Michaux State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
2,314 acres15.9 mi of trail
Appalachian National Scenic TrailPipeline TrackVirginia Rock WalkLongwood-Sidewinder Connector+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Jeremiah Burns Farm · Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ M.D. · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Washington Township
15% of Washington Township’s land is conserved: 3,879 acres
1,165 acres are parks and preserves, 77 per 1,000 residents. 34 miles of mapped trail cross Washington Township, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Michaux State Forest (15.9 mi), Appalachian National Scenic Trail (4.1 mi), Renfrew Park (0.9 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #134 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
3,879 acres · of 39.1 sq mi of land
Trails
34 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,165 ac
77 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
76%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.0 mi
6.0 mi paths
Highest peak
1,788 ft
Virginia Rock
Lakes & rivers
7
1 beach
What kind of outdoors town is Washington Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Washington Township is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #134 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 Washington Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (34 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land77 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,165 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home76% 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 90%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 87%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so Washington Township’s 15% is ahead of 72% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 73% 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 Michaux State Forest, with 15.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Managed by National Park Service
323 acres4.1 mi of trail
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Dogs usually limited
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Renfrew Park
Park
31 acres0.9 mi of trail
EmmaJoda TrailAntietam TrailMill Run TrailEmmaJoda East Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Beartown Woods Natural Area
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
40 acres0.3 mi of trail
Appalachian National Scenic TrailBicentennial Tree Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 10 parks & preserves
Michaux State Forest2,314 acres · 15.9 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsAppalachian National Scenic Trail323 acres · 4.1 mi of trail · National Park Service
DirectionsRenfrew Park31 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsBeartown Woods Natural Area40 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
DirectionsWAYSO16 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Red Run Park17 acres
DirectionsSouth Mountain State Park2 acres · Maryland Park Service
Otterbein Community Recreation Park1 acres
Northside Park1 acres
Old Benjamin Tenis Courts1 acres
Who protects it
3,879 conserved acres
15% of Washington Township’s land. Who manages Washington Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources2,314 ac
County1,644 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government515 ac
National Park Service324 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits128 ac
Town or city31 ac
Private owners16 ac
State Resource Management Area · 4,578 acAgricultural Easement · 1,644 acLocal Park · 429 acLocal Other or Unknown · 362 acNational Scenic or Historic Trail · 314 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 468 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 58 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michaux State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 4,578 | Open |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 314 | Open |
| Municipal Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 233 | Open |
| Pine Hill Recreation Area Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 184 | Open |
| Monterey Pass Battlefield Park Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 126 | Open |
| Washington Township Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 97 | Open |
| Renfrew Museum & Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 97 | Open |
| Happel's Meadow Wetlands Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 70 | Open |
| Happel's Meadow Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 26 | Open |
| Beartown Woods Natural Area State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 25 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
16 places to go in Washington Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Washington Township
Beach Front
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Washington Township
Play ground
DirectionsPlus 2 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Scenic views in Washington Township
Rattlesnake Run LookoutIn Michaux State Forest
DirectionsPeaks in Washington Township
Virginia Rock1,788 ft elevation · In Michaux State Forest
DirectionsWildcat Rocks1,749 ft elevation · In Michaux State Forest
DirectionsMount Dunlop1,683 ft elevation · In Appalachian National Scenic Trail
DirectionsMonterey Peak1,663 ft elevation
DirectionsBare Rock1,644 ft elevation
DirectionsBuzzards Roost1,503 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Washington Township
1 picnic area without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Campgrounds in Washington Township
Boy Scout Camping Area
DirectionsCapital Camps & Retreat Center
DirectionsDeer Lick Shelter AT Camping AreaHours: Open 24 hours · In Michaux State Forest · Potomac Appalachian Trail Club
DirectionsPlus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.4 miHorses · 4.7 miUnpaved · 19.1 mi
Appalachian National Scenic Trail5.1 mi
Washington Township Boulevard Trail2.2 mi
Pipeline Track1.5 mi
Virginia Rock Walk1.4 mi
Paul Benchoff Memorial Overlook Trail0.9 mi
Fox Crossing Trail0.7 mi
Longwood-Sidewinder Connector0.6 mi
Deer Trail0.6 mi
Deer Lick Track0.5 mi
Heliport Trail0.5 mi
15 more trails
Buzz Baumgardner Trail
0.5 miMonterey Peak Trail
0.4 miBearclaw Ride Trail
0.4 miOld Balboa Trail
0.4 miWohelo Service Path
0.4 miBilly Yank Trail
0.4 miSnyder Trail
0.4 miBlue Heron Trail
0.3 miEmmaJoda Trail
0.3 miDeer Lick Shelter Spring Trail
0.3 miScout Trail
0.2 miAntietam Trail
0.2 miNorth Peak Trail
0.2 miBrown's Spring Trail
0.2 miMill Run Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.0 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
10Tennis
4Basketball
2Softball
2Baseball
1Soccer
1Lacrosse
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Springdale MillsBuilding · listed 1975
About itMonterey Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1976
About itRoyer-Nicodemus House and FarmBuilding · listed 1976
About itWelty's Mill BridgeStructure · listed 1983
About itRed Run LodgeBuilding · listed 1996
About itHarbaugh's Reformed ChurchBuilding · listed 2002
About itJeremiah Burns FarmBuilding · listed 2002
About itHandycraft FarmsteadBuilding · listed 2002
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Washington Township: April, 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 | 14.3 | 15.0 | 14.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.4 |
| High (°F) | 39 | 43 | 52 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 66 | 54 | 43 |
| Rain (in) | 3.0 | 2.4 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 86 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Washington Township →
Next door
Washington Township and its neighbors
Washington Township has the second most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Quincy Township90 miWashington Township34 miLiberty Township9.2 miAntrim Township7.4 miHighfield-Cascade3.6 miPen Mar1.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Township | 15% | 0.9 | 77 | 76% | A |
| Antrim Township | 3% | 0.1 | 21 | 16% | C+ |
| Pen Mar | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Quincy Township | 42% | 2.0 | 53 | 18% | A |
| Liberty Township | 5% | 0.6 | under 1 | 10% | C |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Washington Township
Where can I hike in Washington Township?
The longest trail networks: Michaux State Forest, 15.9 miles; Appalachian National Scenic Trail, 4.1 miles; Renfrew Park, 0.9 miles; Beartown Woods Natural Area, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Washington Township is conserved land?
15% 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 Washington Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Michaux State Forest (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Washington Township?
6.0 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.0 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Washington Township?
43,990 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Washington Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,472 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Washington Township have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #134 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 Washington 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 →