Pinchot State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
8,938 acres44.8 mi of trail
Pinchot TrailWatres TrailBear Swamp TrailChoke Creek Nature Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Thornhurst Township
More than half of Thornhurst Township’s land is conserved: 70%
70% of Thornhurst Township’s land is conserved, about 10,175 acres. 52 miles of mapped trail cross Thornhurst Township, 2.3 per square mile of land. 97 acres are parks and preserves, 109 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
70%
10,175 acres · of 22.8 sq mi of land
Trails
52 mi
2.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
97 ac
109 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
11%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,264 ft
Big Pine Hill
Lakes & rivers
6
What kind of outdoors town is Thornhurst Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Thornhurst Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Thornhurst Township is ahead of 87% of U.S. towns. Conserved land holds the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Thornhurst Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land70% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A+Trails2.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (52 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land109 acres of park per 1,000 residents (97 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13AParks close to home11% 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 87%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Thornhurst Township’s 70% is ahead of 100% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 94% 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 44.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
State Game Lands Number 135
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
1,158 acres2.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Spruce Swamp Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
70 acres0.3 mi of trail
Bear Lake TrailSunday Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
State Game Lands Number 91
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
22 acres0.3 mi of trail
Behler Swamp TrailPinchot Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 5 parks & preserves
Pinchot State Forest8,938 acres · 44.8 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsState Game Lands Number 1351,158 acres · 2.5 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Game Commission
DirectionsSpruce Swamp Natural Area70 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
State Game Lands Number 9122 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Game Commission
Hammonds-Keeley Preserve9 acres · Wildlands Conservancy
Who protects it
10,175 conserved acres
70% of Thornhurst Township’s land. Who manages Thornhurst Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources16,028 ac
State fish & wildlife2,360 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits147 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government17 ac
Town or city17 ac
Not recorded8,878 ac
State Resource Management Area · 26,008 acState Recreation Area · 1,180 acForest Stewardship Easement · 94 acState Conservation Area · 70 acConservation Easement · 36 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 41 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. 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 | 15,976 | Open |
| Thornhurst Tract State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 8,848 | Open |
| State Game Land 135 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,158 | Open |
| Sgl 135 State Recreation Area | State fish & wildlife | 1,157 | Open |
| Spruce Swamp Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 70 | Open |
| Thornhurst Township Park Acquisition Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 35 | Open |
| Sgl 091 State Recreation Area | State fish & wildlife | 22 | Open |
| State Game Land 091 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 22 | Open |
| Hammonds-Keeley Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 9 | Open |
| Lackawanna State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 4 | Open |
Things to do
14 places to go in Thornhurst Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Waterfalls in Thornhurst Township
Choke Creek FallsIn Pinchot State Forest
DirectionsScenic views in Thornhurst Township
Pine Hill VistaIn Pinchot State Forest
DirectionsPeaks in Thornhurst Township
Big Pine Hill2,264 ft elevation · In Pinchot State Forest
DirectionsStone Tower2,087 ft elevation · In Pinchot State Forest
DirectionsPicnic areas in Thornhurst Township
Manny Gordon Recreation AreaIn Pinchot State Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in Thornhurst Township
001 CarvolthIn Pinchot State Forest
Directions002 FirelineIn Pinchot State Forest · PA DCNR
Directions003 Sassafras HillIn Pinchot State Forest · PA DCNR
DirectionsManny Gordon 001In Pinchot State Forest · PA DCNR
DirectionsManny Gordon 002In Pinchot State Forest · PA DCNR
DirectionsManny Gordon 003In Pinchot State Forest · PA DCNR
DirectionsPlus 3 campgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.4 miHorses · 11.5 miUnpaved · 33.5 mi
Pinchot Trail6.7 mi
Watres Trail3.9 mi
Bear Swamp Trail2.4 mi
Choke Creek Nature Trail1.5 mi
Crossing Trail1.4 mi
Hayes Run Trail1.3 mi
Boundary Line Trail1.3 mi
Butler Run Trail1.2 mi
Sassafras Hill Trail1.2 mi
Bear Lake Trail1.2 mi
15 more trails
County Line Trail
1.2 miFrank Gantz Trail
1.1 miStone Lookout Trail
1.1 miChoke Creek Cabin ROW
1.1 miKeller's Swamp Trail
1.1 miPine Hill Trail
1.1 miBirchstill Trail
1.0 miPowder Magazine Trail
1.0 miGolf Course Trail
1.0 miScrub Oak Trail
1.0 miMcClintock's Gate Trail
1.0 miNorth Line Trail
0.8 miRed Pine Plantation Trail
0.8 miPainter Creek Trail
0.8 miSunday Trail
0.7 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Thornhurst Township: May, July 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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 41 | 55 | 65 | 73 | 77 | 76 | 69 | 57 | 45 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 3.6 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 77 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Thornhurst Township →
Next door
Thornhurst Township and its neighbors
Thornhurst Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Coolbaugh Township65 miThornhurst Township52 miBear Creek Township45 miSpring Brook Township40 miTobyhanna Township23 miClifton Township16 miJenkins Township12 miBuck Township9.7 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornhurst Township | 70% | 2.3 | 109 | 11% | A |
| Coolbaugh Township | 62% | 0.8 | 379 | 36% | A |
| Buck Township | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Clifton Township | 41% | 0.8 | 33 | 34% | A− |
| Tobyhanna Township | 31% | 0.5 | 194 | 54% | A |
| Spring Brook Township | 37% | 1.2 | under 1 | 4% | B− |
| Bear Creek Township | 69% | 0.7 | 1,249 | 42% | A |
| Jenkins Township | 41% | 0.9 | 11 | 83% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Thornhurst Township
Where can I hike in Thornhurst Township?
The longest trail networks: Pinchot State Forest, 44.8 miles; State Game Lands Number 135, 2.5 miles; Spruce Swamp Natural Area, 0.3 miles; State Game Lands Number 91, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Thornhurst Township is conserved land?
70% 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 Thornhurst Township’s trails?
Pinchot State Forest and State Game Lands Number 135 don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Thornhurst Township?
130,224 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Thornhurst Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 10,166 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Thornhurst Township have?
Ahead of 87% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. 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 Thornhurst 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 →