Field and Jansen Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Columbia?
0.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.6 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Columbia?
9,327 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Columbia or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 46 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Columbia have?
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #636 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 Columbia neighbors.
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 →