Photo: Ron Shawley · CC BY 3.0Few parks or trails are on the map in Smithfield Township
The biggest trail networks: Riverside Park (0.5 mi). 12% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 21 acres are parks and preserves, 4.8 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 21% of U.S. towns · #993 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
How much outdoors does Smithfield Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Smithfield Township is ahead of 21% of U.S. towns, #993 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Smithfield Township’s 1% is ahead of 7% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 42% of them.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Riverside Park, with 0.5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Raystown Lake Recreation Area
Rothrock State Forest
32 conserved acres
1% of Smithfield Township’s land. Who manages Smithfield Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| V.F.W. Memorial Field Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 13 | Open |
| Smithfield Riverside Park Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 7 | Open |
| Raystown Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 7 | Open |
| Rothrock State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 4 | Open |
4 places to go in Smithfield Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
2 picnic areas without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 1 lakes & rivers
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
The best walking months in Smithfield Township: April to 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 37 | 41 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 52 | 41 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 4.0 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Smithfield Township →
Smithfield Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithfield Township | 1% | 0.3 | 5 | 12% | C− |
| Huntingdon | 2% | 1.0 | 8 | 80% | B |
| Henderson Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Juniata Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Walker Township | 3% | 0.1 | 9 | 22% | C |
| McConnellstown | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Porter Township | 15% | 0.2 | 188 | 21% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Smithfield Township
Where can I hike in Smithfield Township?
The longest trail networks: Riverside Park, 0.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Smithfield Township is conserved land?
1% 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 Smithfield Township’s trails?
Riverside Park and Raystown Lake Recreation Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Smithfield Township?
61,169 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Smithfield Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 32 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Smithfield Township have?
Ahead of 21% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #993 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 Smithfield Township neighbors.
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 →