Tioga State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
8,580 acres34.3 mi of trail
Left Mill Run TrailBend Gully TrailMerrick Spring TrailRight Mill Run Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
–Not graded
Outdoors in Gaines Township
More than half of Gaines Township’s land is conserved: 55%
55% of Gaines Township’s land is conserved, about 17,045 acres. The biggest trail networks: Tioga State Forest (34.3 mi), State Game Lands Number 208 (5.1 mi). 46 miles of mapped trail cross Gaines Township, 0.9 per square mile of land.
Conserved land
55%
17,045 acres · of 48.6 sq mi of land
Trails
46 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,270 ft
Elephant Mountain
Lakes & rivers
1
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 Tioga State Forest, with 34.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
State Game Lands Number 208
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
8,410 acres5.1 mi of trail
Bend Gully Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
State Game Lands Number 64
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
48 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pine Creek Gorge Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
1 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
17,045 conserved acres
55% of Gaines Township’s land. Who manages Gaines Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources8,601 ac
State fish & wildlife8,444 ac
Not recorded2 ac
State Resource Management Area · 17,045 acState Conservation Area · 2 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tioga State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 8,600 | Open |
| State Game Land 208 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 8,396 | Open |
| State Game Land 064 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 48 | Open |
| Pine Creek Gorge State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 2 | Open |
| Tioga State Forest - Pine Creek Gorge Natural Area State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2 | Open |
Things to do
5 places to go in Gaines Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Gaines Township
Elephant Mountain2,270 ft elevation · In State Game Lands Number 208
DirectionsHedgehog Point2,152 ft elevation
DirectionsLick Run Hill2,093 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Gaines Township
Crooked Creek CampgroundFee · DB Adventures LLC
DirectionsSnyder's Family CampgroundFee
DirectionsTrails & water
15 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 3.5 miHorses · 17.7 miUnpaved · 8.0 mi
Bend Gully Trail3.7 mi
Left Mill Run Trail2.8 mi
Merrick Spring Trail2.1 mi
Right Mill Run Trail2.1 mi
Blue Run Trail2.0 mi
Mathers Trail1.3 mi
McCarthy Trail1.2 mi
Wild Apple Trail1.2 mi
Rexford Trail1.2 mi
Bake Oven Trail1.2 mi
5 more trails
Old Supply Trail
0.9 miWater Tank Hollow Trail
0.8 miSpike Buck Trail
0.4 miWoodruff Flat
0.4 miBee Tree Ski Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Gaines Township: May, 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) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 36 | 45 | 58 | 70 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 61 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.2 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Gaines Township →
Next door
Gaines Township 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaines Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pike Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Shippen Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Clymer Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Elk Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Gaines Township
Where can I hike in Gaines Township?
The longest trail networks: Tioga State Forest, 34.3 miles; State Game Lands Number 208, 5.1 miles; Pine Creek Gorge Natural Area, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Gaines Township’s trails?
Tioga State Forest and State Game Lands Number 208 don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Gaines Township?
166,893 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Gaines Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 17,120 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Gaines 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 →