Glen Providence Park
Park
26 acres1.6 mi of trail
Scout LoopMountain Laurel TrailSwitchbacks
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Idlewild · Photo: Smallbones · CC0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Upper Providence Township
10% of Upper Providence Township’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
6.0 miles of mapped trail cross Upper Providence Township, 1.1 per square mile of land. 10% of Upper Providence Township’s land is conserved, about 373 acres. The biggest trail networks: Glen Providence Park (1.6 mi), Rose Tree Park (1.4 mi), Louis W. Scott Memorial Park (1.3 mi).
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns · #99 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
373 acres · of 5.6 sq mi of land
Trails
6.0 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
377 ac
35 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Upper Providence Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Upper Providence Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Upper Providence Township is ahead of 92% of U.S. towns, #99 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; the share of residents near a park ranks highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Upper Providence Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (6 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land35 acres of park per 1,000 residents (377 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · PA 73% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 92%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 91%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Upper Providence Township’s 10% is ahead of 58% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 79% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be 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 Glen Providence Park, with 1.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Rose Tree Park
Nature preserve
192 acres1.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Louis W. Scott Memorial Park
Park
42 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ridley Creek State Park
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
76 acres0.8 mi of trail
Orange Trail Access
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Houtman Park
Park
4 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 9 parks & preserves
Glen Providence Park26 acres · 1.6 mi of trail
DirectionsRose Tree Park192 acres · 1.4 mi of trail
DirectionsLouis W. Scott Memorial Park42 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsRidley Creek State Park76 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks
DirectionsHoutman Park4 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Hildacy Preserve5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Natural Lands
Martins Park24 acres
Media Little League13 acres
DirectionsCherry Street Park7 acres
Who protects it
373 conserved acres
10% of Upper Providence Township’s land. Who manages Upper Providence Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Other or Unknown Local Government237 ac
State parks154 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits132 ac
Town or city41 ac
Joint22 ac
Not recorded68 ac
Local Park · 270 acState Park · 154 acForest Stewardship Easement · 109 acLocal Recreation Area · 40 acLocal Other or Unknown · 35 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 22 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 37 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ridley Creek State Park State Park | State parks | 154 | Open |
| Rose Tree Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 115 | Open |
| Louis Scott Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 50 | Open |
| Brookwood - Lavin Tract Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Municipal Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 35 | Open |
| Glen Providence Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 24 | Open |
| Martins Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 23 | Open |
| Drexeline Property Acquisition Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 12 | Open |
| Municipal Building And Recreation Area Local Park | Town or city | 12 | Open |
| Cherry Street Field Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 8 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
4 places to go in Upper Providence Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Upper Providence Township
2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Picnic areas in Upper Providence Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Upper Providence Township
Rose Tree GardenIn Rose Tree Park
DirectionsTrails & water
4 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 0.7 mi
Orange Trail Access0.7 mi
Scout Loop0.3 mi
Mountain Laurel Trail0.3 mi
Switchbacks0.1 mi
Lakes & 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
11Tennis
7Baseball
1Soccer
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Upper Providence 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 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 41 | 44 | 52 | 64 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 55 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 4.1 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.7 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Upper Providence Township →
Next door
Upper Providence Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Middletown Township43 miEdgmont Township24 miMarple Township19 miSpringfield Township19 miNether Providence Township11 miNewtown Township8.4 miUpper Providence Township6.0 miMedia0.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Providence Township | 10% | 1.1 | 35 | 96% | A |
| Middletown Township | 19% | 3.2 | 97 | 98% | A+ |
| Marple Township | 8% | 1.8 | 22 | 94% | A |
| Edgmont Township | 44% | 2.5 | 537 | 88% | A+ |
| Media | 3% | 0.7 | 3 | 99%+ | B |
| Nether Providence Township | 7% | 2.4 | 14 | 99%+ | A |
| Newtown Township | 6% | 0.8 | 16 | 94% | A− |
| Springfield Township | 7% | 2.9 | 13 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Upper Providence Township
Where can I hike in Upper Providence Township?
The longest trail networks: Glen Providence Park, 1.6 miles; Rose Tree Park, 1.4 miles; Louis W. Scott Memorial Park, 1.3 miles; Ridley Creek State Park, 0.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Upper Providence Township is conserved land?
10% 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 Providence Township’s trails?
Glen Providence Park and Rose Tree Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Upper Providence Township?
20,217 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Upper Providence Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 377 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Upper Providence Township have?
Ahead of 92% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #99 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 Providence 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 →