Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Photo: Nyttend · Public domainThe biggest trail networks: Raccoon Creek State Park (5.1 mi). 7% of Independence Township’s land is conserved, about 1,022 acres. 26% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 65% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Independence Township is ahead of 65% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Independence Township’s 7% is ahead of 45% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 40% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
The longest trail network is Raccoon Creek State Park, with 5.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
7% of Independence Township’s land. Who manages Independence Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 7 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Land 189 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 352 | Open |
| Beaver County Park Property Local Park | Not recorded | 308 | Unknown |
| Raccoon Creek State Park State Park | State parks | 270 | Open |
| Beaver County Conservation Local Conservation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 105 | Open |
| Independence Community Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 56 | Open |
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
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 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 49 | 63 | 72 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 76 | 64 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 2.8 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.2 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Independence Township →
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Township | 7% | 0.3 | 316 | 26% | B |
| Findlay Township | 2% | 0.6 | 36 | 85% | B+ |
| Hanover Township | 26% | 1.0 | 2,169 | 45% | A |
| Hopewell Township | 2% | 0.5 | 14 | 42% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
The longest trail networks: Raccoon Creek State Park, 5.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
7% 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.
Raccoon Creek State Park and State Game Lands Number 189 don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
30,062 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Independence Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,018 of them inside the town line.
Ahead of 65% 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.
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Independence Township neighbors.
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 →