Bald Eagle State Forest
Managed by Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry
10,181 acres20.6 mi of trail
Top Mountain TrailSpring Mountain TrailMile Run TrailCowbell Hollow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Dincher · CC BY-SA 3.0B−Outdoors
Outdoors in West Buffalo Township
43% of West Buffalo Township’s land is conserved: 10,600 acres
The biggest trail networks: Bald Eagle State Forest (20.6 mi). 2 acres are parks and preserves, 0.6 per 1,000 residents. 17% of residents live within a half mile of a park.
Ahead of 47% of U.S. towns · #770 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
43%
10,600 acres · of 38.3 sq mi of land
Trails
22 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
2 ac
0.6 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
17%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.4 mi
0.4 mi paths
Highest peak
2,080 ft
Buffalo Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is West Buffalo Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does West Buffalo Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, West Buffalo Township is ahead of 47% of U.S. towns, #770 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. Conserved land holds the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
B−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of West Buffalo Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land43% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A+Trails0.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (22 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land0.6 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13DParks close to home17% 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 47%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 26%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so West Buffalo Township’s 43% is ahead of 97% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 61% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B+. 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 Bald Eagle State Forest, with 20.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
10,600 conserved acres
43% of West Buffalo Township’s land. Who manages West Buffalo Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State natural resources10,187 ac
County1,425 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)119 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits80 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government2 ac
Town or city2 ac
Not recorded12 ac
State Resource Management Area · 10,187 acAgricultural Easement · 1,556 acForest Stewardship Easement · 60 acConservation Easement · 20 acLocal Recreation Area · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 412 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bald Eagle State Forest State Resource Management Area | State natural resources | 10,187 | Open |
| Buffalo Valley Rail-Trail Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 2 | Open |
| Buffalo Valley Rail Trail Acquisition Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 2 | Open |
Things to do
11 places to go in West Buffalo Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Scenic views in West Buffalo Township
VistaIn Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in West Buffalo Township
Buffalo Mountain2,080 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsLong Knob1,850 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsLittle Mountain1,818 ft elevation · In Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsCampgrounds in West Buffalo Township
005 Spruce Run RoadIn Bald Eagle State Forest · PA DCNR
Directions006 White Deer Creek RoadIn Bald Eagle State Forest · PA DCNR
Directions008 Spruce Run RoadIn Bald Eagle State Forest · PA DCNR
DirectionsHidden Valley Camping Resort
DirectionsMotorized Camp Site #2Fee · In Bald Eagle State Forest · Bald Eagle State Forest
DirectionsStoney Creek Campground
DirectionsTrails & water
12 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.9 miHorses · 11.6 miUnpaved · 7.5 mi
Top Mountain Trail3.0 mi
Spring Mountain Trail2.8 mi
Mile Run Trail1.9 mi
Cowbell Hollow Trail1.8 mi
Old Tram Trail1.7 mi
Grosses Gap Trail1.4 mi
Bear Gap Trail1.2 mi
Five Points Trail1.0 mi
Glen Cabin Trail0.9 mi
Red Tongue Trail0.5 mi
2 more trails
Lick Run Trail
0.5 miStony Gap Trail
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Grosses Gap TrailBike route
1.4 miBear Gap TrailBike route
1.2 miHistory along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Hayes BridgeStructure · listed 1980
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in West Buffalo Township: May 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) | 9.5 | 10.6 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.1 | 14.8 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 36 | 45 | 59 | 69 | 77 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.0 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.6 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in West Buffalo Township →
Next door
West Buffalo Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Washington Township54 miLewis Township42 miWest Buffalo Township22 miWhite Deer Township12 miLimestone Township5.2 miBuffalo Township3.9 miMifflinburg0.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Buffalo Township | 43% | 0.6 | 1 | 17% | B− |
| White Deer Township | 38% | 0.3 | 4 | 12% | C+ |
| Mifflinburg | 8% | 0.2 | 10 | 97% | B+ |
| Limestone Township | 15% | 0.3 | 1 | 3% | C |
| Buffalo Township | 22% | 0.1 | 8 | 29% | B− |
| Lewis Township | 52% | 1.1 | 684 | 17% | A |
| Washington Township | 60% | 1.1 | under 1 | under 1% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Buffalo Township
Where can I hike in West Buffalo Township?
The longest trail networks: Bald Eagle State Forest, 20.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of West Buffalo Township is conserved land?
43% 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 West Buffalo Township’s trails?
Bald Eagle State Forest doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Buffalo Township?
0.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.4 of off-road paths. Named routes: Grosses Gap Trail and Bear Gap Trail.
Is there public land near West Buffalo Township?
125,838 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Buffalo Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 10,231 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does West Buffalo Township have?
Ahead of 47% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #770 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 West Buffalo 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 →