South Hanover Township has 5.5 miles of mapped trails, 0.5 for every square mile of land
129 acres are parks and preserves, 18 per 1,000 residents. 70% of residents live within a half mile of a park. 3% of South Hanover Township’s land is conserved, about 199 acres.
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns · #634 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
How much outdoors does South Hanover Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, South Hanover Township is ahead of 60% of U.S. towns, #634 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Trail miles hold the grade up; conserved land pulls it down.
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so South Hanover Township’s 3% is ahead of 19% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 55% 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 Patriot Park, with 0.4 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Keller Field
All 5 parks & preserves
199 conserved acres
3% of South Hanover Township’s land. Who manages South Hanover Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 93 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 23 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keller Field Park Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 44 | Open |
| Swatara Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 25 | Open |
| Hanshue Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 14 | Open |
| Fema Flood Buyout (County Or Municipal Owned) Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 10 | Open |
| Swatara Creek Greenway Private Recreation or Education | Land trusts & nonprofits | 5 | Open |
| Clawson-Van DeHei Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 5 | Open |
| Clawson-VanDeHei Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 5 | Open |
| Litle Meadow Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 3 | Open |
| Brinser Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 3 | Open |
| Greenbrair Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 2 | Open |
17 places to go in South Hanover Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Plus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
1 named trail and 3 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 South Hanover Township: April to June 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) | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.4 | 15.0 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 41 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.5 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in South Hanover Township →
South Hanover 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Hanover Township | 3% | 0.5 | 18 | 70% | B |
| Lower Paxton Township | 5% | 0.6 | 9 | 46% | B− |
| Derry Township | 2% | 1.1 | 14 | 63% | B |
| Hummelstown | 4% | 1.0 | 7 | 93% | B+ |
| Swatara Township | 5% | 0.2 | 7 | 80% | B− |
| Hershey | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Union Deposit | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| East Hanover Township | 21% | 0.5 | 20 | 17% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in South Hanover Township
Where can I hike in South Hanover Township?
The longest trail networks: Patriot Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of South Hanover Township is conserved land?
3% 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 South Hanover Township’s trails?
Patriot Park and Keller Field don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near South Hanover Township?
26,775 acres of parks and open public land lie inside South Hanover Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 129 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does South Hanover Township have?
Ahead of 60% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #634 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 South Hanover 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 →