Moshannon State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
31,080 acres105.1 mi of trail
Allegheny Front TrailRidge TrailShields Dam TrailShingle Mill Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hardman Philips House · Photo: Pubdog · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Rush Township
More than half of Rush Township’s land is conserved: 61%
61% of Rush Township’s land is conserved, about 57,953 acres. 3,991 acres are parks and preserves, 1,097 per 1,000 residents. 181 miles of mapped trail cross Rush Township, 1.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #81 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
61%
57,953 acres · of 148.1 sq mi of land
Trails
181 mi
1.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
3,991 ac
1,097 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
46%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,608 ft
Centre County Highpoint
Lakes & rivers
6
1 beach · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Rush Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild61% of the land is conserved; a typical Pennsylvania town, 8%.Room to roam1,097 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.A trail town1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 85% of U.S. towns.History along the way5 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Rush Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rush Township is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #81 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 Rush Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land61% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A+Trails1.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (181 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land1,097 acres of park per 1,000 residents (3,991 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home46% 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 93%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 92%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Rush Township’s 61% is ahead of 100% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 83% 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 Moshannon State Forest, with 105.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
State Game Lands Number 33
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
15,974 acres34.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Black Moshannon State Park
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
3,382 acres19.4 mi of trail
Moss-Hanne TrailAllegheny Front Trail & Moss-Hanne TrailSki Slope TrailStar Mill Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
State Game Lands Number 60
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
6,956 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 7 parks & preserves
Moshannon State Forest31,080 acres · 105.1 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsState Game Lands Number 3315,974 acres · 34.7 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Game Commission
DirectionsBlack Moshannon State Park3,382 acres · 19.4 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
DirectionsState Game Lands Number 606,956 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Game Commission
DirectionsState Game Lands Number 1038 acres · Pennsylvania Game Commission
State Game Lands Number 1582 acres · Pennsylvania Game Commission
The Chalet Park2 acres
Who protects it
57,953 conserved acres
61% of Rush Township’s land. Who manages Rush Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources31,112 ac
State fish & wildlife22,921 ac
State parks3,932 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government25 ac
Not recorded237 ac
State Resource Management Area · 54,033 acState Park · 4,164 acLocal Park · 25 acLocal Other or Unknown · 5 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moshannon State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 31,112 | Open |
| State Game Land 033 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 15,966 | Open |
| State Game Land 060 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 6,945 | Open |
| Black Moshannon State Park State Park | State parks | 4,164 | Open |
| Rush Township Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 13 | Open |
| Cold Stream Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 9 | Open |
| State Game Land 103 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 8 | Open |
| Fema Flood Buyout (County Or Municipal Owned) Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 5 | Open |
| State Game Land 158 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 2 | Open |
| Slab Town Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 1 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Rush Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Rush Township
Black Moshannon BeachIn Black Moshannon State Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Rush Township
Boat Launch 1In Black Moshannon State Park
DirectionsBoat Launch 2In Black Moshannon State Park
DirectionsBoat Launch 3In Black Moshannon State Park
DirectionsBoat Launch 4In Black Moshannon State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Rush Township
Beaver Dam ViewpointIn Black Moshannon State Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Rush Township
Centre County Highpoint2,608 ft elevation · In State Game Lands Number 60
DirectionsPine Hill2,129 ft elevation · In State Game Lands Number 33
DirectionsBlack Bear Hill2,008 ft elevation
DirectionsHunters Rocks1,985 ft elevation · In Moshannon State Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in Rush Township
Black Moshannon State Park CampgroundIn Black Moshannon State Park · PA DCNR
DirectionsEquestrian CampingFee · In Moshannon State Forest · PA DCNR - Moshannon State Forest
DirectionsDisc golf in Rush Township
Wilderness City DGC
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 32.8 miHorses · 30.0 miUnpaved · 101.1 mi
Allegheny Front Trail29.2 mi
Moss-Hanne Trail4.7 mi
Shingle Mill Trail3.4 mi
Ridge Trail3.2 mi
Shields Dam Trail3.1 mi
Allegheny Front Trail & Moss-Hanne Trail2.6 mi
Smays Trail2.5 mi
Snowmobile Trail2.4 mi
North Run Trail2.3 mi
Ski Slope Trail2.2 mi
15 more trails
Old Huckleberry Trail
2.0 miStar Mill Trail
2.0 miBlack Bear Trail
1.9 miDry Hollow Trail
1.7 miPipeline ROW North
1.6 miPipeline South
1.5 miRattlesnake Trail
1.3 miPOA Trail
1.3 miTurkey Trail
1.3 miPipeline ROW South
1.2 miShort Trail
1.1 miSleepy Hollow Trail
1.1 miHay Road Trail
1.1 miSeneca Trail
0.8 miSmays Run Trail
0.8 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →5 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Hardman Philips HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itBlack Moshannon State Park Day Use DistrictDistrict · listed 1987
About itBlack Moshannon State Park Family Cabin DistrictDistrict · listed 1987
About itBlack Moshannon State Park Maintenance DistrictDistrict · listed 1987
About itPhilipsburg Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1999
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Rush Township: May to 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 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 44 | 57 | 67 | 74 | 78 | 77 | 70 | 59 | 46 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.5 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Rush Township →
Next door
Rush Township and its neighbors
Rush Township has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Rush Township181 miGulich Township13 miDecatur Township5.5 miCooper Township5.5 miWoodward Township3.7 miPhilipsburg2.9 miMorris Township0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush Township | 61% | 1.2 | 1,097 | 46% | A |
| Decatur Township | under 1% | 0.1 | 1 | 12% | D |
| Gulich Township | 16% | 0.6 | 648 | 22% | A− |
| Woodward Township | under 1% | 0.2 | 4 | 13% | D |
| Morris Township | under 1% | under 0.1 | 2 | 19% | D |
| Cooper Township | 9% | 0.1 | 50 | 36% | B |
| Philipsburg | 27% | 2.7 | 65 | 99%+ | A+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rush Township
Where can I hike in Rush Township?
The longest trail networks: Moshannon State Forest, 105.1 miles; State Game Lands Number 33, 34.7 miles; Black Moshannon State Park, 19.4 miles; State Game Lands Number 60, 1.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Rush Township is conserved land?
61% 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 Rush Township’s trails?
Moshannon State Forest and State Game Lands Number 33 don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Rush Township?
152,998 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rush Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 58,304 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Rush Township have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #81 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 Rush 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 →