Rothrock State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
9,342 acres41.2 mi of trail
Mid-State TrailTussey Mountain TrailLower TrailBald Knob Ridge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Clint · CC BY-SA 2.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Harris Township
More than half of Harris Township’s land is conserved: 51%
51% of Harris Township’s land is conserved, about 10,262 acres. 84 miles of mapped trail cross Harris Township, 2.7 per square mile of land. 1,106 acres are parks and preserves, 186 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #18 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
51%
10,262 acres · of 31.5 sq mi of land
Trails
84 mi
2.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,106 ac
186 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
83%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.5 mi
0.7 mi lanes · 2.8 mi paths
Highest peak
2,421 ft
Little Flat
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Harris Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild51% of the land is conserved; a typical Pennsylvania town, 8%.A trail town2.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 96% of U.S. towns.Room to roam186 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way4 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Harris Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Harris Township is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #18 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Harris Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land51% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (84 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land186 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,106 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13AParks close to home83% of residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 98%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Harris Township’s 51% is ahead of 99% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 96% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Rothrock State Forest, with 41.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Thickhead Mountain Wild Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
2,592 acres13.7 mi of trail
Mid-State TrailJohn Wert PathDetweiler TrailShingle Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Bear Meadows Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
763 acres4.7 mi of trail
Bear Meadows LoopJean Aron PathGettis TrailSand Spring Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Detweiler Run Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
72 acres1 mi of trail
Mid-State TrailDetweiler Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Fasick Park
Managed by CRPR
16 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Stan Yoder Memorial Preserve
Managed by Harris Township
15 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Penn-Roosevelt State Park
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
43 acres0.6 mi of trail
Mid-State Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Kaywood Park
Park
7 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 14 parks & preserves
Rothrock State Forest9,342 acres · 41.2 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsThickhead Mountain Wild Area2,592 acres · 13.7 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsBear Meadows Natural Area763 acres · 4.7 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsDetweiler Run Natural Area72 acres · 1 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
Fasick Park16 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · CRPR
DirectionsStan Yoder Memorial Preserve15 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Harris Township
DirectionsPenn-Roosevelt State Park43 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
DirectionsKaywood Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Nittany View Park6 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsBig Flat Laurel Natural Area30 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
Blue Spring Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHarpster Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsTussey Pond Park12 acres · CRPR
DirectionsCountry Place Park4 acres · CRPR
Who protects it
10,262 conserved acres
51% of Harris Township’s land. Who manages Harris Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources9,348 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,805 ac
County150 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)77 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government73 ac
Other state land54 ac
State parks42 ac
State Resource Management Area · 8,482 acState Wilderness · 2,632 acAgricultural Easement · 1,028 acState Conservation Area · 865 acForest Stewardship Easement · 568 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 488 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 47 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rothrock State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 5,823 | Open |
| Thickhead Wild Area State Wilderness | State natural resources | 2,632 | Open |
| Rothrock State Forest - Thickhead Wild Area State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 2,631 | Open |
| Bear Meadows Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 763 | Open |
| Pennsylvania Military Museum Local Park | Not recorded | 104 | Unknown |
| Centre County Ag Easement #059 Private Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 85 | Closed |
| Mount Nittany Conservancy Property Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 85 | Closed |
| Stony Batter Nature Park Private Conservation | Not recorded | 76 | Open |
| Detweiler Run Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 72 | Open |
| Penn Roosevelt State Park State Park | State parks | 45 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
26 places to go in Harris Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Harris Township
1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Harris Township
4 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Waterfalls in Harris Township
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Harris Township
Highline VistaIn Rothrock State Forest
DirectionsIndian Wells VistaIn Thickhead Mountain Wild Area
DirectionsLittle Shingletown Trail VistaIn Rothrock State Forest
DirectionsPenns Valley Overlook
DirectionsRoman Tower
DirectionsPlus 8 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Harris Township
Little Flat2,421 ft elevation · In Rothrock State Forest
DirectionsBald Knob2,297 ft elevation · In Rothrock State Forest
DirectionsTussey Mountain2,100 ft elevation · In Rothrock State Forest
DirectionsLittle Mountain1,791 ft elevation · In Rothrock State Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in Harris Township
Aikens Cabins at Bear Meadows
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Harris Township
Harvest Fields Disc Golf Course
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 45.0 miHorses · 39.5 miUnpaved · 74.3 mi
Mid-State Trail10.0 mi
Tussey Mountain Trail3.2 mi
Bald Knob Ridge Trail3.2 mi
Lower Trail2.8 mi
Lonberger Path2.7 mi
Bear Meadows Loop2.4 mi
Shingle Path2.4 mi
John Wert Path2.4 mi
Detweiler Trail2.1 mi
Little Shingletown Trail2.0 mi
15 more trails
Sand Spring Trail
1.8 miThickhead Mountain Trail
1.6 miGreenshoot Trail
1.5 miShingletown Gap Trail
1.4 miCharcoal Flats Trail
1.3 miKettle Trail
1.2 miMountain Mist Trail
1.0 miNew Laurel Run Trail
1.0 miRed-White Trail
0.9 miOld Laurel Run Trail
0.8 miMaguire Trail
0.8 miLone Pine Trail
0.8 miSpruce Gap Trail
0.8 miOuter Loop
0.7 miDowner Trail
0.7 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
3.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.7 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
2.8 mi
off-road bike paths
Bald Knob Maguire LoopBike route
6.4 miTussey Mountain Trail Coathanger LoopBike route
5.1 miTussey Mountain TrailBike route
3.6 miBald Knob Ridge TrailBike route
3.1 miCourts & fields
17Golf
5Softball
5Tennis
3Basketball
2Equestrian
1Baseball
1Soccer
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 33 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Harris 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 38 | 47 | 60 | 70 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 73 | 62 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.4 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Harris Township →
Next door
Harris Township and its neighbors
Harris Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Jackson Township117 miHarris Township84 miFerguson Township74 miPotter Township47 miCollege Township43 miBenner Township41 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harris Township | 51% | 2.7 | 186 | 83% | A+ |
| College Township | 16% | 2.3 | 57 | 96% | A+ |
| Jackson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Potter Township | 32% | 0.8 | 111 | 21% | A− |
| Benner Township | 14% | 1.4 | 7 | 24% | B |
| Ferguson Township | 32% | 1.6 | 36 | 94% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Harris Township
Where can I hike in Harris Township?
The longest trail networks: Rothrock State Forest, 41.2 miles; Thickhead Mountain Wild Area, 13.7 miles; Bear Meadows Natural Area, 4.7 miles; Detweiler Run Natural Area, 1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Harris Township is conserved land?
51% 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 Harris Township’s trails?
Rothrock State Forest and Thickhead Mountain Wild Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Harris Township?
3.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.7 of painted or protected lanes and 2.8 of off-road paths. Named routes: Bald Knob Maguire Loop, Tussey Mountain Trail Coathanger Loop and Tussey Mountain Trail.
Is there public land near Harris Township?
89,830 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Harris Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 9,643 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Harris Township have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #18 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 Harris 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 →