Overlook Campus & Park
Park
168 acres3.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Manheim Township
7% of Manheim Township’s land is conserved: 1,133 acres
The biggest trail networks: Overlook Campus & Park (3.3 mi), Landis Woods Park (2.8 mi), Spalding Conservancy (2.3 mi). 15 miles of mapped trail cross Manheim Township, 0.6 per square mile of land. 85% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns · #388 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,133 acres · of 23.9 sq mi of land
Trails
15 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
637 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
85%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.5 mi
0.5 mi lanes · 3.7 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is Manheim Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Manheim Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Manheim Township is ahead of 75% of U.S. towns, #388 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Manheim Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (15 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (637 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13BParks close to home85% of residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 75%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 63%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Manheim Township’s 7% is ahead of 46% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 64% 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 Overlook Campus & Park, with 3.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Landis Woods Park
Nature preserve
67 acres2.8 mi of trail
Blue TrailBlue & Yellow TrailRed TrailYellow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Spalding Conservancy
Managed by Franklin & Marshall College
64 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Manheim Township Municipal Park
Managed by Manheim Township
29 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Manheim Township Athletic Complex
Managed by Manheim Township
35 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 13 parks & preserves
Overlook Campus & Park168 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLandis Woods Park67 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSpalding Conservancy64 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Franklin & Marshall College
DirectionsStoner Park18 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsManheim Township Municipal Park29 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Manheim Township
DirectionsManheim Township Athletic Complex35 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Manheim Township
Stauffer Park19 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLancaster Jaycee Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Perelman Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsManheim Township Community Park33 acres
DirectionsSkyline Park8 acres
DirectionsShaeffer Park3 acres
DirectionsLong's Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,133 conserved acres
7% of Manheim Township’s land. Who manages Manheim Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government511 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits268 ac
County226 ac
Other state land210 ac
Joint99 ac
Not recorded367 ac
Agricultural Easement · 698 acLocal Park · 430 acPrivate Agricultural · 367 acState Historic or Cultural Area · 102 acLocal Recreation Area · 77 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 152 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 49 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overlook Community Campus Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 184 | Open |
| Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum State Historic or Cultural Area | Other state land | 102 | Open |
| 2001-005 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 84 | Closed |
| 1991-011 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 79 | Closed |
| Landis Woods Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 68 | Open |
| 1991-007 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 53 | Closed |
| 1998-008-1 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 42 | Closed |
| PP&L Picnic Grove Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 39 | Open |
| 2000-007-2 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 38 | Closed |
| New Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 38 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
25 places to go in Manheim Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Manheim Township
Olde Hickory Swimming Pool
DirectionsOverlook PoolIn Overlook Campus & Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Manheim Township
Oregon Dairy Playground
DirectionsOverlook Park playgroundIn Overlook Campus & Park
DirectionsPark PlaygroundIn Manheim Township Community Park
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Manheim Township
Overlook Dog ParkIn Overlook Campus & Park
DirectionsWaterfalls in Manheim Township
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Picnic areas in Manheim Township
5 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
5 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.0 miHorses · 0.9 miUnpaved · 3.7 mi
Blue Trail0.6 mi
Blue & Yellow Trail0.6 mi
Red Trail0.4 mi
Yellow Trail0.2 mi
Blue & Yellow Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.7 mi
off-road bike paths
0.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
34Tennis
23Soccer
21Baseball
7Basketball
6Pickleball
4Softball
4Volleyball
2Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 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.
Pinetown Covered BridgeStructure · listed 1980
About itOregon Mill ComplexBuilding · listed 1985
About itShreiner FarmDistrict · listed 1994
About itLandis Valley MuseumDistrict · listed 2000
About itStehli Silk MillBuilding · listed 2014
About itDavid M. Mayer HouseBuilding · listed 2017
About itJohn and Elizabeth Swarr HouseBuilding · listed 2020
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Manheim 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) | 39 | 42 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Manheim Township →
Next door
Manheim Township and its neighbors
Manheim Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Manheim Township15 miLancaster9.4 miEast Hempfield Township7.7 miWarwick Township7.5 miEast Lampeter Township4.5 miLancaster Township3.4 miEast Petersburg1.6 miUpper Leacock Township0.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manheim Township | 7% | 0.6 | 14 | 85% | B+ |
| East Hempfield Township | 13% | 0.4 | 12 | 71% | B+ |
| Lancaster | 12% | 1.3 | 10 | 99% | A |
| Upper Leacock Township | 16% | under 0.1 | 4 | 50% | C+ |
| East Lampeter Township | 12% | 0.2 | 9 | 56% | B− |
| East Petersburg | 6% | 1.3 | 11 | 99%+ | A− |
| Warwick Township | 24% | 0.4 | 10 | 52% | B |
| Lancaster Township | 5% | 0.6 | 8 | 80% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Manheim Township
Where can I hike in Manheim Township?
The longest trail networks: Overlook Campus & Park, 3.3 miles; Landis Woods Park, 2.8 miles; Spalding Conservancy, 2.3 miles; Stoner Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Manheim Township is conserved land?
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.
Are dogs allowed on Manheim Township’s trails?
Overlook Campus & Park and Landis Woods Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Manheim Township?
4.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.5 of painted or protected lanes, 3.7 of off-road paths and 0.2 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Manheim Township?
18,071 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Manheim Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 637 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Manheim Township have?
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #388 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 Manheim 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 →