Pinchot State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
2,312 acres21 mi of trail
Balish SpurOrange Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Scranton
Scranton has 48 miles of mapped trails, 1.9 for every square mile of land
22% of Scranton’s land is conserved, about 3,533 acres. 97% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Pinchot State Forest (21 mi), Nay Aug Park (3.4 mi), McDade Park (0.8 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #78 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
3,533 acres · of 25.3 sq mi of land
Trails
48 mi
1.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,065 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
97%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.7 mi
1.5 mi lanes · 6.2 mi paths
Highest peak
1,975 ft
Montage Mountain
Lakes & rivers
6
What kind of outdoors town is Scranton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Scranton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Scranton is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #78 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Scranton’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (48 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,065 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13BParks close to home97% of residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 93%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 93%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Scranton’s 22% is ahead of 83% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 93% 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 Pinchot State Forest, with 21 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Nay Aug Park
Park
96 acres3.4 mi of trail
Davis TrailSarabi Loop TrailMain Line Loop TrailMufasa Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Everhart LotWebsite ↗
Connell Park Little League
Park
10 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Weston Field
Park
8 acres0.3 mi of trail
Weston Field Running path
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 30 parks & preserves
Pinchot State Forest2,312 acres · 21 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsNay Aug Park96 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMcDade Park93 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsConnell Park15 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsTripp Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsConnell Park Little League10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsWeston Field8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Weston Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNay Aug Avenue Natural Play Area1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Richter Avenue Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsKevin P. Quinn, SJ, Athletics Campus14 acres · University of Scranton
DirectionsNovembrino Park13 acres
DirectionsEast Scranton Field9 acres
DirectionsHeritage Trail8 acres
DirectionsLoyola Athletic Complex5 acres
DirectionsClover Field5 acres
DirectionsYoung Men's Society of the Resurrection Park4 acres · St. Stanislaus Cathedral Parish
Cayuga Field and Playground4 acres
Rockwell Park4 acres
DirectionsNorth Scranton Little League4 acres
Chic Feldman Field4 acres
DirectionsCentral City Little League3 acres
Jim Crowley Recreation Site3 acres · Scranton City Parks and Recreation
DirectionsMarvine Dutch Gap Ltl League2 acres
DirectionsRobinson Park2 acres
Billy Barrett Park1 acres
Connors Park1 acres
DirectionsJackson Terrace Park1 acres
DirectionsRenaissance Park1 acres
DirectionsBill Gerrity Park1 acres
Who protects it
3,533 conserved acres
22% of Scranton’s land. Who manages Scranton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources1,866 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government855 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits99 ac
Town or city91 ac
National Park Service53 ac
Private owners6 ac
Other state land4 ac
State Resource Management Area · 3,730 acLocal Park · 908 acPrivate Forest Stewardship · 429 acPrivate Conservation · 172 acUnknown · 105 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 90 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinchot State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1,968 | Open |
| Montage Tract State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 1,762 | Open |
| Rinaldi Private Forest Stewardship | Not recorded | 429 | Closed |
| Montage Ski And Rec. Area Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 386 | Open |
| Nay Aug Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 146 | Open |
| Bagley Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 145 | Open |
| McDade Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 94 | Open |
| Tripp Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 61 | Open |
| Steamtown National Historic Site Historic or Cultural Area | National Park Service | 53 | Restricted |
| Scranton High School Athletic Campus Unknown | Not recorded | 48 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
38 places to go in Scranton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Scranton
Activity PoolIn Nay Aug Park
DirectionsWeston Park PoolIn Weston Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Scranton
Community PlaygroundIn Nay Aug Park
DirectionsGrace Street Playground
DirectionsJay Bird PlaygroundIn Nay Aug Park
DirectionsRockwell Park PlaygroundIn Rockwell Park
DirectionsTripps Park Playground
DirectionsWeston Field PlaygroundIn Weston Field
DirectionsWeston Park Playground AreaIn Weston Park
DirectionsPlus 13 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Scranton
1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Fishing spots in Scranton
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Scranton
Nay Aug FallsIn Nay Aug Park
DirectionsPlus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Scranton
Doe OverlookIn Nay Aug Park
DirectionsDoodle OverlookIn Nay Aug Park
DirectionsMia OverlookIn Nay Aug Park
DirectionsMia OverlookIn Nay Aug Park
DirectionsRie Rie OverlookIn Nay Aug Park
DirectionsScenic View
DirectionsPlus 4 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Scranton
Montage Mountain1,975 ft elevation
DirectionsBaby Bell1,929 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
12 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.8 miUnpaved · 23.6 mi
Davis Trail1.1 mi
Balish Spur0.5 mi
Lahey Trail0.5 mi
Sarabi Loop Trail0.4 mi
Depressions Trail0.4 mi
Main Line Loop Trail0.3 mi
Weston Field Running path0.3 mi
Mufasa Trail0.2 mi
Orange Trail0.1 mi
Lizard Trail0.1 mi
2 more trails
Rodman Trail
0.1 miNoah Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.7 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.5 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.2 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
43Baseball
32Tennis
20Basketball
9Tracks
8Soccer
6Football
2Multi-sport
1Golf
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →35 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 28 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Tripp Family HomesteadBuilding · listed 1972
About itFinch BuildingBuilding · listed 1976
About itSt. Peter's Cathedral ComplexBuilding · listed 1976
About itDelaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad StationBuilding · listed 1977
About itAlbright Memorial BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itDime Bank BuildingBuilding · listed 1978
About itSilkman HouseBuilding · listed 1978
About itCentral Railroad of New Jersey Freight StationBuilding · listed 1979
About itMunicipal Building and Central Fire Station, 340Building · listed 1981
About itLackawanna Avenue Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itFlorence ApartmentsBuilding · listed 1984
About it23 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Scranton: April to July 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 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 34 | 37 | 46 | 59 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 80 | 73 | 62 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.1 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Scranton →
Next door
Scranton and its neighbors
Scranton has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Scranton48 miSpring Brook Township40 miRoaring Brook Township30 miMoosic27 miRansom Township26 miDunmore21 miSouth Abington Township5.1 miTaylor1.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scranton | 22% | 1.9 | 14 | 97% | A |
| Taylor | 4% | 0.3 | 19 | 79% | B |
| Moosic | 5% | 4.1 | 4 | 79% | B+ |
| Dunmore | 3% | 2.3 | 7 | 91% | B+ |
| Ransom Township | 1% | 1.5 | 1 | 12% | C |
| Roaring Brook Township | 9% | 1.4 | 33 | 10% | B+ |
| South Abington Township | 4% | 0.6 | 8 | 29% | C+ |
| Spring Brook Township | 37% | 1.2 | under 1 | 4% | B− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Scranton
Where can I hike in Scranton?
The longest trail networks: Pinchot State Forest, 21 miles; Nay Aug Park, 3.4 miles; McDade Park, 0.8 miles; Connell Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Scranton is conserved land?
22% 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 Scranton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Nay Aug Park (on leash) and McDade Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Scranton?
7.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.5 of painted or protected lanes and 6.2 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Scranton?
57,949 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Scranton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,969 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Scranton have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #78 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 Scranton 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 →