French Creek State Park
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
6,056 acres38.1 mi of trail
Turtle TrailLenape TrailSix Penny TrailMill Creek Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Sdwelch1031 · CC BY 3.0A+Outdoors
Outdoors in Union Township
More than half of Union Township’s land is conserved: 55%
55% of Union Township’s land is conserved, about 8,169 acres. 6,848 acres are parks and preserves, 1,733 per 1,000 residents. 74 miles of mapped trail cross Union Township, 3.2 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns · #23 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
55%
8,169 acres · of 23.4 sq mi of land
Trails
74 mi
3.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,848 ac
1,733 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
68%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
7.4 mi
7.4 mi paths
Highest peak
1,004 ft
Williams Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Union Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Land that stays wild55% of the land is conserved; a typical Pennsylvania town, 8%.A trail town3.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 97% of U.S. towns.Room to roam1,733 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way3 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Union Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Union Township is ahead of 98% of U.S. towns, #23 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Union Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land55% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A+Trails3.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (74 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land1,733 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,848 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home68% of residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 98%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 98%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Union Township’s 55% is ahead of 99% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 97% 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 French Creek State Park, with 38.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Birdsboro Waters
Nature preserve
659 acres18.9 mi of trail
Horse-Shoe Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Managed by National Park Service
603 acres5.6 mi of trail
Lenape TrailHorse-Shoe TrailBuzzards TrailRacoon Trail+1
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Main Day Use Area
Park
123 acres5.1 mi of trail
Hopewell Lake LoopHopewell Big Woods Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
State Game Lands Number 43
Managed by Pennsylvania Game Commission
97 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 8 parks & preserves
French Creek State Park6,056 acres · 38.1 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
DirectionsBirdsboro Waters659 acres · 18.9 mi of trail
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site603 acres · 5.6 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsMain Day Use Area123 acres · 5.1 mi of trail
DirectionsState Game Lands Number 4397 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Game Commission
DirectionsHopewell Tract10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWilliam Penn State Forest65 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
Union Meadows52 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
8,169 conserved acres
55% of Union Township’s land. Who manages Union Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks6,168 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits3,093 ac
National Park Service599 ac
County451 ac
Private owners222 ac
State fish & wildlife193 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government155 ac
State Park · 6,258 acForest Stewardship Easement · 1,850 acConservation Easement · 960 acHistoric or Cultural Area · 599 acAgricultural Easement · 451 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,038 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 4 of 49 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| French Creek State Park State Park | State parks | 6,258 | Open |
| Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Historic or Cultural Area | National Park Service | 599 | Restricted |
| Yelenoc Acquisition (previously was Sheeder) Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 339 | Open |
| Union Twp. Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 155 | Open |
| Schuylkill River Greenways Property Private Conservation | Not recorded | 139 | Open |
| Hay Creek Watershed Property Acquisition Local Conservation Area | Land trusts & nonprofits | 102 | Unknown |
| State Game Land 043 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 97 | Open |
| Sgl 043 State Resource Management Area | State fish & wildlife | 96 | Open |
| Hopewell Tract State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 10 | Open |
| William Penn State Forest - Hopewell Tract State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 10 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Union Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Union Township
Maple Springs Swimming Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Union Township
Immaculate Conception Playground
DirectionsPlus 1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Union Township
3 boat launches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Union Township
Williams Hill1,004 ft elevation · In Hopewell Tract
DirectionsChestnut Hill1,001 ft elevation · In French Creek State Park
DirectionsBrush945 ft elevation · In French Creek State Park
DirectionsMount Pleasure883 ft elevation · In French Creek State Park
DirectionsPlus 4 peaks without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Union Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Union Township
French Creek State Park Campground Loop AIn French Creek State Park
DirectionsFrench Creek State Park Campground Loop BIn French Creek State Park
DirectionsFrench Creek State Park Campground Loop CIn French Creek State Park
DirectionsFrench Creek State Park Campground Loop DIn French Creek State Park
DirectionsGroup Camp #1In French Creek State Park
DirectionsGroup Camp #2 ClewellIn French Creek State Park
DirectionsGroup Camp SiteIn French Creek State Park
DirectionsGroup Camp SiteIn French Creek State Park
Directions1 more campground
Thun Trail Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
18 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 33.6 miHorses · 16.2 miUnpaved · 40.8 mi
Lenape Trail6.4 mi
Turtle Trail4.6 mi
Horse-Shoe Trail4.4 mi
Mill Creek Trail3.5 mi
Six Penny Trail3.4 mi
Scotts Run Loop2.0 mi
Boone Trail1.8 mi
Hopewell Lake Loop1.5 mi
Racoon Trail1.5 mi
Kalmia Trail0.8 mi
8 more trails
Ridge Trail
0.8 miBlue with Red Trail
0.7 miColliers Trail
0.6 miBuzzards Trail
0.5 miHopewell Big Woods Trail
0.5 miHorse-Shoe
0.4 miScott’s Run Loop
0.2 miOld Tulip Poplar
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
7.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
7.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
4Baseball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →3 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Union 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 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 42 | 50 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.3 | 2.8 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 4.0 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.9 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Union Township →
Next door
Union Township and its neighbors
Union Township has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Robeson Township90 miUnion Township74 miNorth Coventry Township19 miAmity Township7.6 miBirdsboro1.2 miDouglassville0.1 miDouglass Township0.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Township | 55% | 3.2 | 1,733 | 68% | A+ |
| Amity Township | 5% | 0.4 | 39 | 72% | B+ |
| Douglassville | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Douglass Township | 4% | under 0.1 | 39 | 44% | C+ |
| Birdsboro | 6% | 0.9 | 9 | 99%+ | A− |
| Robeson Township | 15% | 2.6 | 93 | 38% | A |
| North Coventry Township | 21% | 1.4 | 120 | 73% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Union Township
Where can I hike in Union Township?
The longest trail networks: French Creek State Park, 38.1 miles; Birdsboro Waters, 18.9 miles; Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, 5.6 miles; Main Day Use Area, 5.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Union Township is conserved land?
55% 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 Union Township’s trails?
French Creek State Park and Birdsboro Waters don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Union Township?
7.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 7.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Union Township?
33,441 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Union Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,658 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Union Township have?
Ahead of 98% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #23 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 Union 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 →