Carroll Park
Park
33 acres1.2 mi of trail
Carroll Park East TrailCarrol Park East Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Ii2nmd · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Haverford Township
Haverford Township has 21 miles of mapped trails, 2.1 for every square mile of land
98% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Carroll Park (1.2 mi), Darby Creek Valley Park (0.9 mi). 8% of Haverford Township’s land is conserved, about 500 acres.
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns · #193 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
500 acres · of 9.9 sq mi of land
Trails
21 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
495 ac
9.7 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
98%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
2.3 mi
0.8 mi lanes · 1.5 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Haverford Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Haverford Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Haverford Township is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns, #193 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Haverford Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%B+Trails2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (21 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land9.7 acres of park per 1,000 residents (495 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home98% of residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 87%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 81%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Haverford Township’s 8% is ahead of 48% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% 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 Carroll Park, with 1.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Darby Creek Valley Park
Park
25 acres0.9 mi of trail
Darby Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Pilgrim Park
Park
12 acres0.3 mi of trail
Darby Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Paddock Park
Park
10 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Powder Mill Valley Park
Park
7 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Parking for Nitre Hall
All 30 parks & preserves
Carroll Park33 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsDarby Creek Valley Park25 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsHilltop Park19 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMerry Place12 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPilgrim Park12 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPaddock Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Powder Mill Valley Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsVeterans Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMerwood Park3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsGest Tract Park9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGrange Field Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Elwell Field6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBeechwood Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCobbs Creek Park33 acres
Polo Field15 acres
DirectionsPreston Park9 acres
DirectionsThompson Nature Park5 acres
DirectionsLynnewood Park5 acres
DirectionsWestgate Hills Park5 acres
Cadwalader Tract5 acres
DirectionsChatham Glen3 acres
Bailey Park3 acres
DirectionsGenthert Field2 acres
DirectionsGrasslyn Park2 acres
DirectionsBrookline Park2 acres
DirectionsNormandy Park2 acres
Foster Tract1 acres
Haverford Reserve - Dog Park1 acres
DirectionsLawrence Road Park1 acres
DirectionsRichland Farms Park1 acres
Who protects it
500 conserved acres
8% of Haverford Township’s land. Who manages Haverford Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government393 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits169 ac
Joint26 ac
Town or city1 ac
Not recorded78 ac
Local Park · 311 acAgricultural Easement · 159 acLocal Other or Unknown · 88 acLocal Recreation Area · 73 acUnknown Easement · 23 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 32 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 52 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haverford Reserve Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 145 | Open |
| Municipal Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 71 | Open |
| County Land Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 34 | Open |
| Darby Creek Valley Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 22 | Open |
| Grange Field Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 21 | Open |
| Hilltop Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 18 | Open |
| Polo Field Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 18 | Open |
| Darby Creek Road Passive Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 14 | Open |
| Glendale Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 13 | Open |
| Powder Mill Valley Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 12 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
45 places to go in Haverford Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Haverford Township
Carroll Park
DirectionsFreedom Playground
DirectionsPowder Mill Valley ParkIn Powder Mill Valley Park
Directions42 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Community gardens in Haverford Township
3 community gardens without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
24 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 1.4 miUnpaved · 12.7 mi
Haverford College Nature Trail1.5 mi
Darby Creek Trail1.0 mi
Carroll Park East Trail0.8 mi
Backwoods Trail0.7 mi
Scout Trail0.7 mi
Meadow Trail0.7 mi
Karakung Trail0.7 mi
Blue Route Trail0.6 mi
Woods Trail0.6 mi
Old Grey Trail0.5 mi
14 more trails
Parkview Drive Sidepath
0.4 miPECO Trail
0.4 miLenape Trail
0.3 miAthertyn Trail
0.3 miNorthbrook Trail
0.3 miGrace Trail
0.3 miWestgate Trail
0.2 miSouthbrook Trail
0.2 miCarrol Park East Trail
0.2 miVeterans Trail
0.2 miSwitchback Trail
0.1 miGrange Trail
0.1 miRailroad Trail
0.1 miShortcut
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
2.3 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
1.5 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
61Tennis
40Baseball
40Golf
25Basketball
18Pickleball
11Soccer
6Tracks
4Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
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.
Nitre HallBuilding · listed 1970
About itFederal SchoolBuilding · listed 1971
About itPont ReadingBuilding · listed 1972
About itGrange, TheBuilding · listed 1976
About itAllgatesBuilding · listed 1979
About itLlanerch Public SchoolBuilding · listed 2017
About itMiller-Leedom-Dickinson HouseBuilding · listed 2026
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Haverford Township: 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) | 41 | 43 | 52 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 55 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.7 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Haverford Township →
Next door
Haverford Township and its neighbors
Haverford Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lower Merion Township42 miHaverford Township21 miMarple Township19 miRadnor Township15 miUpper Darby Township5.8 miPenn Wynne3.5 miBroomall3.2 miDrexel Hill3.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haverford Township | 8% | 2.1 | 10 | 98% | A |
| Marple Township | 8% | 1.8 | 22 | 94% | A |
| Broomall | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lower Merion Township | 6% | 1.8 | 11 | 96% | A− |
| Radnor Township | 12% | 1.1 | 18 | 96% | A |
| Penn Wynne | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Upper Darby Township | 6% | 0.7 | 4 | 98% | B+ |
| Drexel Hill | — 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 Haverford Township
Where can I hike in Haverford Township?
The longest trail networks: Carroll Park, 1.2 miles; Darby Creek Valley Park, 0.9 miles; Hilltop Park, 0.4 miles; Merry Place, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Haverford Township is conserved land?
8% 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 Haverford Township’s trails?
Carroll Park and Darby Creek Valley Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Haverford Township?
2.3 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes and 1.5 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Haverford Township?
26,259 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Haverford Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 495 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Haverford Township have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #193 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 Haverford 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 →