Rocky Ridge County Park
Park
393 acres13.6 mi of trail
Easy PeasySue's Trail29A+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Parking Lot 2
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Hellam Township
Hellam Township has 2,235 acres of parks, 375 for every 1,000 residents
22% of Hellam Township’s land is conserved, about 3,898 acres. 33 miles of mapped trail cross Hellam Township, 1.2 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Rocky Ridge County Park (13.6 mi), Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve (7.9 mi), Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve (5.3 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #127 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
3,898 acres · of 28.2 sq mi of land
Trails
33 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,235 ac
375 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
49%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
863 ft
Chimney Rock
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Hellam Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hellam Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hellam Township is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #127 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hellam Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (33 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land375 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,235 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13AParks close to home49% 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 of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 88%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Hellam Township’s 22% is ahead of 83% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 82% 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 Rocky Ridge County Park, with 13.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
794 acres7.9 mi of trail
Mason-Dixon Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
246 acres5.3 mi of trail
Wizard Ranch Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Susquehanna Riverlands State Park
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
969 acres3.5 mi of trail
Mason-Dixon TrailOverlook Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Wilton Meadows Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
38 acres1.4 mi of trail
Yellow TrailRed TrailMason-Dixon Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
3,898 conserved acres
22% of Hellam Township’s land. Who manages Hellam Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits4,112 ac
County1,881 ac
State parks969 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government422 ac
Not recorded1,154 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,018 acPrivate Conservation · 2,181 acAgricultural Easement · 1,881 acState Park · 969 acLocal Park · 410 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,322 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Susquehanna Riverlands State Park State Park | State parks | 969 | Open |
| Hellam Hills Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 800 | Open |
| Hellam Hills Conservation Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 788 | Open |
| Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 499 | Closed |
| Rocky Ridge Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 399 | Open |
| Wilton Meadows Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 78 | Open |
| Mifflin House Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 58 | Open |
| Wildcat Bluff Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 16 | Open |
| A. Acomac Road Soccer Fields Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 13 | Open |
| Hellam Township Regional Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 10 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
8 places to go in Hellam Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Hellam Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Hellam Township
South Observation DeckIn Rocky Ridge County Park
DirectionsThe Overlook at Schull's RockIn Susquehanna Riverlands State Park
DirectionsPeaks in Hellam Township
Chimney Rock863 ft elevation
DirectionsBuzzards Roost846 ft elevation · In Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve
DirectionsRound Top778 ft elevation
DirectionsSchulls Rock427 ft elevation · In Susquehanna Riverlands State Park
DirectionsTrails & water
15 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 13.9 miHorses · 6.6 miUnpaved · 10.1 mi
Mason-Dixon Trail7.7 mi
Easy Peasy4.1 mi
Wizard Ranch Trail2.1 mi
Sue's Trail1.1 mi
20.6 mi
Overlook Trail0.6 mi
Yellow Trail0.5 mi
9A0.5 mi
90.4 mi
Red Trail0.4 mi
5 more trails
Silver Chair
0.3 mi8
0.2 mi3
0.2 miBroken Arrow
0.2 miScout Trail
0.1 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.
Courts & fields
1Soccer
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).
Codorus Forge and Furnace Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Hellam 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) | 38 | 42 | 51 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 65 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Hellam Township →
Next door
Hellam Township and its neighbors
Hellam Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Hellam Township33 miLower Windsor Township10 miSpringettsbury Township10 miWest Hempfield Township7.8 miEast Donegal Township4.5 miEast Manchester Township2.1 miConoy Township1.2 miWrightsville1.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellam Township | 22% | 1.2 | 375 | 49% | A |
| West Hempfield Township | 27% | 0.4 | 10 | 81% | A− |
| East Donegal Township | 57% | 0.2 | 47 | 59% | A− |
| East Manchester Township | 12% | 0.1 | 28 | 52% | B |
| Lower Windsor Township | 16% | 0.4 | 108 | 28% | B+ |
| Wrightsville | 14% | 1.7 | 13 | 99%+ | A |
| Springettsbury Township | 8% | 0.6 | 26 | 83% | A− |
| Conoy Township | 37% | 0.1 | 100 | 68% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hellam Township
Where can I hike in Hellam Township?
The longest trail networks: Rocky Ridge County Park, 13.6 miles; Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve, 7.9 miles; Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve, 5.3 miles; Susquehanna Riverlands State Park, 3.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hellam Township is conserved land?
22% 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 Hellam Township’s trails?
Rocky Ridge County Park and Robert A. Kinsley Nature Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Hellam Township?
12,250 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hellam Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,235 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hellam Township have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #127 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 Hellam 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 →