Trails and Trees Environmental Center
Park
20 acres1.9 mi of trail
MTB Trail 4MTB Trail 2MTB Trail 3Pennsylvania Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Badagnani · CC BY-SA 3.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Upper Allen Township
Upper Allen Township has 13 miles of mapped trails, 1.0 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Trails and Trees Environmental Center (1.9 mi), Simpson Park (0.9 mi), Generations Park (0.8 mi). 7% of Upper Allen Township’s land is conserved, about 590 acres. 80% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns · #380 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
590 acres · of 13.2 sq mi of land
Trails
13 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
299 ac
13 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
80%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
607 ft
Chestnut Hill
Lakes & rivers
1
What kind of outdoors town is Upper Allen Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Upper Allen Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Upper Allen Township is ahead of 75% of U.S. towns, #380 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 Upper Allen Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (13 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land13 acres of park per 1,000 residents (299 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home80% 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 75%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 63%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Upper Allen Township’s 7% is ahead of 45% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 76% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ 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 Trails and Trees Environmental Center, with 1.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Simpson Park
Managed by Upper Allen Township
17 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Generations Park
Managed by Upper Allen Township
57 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 18 parks & preserves
Trails and Trees Environmental Center20 acres · 1.9 mi of trail
DirectionsSimpson Park17 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Upper Allen Township
DirectionsGenerations Park57 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Upper Allen Township
DirectionsLoop Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsFriendship Park19 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsFisher Park21 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Upper Allen Township
DirectionsWinding Hills Park (West)17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGrantham Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Bittner Beach2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Miller Meadow1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWinding Hills Park (East)47 acres
DirectionsSpring Run Park3 acres
DirectionsMount Allen Park2 acres
DirectionsTrout Run Park2 acres
DirectionsMiller's Crest Park2 acres · Upper Allen Township
DirectionsCountry Estates Park2 acres · Upper Allen Township
Rosegarden Park2 acres
Allenview Park1 acres
Who protects it
590 conserved acres
7% of Upper Allen Township’s land. Who manages Upper Allen Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County1,229 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government167 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)104 ac
Town or city24 ac
Not recorded46 ac
Agricultural Easement · 1,333 acLocal Park · 185 acLocal Other or Unknown · 28 acLocal Recreation Area · 24 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 377 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 37 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winding Hills Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 72 | Open |
| Municipal Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 28 | Open |
| Beamer Property Acquisition Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 24 | Open |
| Upper Allen Township Community Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 21 | Open |
| Friendship Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 19 | Open |
| Simpson Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 18 | Open |
| Trails & Trees Environmental Center Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 18 | Open |
| Trout Run Wetland Wildlife Reserve Local Park | Not recorded | 17 | Unknown |
| Grantham Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 5 | Open |
| Spring Run Acres Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 3 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
33 places to go in Upper Allen Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Upper Allen Township
Messiah College ELC Playground
DirectionsRopes CourseIn Trails and Trees Environmental Center
DirectionsRopes CourseIn Trails and Trees Environmental Center
DirectionsPlus 17 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Upper Allen Township
Upper Allen Dog Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Upper Allen Township
Chestnut Hill607 ft elevation
DirectionsShepherd
DirectionsDisc golf in Upper Allen Township
2 disc golf without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Upper Allen Township
7 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
13 named trails and 1 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 3.1 mi
Fitness Trail1.4 mi
MTB Trail 40.5 mi
Trout Run Nature Trail0.3 mi
MTB Trail 20.2 mi
MTB Trail 30.2 mi
Trout Alley Path0.2 mi
Pennsylvania Trail0.1 mi
Forest Pathway0.1 mi
Old Road Trail0.1 mi
MTB Trail 10.1 mi
3 more trails
Fitness Trail Alternate Route
0.1 miNorthside Trail
0.1 miShepherdstown Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
15Baseball
15Soccer
7Tennis
7Basketball
3Beach volleyball
2Volleyball
1Lacrosse
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 3 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Union HotelBuilding · listed 1989
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Upper Allen 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 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 38 | 41 | 51 | 63 | 73 | 81 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 65 | 53 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.4 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in Upper Allen Township →
Next door
Upper Allen Township and its neighbors
Upper Allen Township has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Monroe Township17 miUpper Allen Township13 miLower Allen Township7.8 miMonaghan Township2.0 miFairview Township1.8 miMessiah College1.6 miMechanicsburg1.5 miCarroll Township0.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Allen Township | 7% | 1.0 | 13 | 80% | A− |
| Monaghan Township | 2% | 0.2 | under 1 | 6% | D |
| Messiah College | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Mechanicsburg | 4% | 0.6 | 7 | 93% | B |
| Carroll Township | 2% | 0.1 | 8 | 43% | C |
| Monroe Township | 24% | 0.6 | 150 | 45% | A− |
| Lower Allen Township | 4% | 0.8 | 9 | 77% | B |
| Fairview Township | 2% | 0.1 | 8 | 41% | C− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Upper Allen Township
Where can I hike in Upper Allen Township?
The longest trail networks: Trails and Trees Environmental Center, 1.9 miles; Simpson Park, 0.9 miles; Generations Park, 0.8 miles; Loop Park, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Upper Allen Township is conserved land?
7% 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 Upper Allen Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Generations Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Upper Allen Township?
21,632 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Upper Allen Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 299 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Upper Allen Township have?
Ahead of 75% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #380 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 Upper Allen 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 →