Elk State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
11,833 acres43.7 mi of trail
Bucktail PathCowley Hill
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain–Not graded
Outdoors in Portage Township
More than half of Portage Township’s land is conserved: 86%
86% of Portage Township’s land is conserved, about 20,615 acres. The biggest trail networks: Elk State Forest (43.7 mi), Susquehannock State Forest (16 mi), Sizerville State Park (1.7 mi). 288 acres are parks and preserves, 1,597 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
86%
20,615 acres · of 37.6 sq mi of land
Trails
71 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
288 ac
1,597 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
under 1%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,408 ft
Fox Mountain
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 Elk State Forest, with 43.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Susquehannock State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
8,572 acres16 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Sizerville State Park
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
274 acres1.7 mi of trail
Cowley Hill
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
20,615 conserved acres
86% of Portage Township’s land. Who manages Portage Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources20,343 ac
State parks273 ac
State Resource Management Area · 20,343 acState Park · 273 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 11,829 | Open |
| Susquehannock State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 8,513 | Open |
| Sizerville State Park State Park | State parks | 273 | Open |
Things to do
1 places to go in Portage Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Portage Township
Fox Mountain2,408 ft elevation · In Elk State Forest
DirectionsTrails & water
2 named trails
Named trails
Unpaved · 10.2 mi
Bucktail Path8.6 mi
Cowley Hill5.0 mi
When to get out
The best walking months in Portage Township: May, August 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 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 35 | 44 | 58 | 69 | 76 | 80 | 79 | 71 | 60 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.7 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Portage Township →
Next door
Portage Township and its neighbors
Portage Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Wharton Township99 miPortage Township71 miKeating Township70 miLumber Township50 miSylvania Township13 miAustin7.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wharton Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lumber Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Austin | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Sylvania Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Keating 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 Portage Township
Where can I hike in Portage Township?
The longest trail networks: Elk State Forest, 43.7 miles; Susquehannock State Forest, 16 miles; Sizerville State Park, 1.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Portage Township’s trails?
Elk State Forest and Susquehannock State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Portage Township?
213,593 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Portage Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 20,766 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Portage 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 →