Mount Penn Preserve
Managed by Mount Penn Preserve Partnership Council of Governments
542 acres19.3 mi of trail
Blue Dot TrailA-LineRidge TrailLavender Trail+1
Dogs allowed
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: BigCheddah · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Reading
17% of Reading’s land is conserved, and virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park
Virtually every resident lives within a half mile of a park. 55 miles of mapped trail cross Reading, 5.6 per square mile of land. 17% of Reading’s land is conserved, about 1,067 acres.
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #56 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
17%
1,067 acres · of 9.8 sq mi of land
Trails
55 mi
5.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
992 ac
10 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%+
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.0 mi
6.5 mi paths
Highest peak
778 ft
Dengler Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Reading?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Reading have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Reading is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #56 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Reading’s overall grade.
Conserved land17% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%ATrails5.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (55 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land10 acres of park per 1,000 residents (992 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to homeVirtually all residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%A+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 95%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Reading’s 17% is ahead of 75% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 100% of them.
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 Mount Penn Preserve, with 19.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Neversink Mountain Preserve
Managed by Berks Nature
154 acres6.1 mi of trail
Neversink North TrailHighland TrailWest Woodland TrailWest Valley Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Angelica Creek Park
Managed by Berks Nature
40 acres2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 36 parks & preserves
Mount Penn Preserve542 acres · 19.3 mi of trail · Mount Penn Preserve Partnership Council of Governments
DirectionsNeversink Mountain Preserve154 acres · 6.1 mi of trail · Berks Nature
DirectionsCity Park39 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsMineral Spring Park25 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAngelica Creek Park40 acres · 2 mi of trail · Berks Nature
DirectionsEgelman's Park30 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPendora Park13 acres · 1 mi of trail
DirectionsSchlegel Park25 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
Directions3rd and Spruce Park9 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsHampden Park26 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMuseum Arboretum10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHillside Playground3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Tulpehocken Creek Valley Parkway24 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsStonecliffe Recreation Area13 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Berks Country Parks and Recreation Department
DirectionsRiverfront Park11 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBaer Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Science Field3 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWest Reading Playground9 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions11th and Pike Playground5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNeversink Playground3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCentre Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Glenside Playground4 acres
DirectionsBrookline Park4 acres
Oakbrook Housing Park3 acres
E.J. Dives Playground3 acres
DirectionsKeffer Park3 acres
10th & South Playground2 acres · City of Reading
DirectionsHeritage Park2 acres
DirectionsReading Iron Playground2 acres
3rd and Spring Playground2 acres
Barbey's Playground2 acres
DirectionsNorthmont Park1 acres
Front and Schiller Playground1 acres
Directions16th and Haak Playground1 acres
2nd & Oley1 acres
Essick Park1 acres
Who protects it
1,067 conserved acres
17% of Reading’s land. Who manages Reading’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government775 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits304 ac
County21 ac
Town or city9 ac
Not recorded234 ac
Local Park · 460 acLocal Conservation Area · 333 acConservation Easement · 173 acPrivate Conservation · 104 acLocal Other or Unknown · 100 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 38 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 72 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Penn Preserve Local Conservation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 310 | Open |
| Berks Nature Angelica Creek Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 75 | Open |
| Dana Memorial Park Local Park | Not recorded | 69 | Open |
| Neversink Mountain Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 68 | Open |
| Berks County Park Local Park | Not recorded | 68 | Unknown |
| Schuylkill River Greenways Property Private Conservation | Not recorded | 53 | Open |
| Mineral Spring Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 38 | Open |
| City Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 35 | Open |
| Hampden Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 32 | Open |
| Reading Open Space Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 30 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Reading
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Reading
6th and Amity Playground
DirectionsNature Play ZoneHours: dawn-dusk · In Angelica Creek Park
DirectionsPlus 23 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Reading
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Reading
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Reading
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Peaks in Reading
Dengler Hill778 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Reading
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
22 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.4 miUnpaved · 9.7 mi
Blue Dot Trail0.9 mi
Neversink North Trail0.8 mi
Lavender Trail0.7 mi
A-Line0.6 mi
Ridge Trail0.6 mi
Highland Trail0.5 mi
White Trail0.5 mi
Stage 30.4 mi
New Wilderness Adventure0.4 mi
Angelica Creek Trail0.4 mi
12 more trails
Tower Trail
0.3 miUnion Canal Trail
0.3 miRed Trail
0.3 miBlue Trail
0.3 miCub Trail
0.2 miWest Woodland Trail
0.2 miWest Valley Trail
0.2 miWater Tank Trail
0.1 miMount Penn Gravity Railroad
0.1 miWolf Run
0.1 miThe Network
0.1 mi3rd & Spruce Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.5 mi
off-road bike paths
0.5 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Gravity TrailBike route
1.1 miAngelica Creek TrailBike route
0.4 mi9/11 National Memorial Trail (Pennsylvania thru route)Bike route
0.3 miUnion Canal TrailBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
37Basketball
29Tennis
26Baseball
10Pickleball
4Golf
3Volleyball
3Soccer
3Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →31 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 12 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
PagodaBuilding · listed 1972
About itAskew BridgeStructure · listed 1973
About itTrinity Lutheran ChurchBuilding · listed 1976
About itBethel A.M.E. ChurchBuilding · listed 1979
About itHendel Brothers, Sons and Company Hat FactoryBuilding · listed 1979
About itLog House, Hiester House, and Market AnnexBuilding · listed 1979
About itReading Hardware Company Butt WorksBuilding · listed 1979
About itStirlingBuilding · listed 1980
About itWilhelm Mansion and Carriage HouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itCity HallBuilding · listed 1982
About itHampden FirehouseBuilding · listed 1982
About itReading Knitting MillsBuilding · listed 1982
About it19 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Reading: 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 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 42 | 51 | 64 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.7 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Reading →
Next door
Reading and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Cumru Township104 miLower Alsace Township75 miReading55 miMuhlenberg Township39 miWyomissing17 miWest Reading1.6 miKenhorst1.6 miGrill1.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 17% | 5.6 | 10 | 99%+ | A |
| Cumru Township | 10% | 5.0 | 14 | 69% | A− |
| West Reading | 6% | 2.7 | 5 | 99%+ | A− |
| Grill | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Kenhorst | 5% | 2.7 | 6 | 99%+ | A− |
| Wyomissing | 9% | 3.7 | 24 | 98% | A |
| Muhlenberg Township | 5% | 3.3 | 20 | 96% | A |
| Lower Alsace Township | 49% | 15.6 | 261 | 96% | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Reading
Where can I hike in Reading?
The longest trail networks: Mount Penn Preserve, 19.3 miles; Neversink Mountain Preserve, 6.1 miles; City Park, 2.9 miles; Mineral Spring Park, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Reading is conserved land?
17% 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 Reading’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Mount Penn Preserve and Egelman's Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Reading?
7.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.5 of off-road paths and 0.5 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Gravity Trail, Angelica Creek Trail and 9/11 National Memorial Trail (Pennsylvania thru route).
Is there public land near Reading?
28,217 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Reading or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,066 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Reading have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #56 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 Reading 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 →