Otter Creek Nature Preserve
Managed by Lancaster Conservancy
216 acres3.4 mi of trail
Mason-Dixon Trail/ Red TrailRed TrailOrange TrailMason-Dixon Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Lower Chanceford Township
33% of Lower Chanceford Township’s land is conserved: 8,753 acres
1,056 acres are parks and preserves, 343 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Otter Creek Nature Preserve (3.4 mi), State Game Lands Number 83 (2.6 mi), State Game Lands Number 181 (1.3 mi). 17% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns · #319 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
33%
8,753 acres · of 41.5 sq mi of land
Trails
23 mi
0.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,056 ac
343 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
17%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
2
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Lower Chanceford Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lower Chanceford Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lower Chanceford Township is ahead of 79% of U.S. towns, #319 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Lower Chanceford Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land33% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.5 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (23 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land343 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,056 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13AParks close to home17% 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 79%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 69%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Lower Chanceford Township’s 33% is ahead of 92% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 58% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B 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 Otter Creek Nature Preserve, with 3.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
State Game Lands Number 83
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
695 acres2.6 mi of trail
Mason-Dixon Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
State Game Lands Number 181
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
514 acres1.3 mi of trail
Mason-Dixon Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
McCalls Ferry Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
147 acres1.3 mi of trail
Mason-Dixon TrailEagle Bypass Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Mill Creek Falls Nature Preserve
Managed by Lancaster Conservancy
88 acres1.2 mi of trail
Red TrailUniversal Access Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Susquehannock State Park
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
190 acres1.1 mi of trail
Mason-Dixon TrailOrange Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Ulmer-Root-Haines Memorial Park
Nature preserve
32 acres0.7 mi of trail
Ulmer-Root-Haines Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it
8,753 conserved acres
33% of Lower Chanceford Township’s land. Who manages Lower Chanceford Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County23,217 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits2,349 ac
State fish & wildlife1,201 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)711 ac
State parks180 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government7 ac
Not recorded1,067 ac
Agricultural Easement · 24,009 acPrivate Conservation · 1,639 acState Resource Management Area · 1,191 acConservation Easement · 717 acForest Stewardship Easement · 591 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 6,265 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 219 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Land 083 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 677 | Open |
| Reist Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 584 | Open |
| State Game Land 181 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 514 | Open |
| Otter Creek Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 414 | Open |
| McCalls Ferry Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 346 | Open |
| Susquehannock State Park State Park | State parks | 180 | Open |
| Conowingo Pond Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 149 | Open |
| Bonham Wake Robin Wildlife Sanctuary Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 101 | Open |
| Mill Creek Falls Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 89 | Open |
| Maple Spring Farms Partnership Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 69 | Closed |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
8 places to go in Lower Chanceford Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Lower Chanceford Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Lower Chanceford Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Lower Chanceford Township
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Lower Chanceford Township
Urey OverlookIn Susquehannock State Park
DirectionsCampgrounds in Lower Chanceford Township
Mill Creek Falls Retreat Center
DirectionsOtter Creek CampgroundFee
DirectionsTrails & water
10 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 12.8 mi
Mason-Dixon Trail10.4 mi
Red Trail1.8 mi
Mason-Dixon Trail/ Red Trail1.3 mi
Orange Trail0.9 mi
Eagle Bypass Trail0.8 mi
Universal Access Trail0.6 mi
Scout Trail0.3 mi
Mason-Dixon Trail / Scout Trail0.2 mi
Ulmer-Root-Haines Trail0.1 mi
Mason-Dixon Trail / Conestoga Trail System0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Lower Chanceford 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 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 42 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.8 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.8 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Lower Chanceford Township →
Next door
Lower Chanceford Township and its neighbors
Lower Chanceford Township has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Martic Township46 miLower Chanceford Township23 miChanceford Township18 miDrumore Township12 miPeach Bottom Township11 miConestoga Township6.7 miFawn Township1.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Chanceford Township | 33% | 0.5 | 343 | 17% | A− |
| Peach Bottom Township | 19% | 0.4 | 4 | 3% | C+ |
| Martic Township | 43% | 1.6 | 825 | 71% | A+ |
| Fawn Township | 16% | under 0.1 | under 1 | under 1% | C− |
| Conestoga Township | 29% | 0.5 | 200 | 64% | A |
| Chanceford Township | 27% | 0.4 | 102 | 28% | B+ |
| Drumore Township | 43% | 0.5 | 760 | 33% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lower Chanceford Township
Where can I hike in Lower Chanceford Township?
The longest trail networks: Otter Creek Nature Preserve, 3.4 miles; State Game Lands Number 83, 2.6 miles; State Game Lands Number 181, 1.3 miles; McCalls Ferry Nature Preserve, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lower Chanceford Township is conserved land?
33% 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 Lower Chanceford Township’s trails?
Otter Creek Nature Preserve and State Game Lands Number 83 don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Lower Chanceford Township?
16,792 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lower Chanceford Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,266 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lower Chanceford Township have?
Ahead of 79% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #319 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 Lower Chanceford 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 →