State Game Lands Number 211
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
15,158 acres33 mi of trail
Rattling Run TrailStony Creek Rail TrailHorse-Shoe TrailAppalachian National Scenic Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: gerrydincher · CC BY-SA 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Middle Paxton Township
More than half of Middle Paxton Township’s land is conserved: 51%
51% of Middle Paxton Township’s land is conserved, about 17,831 acres. 872 acres are parks and preserves, 171 per 1,000 residents. 58 miles of mapped trail cross Middle Paxton Township, 1.1 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #118 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
51%
17,831 acres · of 54.4 sq mi of land
Trails
58 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
872 ac
171 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
50%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.0 mi
Highest peak
1,601 ft
Third Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Middle Paxton Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Middle Paxton Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Middle Paxton Township is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #118 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 Middle Paxton Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land51% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (58 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land171 acres of park per 1,000 residents (872 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13AParks close to home50% 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 91%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 89%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Middle Paxton Township’s 51% is ahead of 99% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 79% of them.
Water is 8% of Middle Paxton Township’s area (5 of 59 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 47%.
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 State Game Lands Number 211, with 33 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
669 acres8.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Detweiler Park
Managed by Dauphin County Parks and Recreation
396 acres5.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fort Hunter Conservancy
Managed by Dauphin County
165 acres4.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
112 acres1.4 mi of trail
Whitetail TrailVictoria Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Ibberson Park
Nature preserve
52 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 11 parks & preserves
State Game Lands Number 21115,158 acres · 33 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Game Commission
DirectionsBoyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area669 acres · 8.5 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
DirectionsDetweiler Park396 acres · 5.8 mi of trail · Dauphin County Parks and Recreation
DirectionsFort Hunter Conservancy165 acres · 4.1 mi of trail · Dauphin County
DirectionsJoseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area112 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
Ibberson Park52 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsState Game Lands Number 31980 acres · Pennsylvania Game Commission
Green Hills Family Park and Swim Club9 acres
Hocker Park8 acres · Lower Paxton Township
DirectionsFort Hunter Mansion and Park4 acres
DirectionsDauphin Middle Paxton Park1 acres · Dauphin Middle Paxton Joint Park Authority
Who protects it
17,831 conserved acres
51% of Middle Paxton Township’s land. Water is left out: Middle Paxton Township has 54.4 square miles of land and 4.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Middle Paxton Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife14,965 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,623 ac
National Park Service901 ac
State parks877 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government630 ac
County221 ac
Town or city2 ac
State Other or Unknown · 22,168 acState Resource Management Area · 8,243 acConservation Easement · 1,047 acUnknown Easement · 709 acLocal Park · 630 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 333 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 44 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Game Land 211 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 29,541 | Open |
| Boyd Big Tree Conservation Area State Other or Unknown | State parks | 675 | Open |
| Fort Hunter Conservancy Private Historic or Cultural | Not recorded | 637 | Open |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 576 | Open |
| Detweiler Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 400 | Open |
| Lantzy Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 134 | Open |
| Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area State Other or Unknown | State parks | 112 | Open |
| Ibberson Conservation Area State Park State Park | State parks | 89 | Open |
| Appalachian Trail Conservancy Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 68 | Closed |
| State Game Land 319 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 54 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
10 places to go in Middle Paxton Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Middle Paxton Township
Fort Hunter Access
DirectionsScenic views in Middle Paxton Township
Kinter ViewIn State Game Lands Number 211
DirectionsTable Rock View
DirectionsPeaks in Middle Paxton Township
Third Mountain1,601 ft elevation · In State Game Lands Number 211
DirectionsCampgrounds in Middle Paxton Township
Camp Reiley
DirectionsRiver Mile 81 Campsite ASusquehanna River Trail Association
DirectionsRiver Mile 81 Campsite BSusquehanna River Trail Association
DirectionsRiver Mile 82 CampsiteSusquehanna River Trail Association
DirectionsRiver Mile 83 Campsite ASusquehanna River Trail Association
DirectionsRiver Mile 83 Campsite BSusquehanna River Trail Association
DirectionsTrails & water
8 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.0 miHorses · 14.3 miUnpaved · 32.5 mi
Rattling Run Trail5.9 mi
Stony Creek Rail Trail4.3 mi
Appalachian National Scenic Trail3.9 mi
Horse-Shoe Trail3.9 mi
Victoria Trail1.0 mi
Water Tank Trail1.0 mi
Shikellimy Trail0.9 mi
Whitetail Trail0.7 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
3.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.0 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Stony Creek Rail TrailBike route
4.3 miCourts & fields
1Tennis
1Basketball
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). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
John Ayres HouseBuilding · listed 1979
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Middle Paxton Township: April to 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 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 40 | 49 | 62 | 72 | 80 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 64 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.5 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Middle Paxton Township →
Next door
Middle Paxton Township and its neighbors
Middle Paxton Township has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Middle Paxton Township58 miPenn Township50 miMarysville15 miHalifax Township14 miWayne Township12 miWest Hanover Township11 miReed Township9.1 miSusquehanna Township4.9 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Paxton Township | 51% | 1.1 | 171 | 50% | A |
| Penn Township | 44% | 2.4 | 63 | 41% | A |
| Susquehanna Township | 5% | 0.4 | 15 | 90% | B+ |
| Wayne Township | 26% | 0.8 | 220 | 16% | A− |
| Marysville | 15% | 6.3 | 16 | 99%+ | A+ |
| West Hanover Township | 9% | 0.5 | 13 | 44% | B |
| Reed Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Halifax Township | 14% | 0.5 | 54 | 12% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Middle Paxton Township
Where can I hike in Middle Paxton Township?
The longest trail networks: State Game Lands Number 211, 33 miles; Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area, 8.5 miles; Detweiler Park, 5.8 miles; Fort Hunter Conservancy, 4.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Middle Paxton Township is conserved land?
51% 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 Middle Paxton Township’s trails?
State Game Lands Number 211 and Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Middle Paxton Township?
3.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.0 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Stony Creek Rail Trail.
Is there public land near Middle Paxton Township?
73,729 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Middle Paxton Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 16,478 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Middle Paxton Township have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #118 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 Middle Paxton 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 →