Delaware State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
24,750 acres45.5 mi of trail
Thunder Swamp TrailBurnt Mills TrailWhittaker TrailPine Flats Fireline Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Porter Township
More than half of Porter Township’s land is conserved: 73%
73% of Porter Township’s land is conserved, about 27,298 acres. The biggest trail networks: Delaware State Forest (45.5 mi), Porters Lake Hunting & Fishing Club (1.5 mi), Stillwater Natural Area (0.8 mi). 680 acres are parks and preserves, 1,731 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
73%
27,298 acres · of 58.5 sq mi of land
Trails
51 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
680 ac
1,731 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
2%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,532 ft
Bald Hill
Lakes & rivers
8
1 boat launch
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 Delaware State Forest, with 45.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Porters Lake Hunting & Fishing Club
Nature preserve
2,877 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Burnt Mills Parking Area
Stillwater Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
836 acres0.8 mi of trail
Thunder Swamp Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Pennel Run Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
890 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
27,298 conserved acres
73% of Porter Township’s land. Who manages Porter Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources48,268 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits27,777 ac
Not recorded2,095 ac
State Resource Management Area · 48,470 acConservation Easement · 26,232 acState Conservation Area · 1,725 acForest Stewardship Easement · 954 acRecreation or Education Easement · 700 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,056 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 20 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 46,745 | Open |
| Pennel Run Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 890 | Open |
| Delaware State Forest - Pennel Run Natural Area State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 890 | Open |
| Stillwater Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 835 | Open |
| Delaware State Forest - Stillwater Natural Area State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 835 | Open |
Things to do
8 places to go in Porter Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Boat launches in Porter Township
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Porter Township
Bald Hill1,532 ft elevation · In Delaware State Forest
DirectionsLittle Bald Hill1,512 ft elevation · In Delaware State Forest
DirectionsBald Barren1,483 ft elevation · In Delaware State Forest
DirectionsRock Hill135 ft elevation · In Porters Lake Hunting & Fishing Club
DirectionsPicnic areas in Porter Township
Pecks Pond Picnic AreaIn Delaware State Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in Porter Township
E-13 Silver LakeIn Delaware State Forest
DirectionsE-14 CCC CampIn Stillwater Natural Area
DirectionsTrails & water
11 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 1.7 mi
Thunder Swamp Trail19.1 mi
Burnt Mills Trail4.8 mi
Whittaker Trail2.3 mi
Pine Flats Fireline Trail1.6 mi
Spruce Run Trail1.2 mi
Standing Stone Trail1.2 mi
Pineflats Trail0.8 mi
Mud Run Trail0.7 mi
Turner Swamp Trail0.7 mi
Bushkill Colony Trail0.7 mi
1 more trails
T-328
0.3 miWhen to get out
The best walking months in Porter Township: May, July 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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 36 | 45 | 58 | 68 | 76 | 80 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 3.5 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 3.3 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 5.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Porter Township →
Next door
Porter Township and its neighbors
Porter Township has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Porter Township51 miGreene Township32 miLehman Township24 miDelaware Township22 miMiddle Smithfield Township18 miPrice Township11 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Porter Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Middle Smithfield Township | 40% | 0.3 | 324 | 27% | A− |
| Price Township | 34% | 0.4 | 67 | 21% | B+ |
| Lehman Township | 50% | 0.5 | 766 | 53% | A |
| Delaware Township | 52% | 0.5 | 1,066 | 55% | A |
| Greene Township | 18% | 0.5 | 628 | 16% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Porter Township
Where can I hike in Porter Township?
The longest trail networks: Delaware State Forest, 45.5 miles; Porters Lake Hunting & Fishing Club, 1.5 miles; Stillwater Natural Area, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Porter Township’s trails?
Delaware State Forest and Porters Lake Hunting & Fishing Club don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Porter Township?
168,663 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Porter Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 25,994 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Porter 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 →