Bald Eagle State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
17,089 acres40.1 mi of trail
Mid-State TrailFallen Timber TrailSand Hollow TrailBack Roundtop Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Haines Township
More than half of Haines Township’s land is conserved: 52%
52% of Haines Township’s land is conserved, about 19,114 acres. 899 acres are parks and preserves, 475 per 1,000 residents. 51 miles of mapped trail cross Haines Township, 0.9 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
52%
19,114 acres · of 57.3 sq mi of land
Trails
51 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
899 ac
475 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
40%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,201 ft
Thick Mountain
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Haines Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Haines Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Haines Township is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Haines Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land52% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (51 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land475 acres of park per 1,000 residents (899 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home40% of residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 90%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Haines Township’s 52% is ahead of 99% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 73% 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 Bald Eagle State Forest, with 40.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Penns Creek Wild Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
2,108 acres4.4 mi of trail
Penns Creek PathFisherman's Path (Hike-a-Bike)John and Ann Snyder TrailPenns Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Cherry Run parking lot
The Hook Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
700 acres2.1 mi of trail
Dug TrailKessler Trail (MST)
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Poe Paddy State Park
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
22 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
All 5 parks & preserves
Bald Eagle State Forest17,089 acres · 40.1 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsPenns Creek Wild Area2,108 acres · 4.4 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsThe Hook Natural Area700 acres · 2.1 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
Poe Paddy State Park22 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
DirectionsBear Run Natural Area18 acres · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
Who protects it
19,114 conserved acres
52% of Haines Township’s land. Who manages Haines Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources17,368 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,774 ac
Joint184 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)83 ac
State parks22 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land8 ac
State fish & wildlife1 ac
State Resource Management Area · 16,647 acState Wilderness · 2,111 acConservation Easement · 1,466 acAgricultural Easement · 748 acState Conservation Area · 720 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,569 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 28 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bald Eagle State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 14,538 | Open |
| Penns Creek Wild Area State Wilderness | State natural resources | 2,111 | Open |
| Bald Eagle State Forest - Penns Creek Wild Area State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,109 | Open |
| The Hook Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 701 | Open |
| Woodward Sports Camp Local Park | Not recorded | 152 | Open |
| Poe Paddy State Park State Park | State parks | 22 | Open |
| Bear Run Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 19 | Open |
| Aaronsburg Civic Club Park Local Park | Not recorded | 1 | Open |
| Penn's Creek State Other or Unknown | State fish & wildlife | 1 | Closed |
Things to do
31 places to go in Haines Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Haines Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Haines Township
Ingleby ViewIn Penns Creek Wild Area
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Haines Township
Thick Mountain2,201 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsWinkelblech Mountain2,192 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsShriner Mountain2,182 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsSawmill Mountain1,991 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsFirst Green Knob1,946 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsSharpback Mountain1,919 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsRupp Mountain1,873 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsBear Mountain1,867 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
Directions6 more peaks
Sand Mountain1,821 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsWoodward Mountain1,775 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsSecond Green Knob1,765 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsSawmill Knob1,690 ft elevation · In Penns Creek Wild Area
DirectionsSlide Mountain1,673 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsRavens Knob1,480 ft elevation · In Penns Creek Wild Area
DirectionsPlus 2 peaks without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Haines Township
Hairy Johns PIcnic AreaIn Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in Haines Township
024 Old Mingle RoadIn Penns Creek Wild Area · PA DCNR
Directions025 Old Mingle RoadIn Penns Creek Wild Area · PA DCNR
Directions027 Lick Hollow RoadIn Bald Eagle State Forest · PA DCNR
Directions028 Paddy Mountain RoadIn Bald Eagle State Forest · PA DCNR
Directions029 Cherry Run RoadIn Bald Eagle State Forest · PA DCNR
Directions030 Stony Run RoadIn Bald Eagle State Forest · PA DCNR
Directions032 Old Mingle RoadIn Penns Creek Wild Area · PA DCNR
Directions033 Old Mingle RoadIn Penns Creek Wild Area · PA DCNR
Directions3 more campgrounds
Trails & water
25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 14.5 miHorses · 18.6 miUnpaved · 30.1 mi
Mid-State Trail3.9 mi
Fallen Timber Trail2.9 mi
Penns Creek Path2.9 mi
Sand Hollow Trail2.7 mi
Back Roundtop Trail2.1 mi
Rock Knob Trail1.4 mi
Panther Hollow Trail1.4 mi
Winkelbleck Trail1.2 mi
Barner Gap trail1.1 mi
Dug Trail1.1 mi
15 more trails
Green Knob Trail
1.0 miDouty Mill Trail
1.0 miFisherman's Path (Hike-a-Bike)
1.0 miKessler Trail (MST)
0.9 miGums Trail
0.9 miLick Hollow Trail
0.9 miDry Hollow Trail
0.8 miJohnson Trail
0.6 miHairy Johns Trail
0.6 miKessler Trail
0.6 miBear Run Trail
0.6 miBear Gap Trail
0.5 miJohn and Ann Snyder Trail
0.5 miKleckner Spring Trail
0.3 miRabbit Shanty Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Fallen Timber TrailBike route
2.9 miDouty Mill TrailBike route
2.1 miCourts & fields
1Skate park
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 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 Haines 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 | 13.3 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 37 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 77 | 81 | 80 | 72 | 61 | 48 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Haines Township →
Next door
Haines 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haines Township | 52% | 0.9 | 475 | 40% | A |
| Miles Township | 38% | 0.8 | 6 | 21% | B |
| Armagh Township | 54% | 0.9 | 60 | 42% | A |
| Hartley Township | 66% | 1.1 | 2,760 | 30% | A |
| Penn Township | 32% | 0.9 | 563 | 24% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Haines Township
Where can I hike in Haines Township?
The longest trail networks: Bald Eagle State Forest, 40.1 miles; Penns Creek Wild Area, 4.4 miles; The Hook Natural Area, 2.1 miles; Poe Paddy State Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Haines Township is conserved land?
52% 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 Haines Township’s trails?
Bald Eagle State Forest and Penns Creek Wild Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Haines Township?
186,547 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Haines Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 17,670 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Haines Township have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Haines 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 →