Jacob Jr. Ehrenhardt House · Photo: Smallbones · CC09% of Emmaus’ land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 3.2 miles of mapped trail cross Emmaus, 1.1 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Rodale Nature Area (1 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #128 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
What kind of outdoors town is Emmaus?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
How much outdoors does Emmaus have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Emmaus is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #128 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Emmaus’ 9% is ahead of 54% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 80% 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
The longest trail network is Rodale Nature Area, with 1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Klines Lane Open Space
South Mountain Preserve
All 14 parks & preserves
171 conserved acres
9% of Emmaus’ land. Who manages Emmaus’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 21 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmaus Community Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 34 | Open |
| Rodale Press Recreation Area Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 32 | Open |
| South Mountain Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 25 | Open |
| Shelter House Local Park | Not recorded | 23 | Open |
| Homestead Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 15 | Open |
| Cintas Fields Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 12 | Open |
| Williams Street Playground Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 7 | Open |
| Municipal Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 6 | Open |
| Citizens Fire Company #2 Ballfield Local Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 6 | Open |
| Boroline Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 6 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
17 places to go in Emmaus
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 14 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
4 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
0.0 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.
3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
The best walking months in Emmaus: 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 | 41 | 50 | 62 | 72 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 65 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.1 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Emmaus →
Emmaus 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emmaus | 9% | 1.1 | 15 | 99%+ | A |
| Upper Milford Township | 14% | 0.2 | 43 | 61% | B+ |
| Lower Macungie Township | 15% | 0.4 | 36 | 99% | A |
| Salisbury Township | 20% | 3.1 | 103 | 94% | A+ |
| Allentown | 13% | 1.0 | 11 | 96% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Emmaus
Where can I hike in Emmaus?
The longest trail networks: Rodale Nature Area, 1 miles; Klines Lane Open Space, 0.3 miles; South Mountain Preserve, 0.3 miles; Emmaus Community Park, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Emmaus is conserved land?
9% 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 Emmaus’ trails?
Rodale Nature Area and Klines Lane Open Space don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Emmaus?
14,228 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Emmaus or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 177 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Emmaus have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #128 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 Emmaus 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 →