John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System
Managed by Lower Mount Bethel Township
246 acres5 mi of trail
Riverside TrailWoodland TrailLMBT TrailLower Mount Bethel Township Trail System
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Lower Mount Bethel Township
31% of Lower Mount Bethel Township’s land is conserved: 4,720 acres
270 acres are parks and preserves, 93 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System (5 mi), Riverton Ball Fields (0.8 mi). 51% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns · #296 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
31%
4,720 acres · of 23.8 sq mi of land
Trails
8.9 mi
0.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
270 ac
93 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
51%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
577 ft
Church Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Lower Mount Bethel Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Lower Mount Bethel Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Lower Mount Bethel Township is ahead of 81% of U.S. towns, #296 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 Mount Bethel Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land31% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (9 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4BPark land93 acres of park per 1,000 residents (270 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13AParks close to home51% 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 81%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 72%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Lower Mount Bethel Township’s 31% is ahead of 91% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 46% 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 John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System, with 5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Riverton Ball Fields
Park
30 acres0.8 mi of trail
Joseph Hriczak Fitness TrailLower Mount Bethel Township Trail System
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Little Martins Preserve
Managed by Northampton County
79 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Mud Run Conservation Area
Managed by Northampton County
12 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 10 parks & preserves
John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System246 acres · 5 mi of trail · Lower Mount Bethel Township
DirectionsRiverton Ball Fields30 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsBryan Kiefer Memorial Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lower Mount Bethel Township
Cedar Field1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Little Martins Preserve79 acres · Northampton County
Mud Run Conservation Area12 acres · Northampton County
Sandts Eddy Boat Launch4 acres · PA Fish and Boat Commission
DirectionsCenterfield School Municipal Complex3 acres · Lower Mount Bethel Township
The Meadows at Martins Creek2 acres · Lower Mount Bethel Township
Martins Creek Environmental Preserve Boat Access Area1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
4,720 conserved acres
31% of Lower Mount Bethel Township’s land. Who manages Lower Mount Bethel Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County16,142 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)431 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government250 ac
Other state land155 ac
Joint97 ac
State fish & wildlife22 ac
Private owners4 ac
Agricultural Easement · 16,701 acLocal Park · 241 acConservation Easement · 124 acLocal Conservation Area · 16 acState Other or Unknown · 11 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 4,452 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 197 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Martins Creek Land Management Area Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 212 | Open |
| Meadow Creek Open Space Local Conservation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 16 | Closed |
| Sandts Eddy Access State Other or Unknown | State fish & wildlife | 11 | Open |
| Riverton Access State Other or Unknown | State fish & wildlife | 11 | Open |
| Mud Run Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 10 | Open |
| Mud Run Park Local Park | Not recorded | 8 | Unknown |
| Martins Creek Ballfield Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 4 | Open |
| Unknown Field Local Park | Private owners | 4 | Open |
| Lower Mount Bethel Township Municipal Center Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 4 | Open |
| Kiefer Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 3 | Open |
Things to do
10 places to go in Lower Mount Bethel Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Lower Mount Bethel Township
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Lower Mount Bethel Township
Martins Creek Boat Ramp
DirectionsSandt's Eddy Boat AccessIn Sandts Eddy Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Lower Mount Bethel Township
Foul Rift Observation Deck
DirectionsPeaks in Lower Mount Bethel Township
Church Hill577 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
5 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 7.2 mi
LMBT Trail2.8 mi
Riverside Trail1.1 mi
Woodland Trail0.8 mi
Joseph Hriczak Fitness Trail0.7 mi
Lower Mount Bethel Township Trail System0.5 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
5Baseball
2Tennis
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in Lower Mount Bethel Township: April to June and September
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) | 9.5 | 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 | 40 | 49 | 62 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 64 | 53 | 42 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.8 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Lower Mount Bethel Township →
Next door
Lower Mount Bethel Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Harmony Township17 miUpper Mount Bethel Township14 miForks Township13 miWhite Township10 miLower Mount Bethel Township8.9 miPlainfield Township5.9 miWashington Township1.1 miBelvidere0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower Mount Bethel Township | 31% | 0.4 | 93 | 51% | A− |
| Plainfield Township | 30% | 0.2 | 45 | 56% | A− |
| Washington Township | 12% | 0.1 | 14 | 26% | C+ |
| Upper Mount Bethel Township | 25% | 0.3 | 407 | 42% | A− |
| Forks Township | 7% | 1.1 | 20 | 94% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Lower Mount Bethel Township
Where can I hike in Lower Mount Bethel Township?
The longest trail networks: John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System, 5 miles; Riverton Ball Fields, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Lower Mount Bethel Township is conserved land?
31% 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 Mount Bethel Township’s trails?
John M. Mauser Nature Education Trail System and Riverton Ball Fields don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Lower Mount Bethel Township?
41,312 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Lower Mount Bethel Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 277 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Lower Mount Bethel Township have?
Ahead of 81% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #296 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 Mount Bethel 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 →