State Game Lands 217
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
1,474 acres1.7 mi of trail
Appalachian Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0BOutdoors
Outdoors in Heidelberg Township
35% of Heidelberg Township’s land is conserved: 5,537 acres
The biggest trail networks: State Game Lands 217 (1.7 mi), Northwestern Community Park Recreational Fields (0.5 mi). 73 acres are parks and preserves, 22 per 1,000 residents. 26% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 59% of U.S. towns · #646 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
35%
5,537 acres · of 24.7 sq mi of land
Trails
4.0 mi
0.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
73 ac
22 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
26%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,585 ft
Bake Oven Knob
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Heidelberg Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Heidelberg Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Heidelberg Township is ahead of 59% of U.S. towns, #646 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
B
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Heidelberg Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land35% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (4 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4C+Park land22 acres of park per 1,000 residents (73 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home26% 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 59%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 38%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Heidelberg Township’s 35% is ahead of 94% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 27% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to B+. 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 State Game Lands 217, with 1.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Northwestern Community Park Recreational Fields
Park
32 acres0.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
State Game Lands Number 205
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
12 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
5,537 conserved acres
35% of Heidelberg Township’s land. Who manages Heidelberg Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County14,852 ac
State fish & wildlife2,957 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government87 ac
National Park Service47 ac
Not recorded281 ac
Agricultural Easement · 14,948 acState Resource Management Area · 1,485 acState Recreation Area · 1,472 acPrivate Agricultural · 151 acNational Scenic or Historic Trail · 47 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,788 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Land 217 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,474 | Open |
| Sgl 217 State Recreation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,472 | Open |
| Zellner E&K Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 151 | Closed |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 47 | Open |
| Conrad W. Raker Wildlife Reserve Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 37 | Closed |
| Northwestern Recreation Commission Park Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 35 | Open |
| Russell Wentz Jr. Memorial Playground Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 31 | Open |
| Northwestern Recreation Fields Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 13 | Open |
| State Game Land 205 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 11 | Open |
| Miracle League Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 5 | Open |
Things to do
9 places to go in Heidelberg Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Heidelberg Township
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Heidelberg Township
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Heidelberg Township
Bake Oven Knob1,585 ft elevation · In State Game Lands 217
DirectionsBull Head810 ft elevation
DirectionsFlint Hill758 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.6 mi
Appalachian Trail1.5 mi
Lakes & 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.
Courts & fields
7Softball
4Baseball
3Soccer
2Beach volleyball
2Basketball
2Equestrian
1Tracks
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Bridge in Heidelberg TownshipStructure · listed 1988
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Heidelberg Township: April, May 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 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 41 | 49 | 62 | 73 | 80 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 52 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.0 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Heidelberg Township →
Next door
Heidelberg Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
North Whitehall Township27 miLynn Township21 miEast Penn Township17 miLowhill Township13 miWashington Township9.1 miWest Penn Township7.4 miHeidelberg Township4.0 miSchnecksville2.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heidelberg Township | 35% | 0.2 | 22 | 26% | B |
| East Penn Township | 25% | 0.7 | 318 | 29% | A− |
| Lowhill Township | 28% | 0.9 | 223 | 19% | A− |
| Washington Township | 21% | 0.4 | 74 | 54% | A− |
| Lynn Township | 43% | 0.5 | 135 | 26% | A− |
| Schnecksville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| North Whitehall Township | 10% | 1.0 | 82 | 66% | A |
| West Penn Township | 11% | 0.1 | 24 | 5% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Heidelberg Township
Where can I hike in Heidelberg Township?
The longest trail networks: State Game Lands 217, 1.7 miles; Northwestern Community Park Recreational Fields, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Heidelberg Township is conserved land?
35% 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 Heidelberg Township’s trails?
State Game Lands 217 and Northwestern Community Park Recreational Fields don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Heidelberg Township?
30,277 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Heidelberg Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,568 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Heidelberg Township have?
Ahead of 59% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #646 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 Heidelberg 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 →