Swatara State Park
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
911 acres2.7 mi of trail
PA Equine Council Horse TrailBear Hole Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Swopes Valley Trailhead ParkingWebsite ↗
Photo: Doug Kerr · CC BY-SA 2.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Pine Grove Township
Pine Grove Township has 1,144 acres of parks, 282 for every 1,000 residents
25% of Pine Grove Township’s land is conserved, about 6,127 acres. The biggest trail networks: Swatara State Park (2.7 mi), Sweet Arrow Lake County Park (1.5 mi), State Game Lands Number 80 (0.9 mi). 38% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns · #338 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
25%
6,127 acres · of 37.8 sq mi of land
Trails
12 mi
0.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,144 ac
282 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
38%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
3.2 mi
3.2 mi paths
Highest peak
1,089 ft
Swope Mountain
Lakes & rivers
4
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Pine Grove Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Pine Grove Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Pine Grove Township is ahead of 78% of U.S. towns, #338 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Pine Grove Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land25% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (12 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B−Park land282 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,144 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13AParks close to home38% 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 78%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 67%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Pine Grove Township’s 25% is ahead of 86% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 41% 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 Swatara State Park, with 2.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sweet Arrow Lake County Park
Park
45 acres1.5 mi of trail
Scenic Circle PathWood Duck TrailBerger Dam TrailBig Pine Trail+1
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yet
State Game Lands Number 80
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
2,444 acres0.9 mi of trail
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
State Game Lands Number 211
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
1,760 acres0.9 mi of trail
Stony Creek Rail Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 6 parks & preserves
Swatara State Park911 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
DirectionsSweet Arrow Lake County Park45 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
State Game Lands Number 802,444 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Game Commission
DirectionsState Game Lands Number 2111,760 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Game Commission
DirectionsState Game Lands Number 229210 acres · Pennsylvania Game Commission
State Game Lands Number 16015 acres · Pennsylvania Game Commission
Who protects it
6,127 conserved acres
25% of Pine Grove Township’s land. Who manages Pine Grove Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State fish & wildlife4,499 ac
State parks911 ac
County577 ac
National Park Service316 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government216 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)96 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits68 ac
State Resource Management Area · 4,504 acState Other or Unknown · 1,809 acState Park · 914 acAgricultural Easement · 577 acNational Scenic or Historic Trail · 290 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 224 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 31 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 | 3,618 | Open |
| State Game Land 080 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 2,467 | Open |
| Swatara State Park State Park | State parks | 914 | Open |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 290 | Open |
| State Game Land 229 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 210 | Open |
| Pine Grove Borough Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 117 | Open |
| Sweet Arrow Lake County Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 91 | Open |
| State Game Land 160 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 15 | Open |
| Pine Grove Township Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 8 | Open |
| Fema Flood Buyout (County Or Municipal Owned) Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 6 | Open |
2 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
12 places to go in Pine Grove Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Pine Grove Township
Oak Grove Playground
DirectionsSweet Arrow Lake County Park PlaygroundIn Sweet Arrow Lake County Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Pine Grove Township
Boat LaunchIn Sweet Arrow Lake County Park
DirectionsPeaks in Pine Grove Township
Swope Mountain1,089 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Pine Grove Township
Bird Song
DirectionsBlue Mountain CampsiteIn State Game Lands Number 80
DirectionsConestoga
DirectionsPioneer
DirectionsRobbins Den
DirectionsShady Wood
DirectionsTimber Ridge
DirectionsWhispering Pines
DirectionsTrails & water
11 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 0.7 miHorses · 3.0 miUnpaved · 3.3 mi
Appalachian National Scenic Trail2.8 mi
PA Equine Council Horse Trail1.8 mi
Bear Hole Trail0.7 mi
Wood Duck Trail0.5 mi
Stony Creek Rail Trail0.4 mi
Scenic Circle Path0.4 mi
Berger Dam Trail0.3 mi
Sweet Arrow Lake Lakefront Trail0.3 mi
Big Pine Trail0.2 mi
Power Line Trail0.1 mi
1 more trails
Craig Morgan Walking Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
3.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Stony Creek Rail TrailBike route
0.4 miCourts & fields
1Equestrian
1Beach volleyball
1Basketball
1Soccer
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).
Swatara FurnaceDistrict · listed 1991
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Pine Grove Township: April and May
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) | 36 | 39 | 48 | 61 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 63 | 51 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 5.1 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Pine Grove Township →
Next door
Pine Grove Township and its neighbors
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Grove Township | 25% | 0.3 | 282 | 38% | A− |
| Bethel Township | 27% | 0.5 | 3 | 16% | B− |
| Washington Township | 20% | 0.3 | 35 | 17% | B |
| Tremont Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Pine Grove Township
Where can I hike in Pine Grove Township?
The longest trail networks: Swatara State Park, 2.7 miles; Sweet Arrow Lake County Park, 1.5 miles; State Game Lands Number 80, 0.9 miles; State Game Lands Number 211, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Pine Grove Township is conserved land?
25% 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 Pine Grove Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Sweet Arrow Lake County Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Pine Grove Township?
3.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.2 of off-road paths. Named routes: Stony Creek Rail Trail.
Is there public land near Pine Grove Township?
70,304 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Pine Grove Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,936 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Pine Grove Township have?
Ahead of 78% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #338 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 Pine Grove 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 →