Lancaster County Central Park
Managed by Lancaster County
372 acres9.7 mi of trail
Equestrian TrailScout TrailFitness TrailWildflower Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Nicholas · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in West Lampeter Township
28% of West Lampeter Township’s land is conserved: 2,953 acres
16 miles of mapped trail cross West Lampeter Township, 1.0 per square mile of land. 626 acres are parks and preserves, 36 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Lancaster County Central Park (9.7 mi), Village Park (1.5 mi), Shiprock Woods Nature Preserve (0.8 mi).
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns · #123 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
2,953 acres · of 16.4 sq mi of land
Trails
16 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
626 ac
36 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
76%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.1 mi
0.1 mi lanes
Lakes & rivers
3
What kind of outdoors town is West Lampeter Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does West Lampeter Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, West Lampeter Township is ahead of 91% of U.S. towns, #123 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 West Lampeter Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%ATrails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (16 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land36 acres of park per 1,000 residents (626 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 91%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 88%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so West Lampeter Township’s 28% is ahead of 89% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 77% 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 Lancaster County Central Park, with 9.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Shiprock Woods Nature Preserve
Managed by Lancaster County Conservancy
37 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
West Lampeter Park
Managed by West Lampeter Township
7 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yet
All 8 parks & preserves
Lancaster County Central Park372 acres · 9.7 mi of trail · Lancaster County
DirectionsVillage Park54 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsShiprock Woods Nature Preserve37 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Lancaster County Conservancy
DirectionsWest Lampeter Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · West Lampeter Township
Summer Breeze Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsD.F. Buchmiller County Park67 acres · Lancaster County
Kiwanis Natural Area2 acres · Lancaster County Central Park
DirectionsWindy Hill Park2 acres
Who protects it
2,953 conserved acres
28% of West Lampeter Township’s land. Who manages West Lampeter Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
County6,631 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits792 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government553 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)96 ac
Town or city51 ac
Other state land2 ac
Not recorded553 ac
Agricultural Easement · 7,296 acLocal Park · 545 acPrivate Agricultural · 513 acUnknown Easement · 146 acPrivate Conservation · 118 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,843 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 148 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lancaster County Central Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 368 | Open |
| 2014-003 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 98 | Closed |
| 1995-003 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 78 | Closed |
| Shiprock Woods Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Not recorded | 75 | Open |
| 2007-043 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 69 | Closed |
| 2007-042 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 67 | Closed |
| 1992-009 Private Agricultural | Not recorded | 67 | Closed |
| Buchmiller Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 65 | Open |
| Village Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 55 | Open |
| Jemet Property Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 51 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
6 places to go in West Lampeter Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in West Lampeter Township
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Campgrounds in West Lampeter Township
Mill Creek Camping AreaFee · In Lancaster County Central Park · Lancaster County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsTrails & water
10 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 5.3 miHorses · 3.0 miUnpaved · 6.3 mi
Equestrian Trail3.0 mi
Scout Trail1.0 mi
Fitness Trail1.0 mi
Wildflower Trail0.8 mi
Mill Creek Neighborhood Park Walking Path0.8 mi
CVA Trail0.5 mi
Kinglet Trail0.3 mi
CTS Trail0.3 mi
Warbler Trail0.2 mi
Kinglet & Warbler Trails0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
Lancaster County Central ParkBike route
5.3 miCourts & fields
19Baseball
18Tennis
6Soccer
6Pickleball
4Basketball
3Softball
1Lacrosse
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 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 West Lampeter 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) | 39 | 42 | 51 | 64 | 74 | 82 | 86 | 84 | 77 | 66 | 54 | 44 |
| Rain (in) | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 86 °F). 4.7 inches fall in September, the wettest month. The climate in West Lampeter Township →
Next door
West Lampeter Township and its neighbors
West Lampeter Township has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
West Lampeter Township16 miLancaster9.4 miPequea Township5.9 miEast Lampeter Township4.5 miLancaster Township3.4 miWillow Street1.4 miStrasburg Township1.1 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Lampeter Township | 28% | 1.0 | 36 | 76% | A |
| Strasburg Township | 31% | 0.1 | 32 | 19% | B− |
| Lancaster | 12% | 1.3 | 10 | 99% | A |
| Lancaster Township | 5% | 0.6 | 8 | 80% | B |
| East Lampeter Township | 12% | 0.2 | 9 | 56% | B− |
| Pequea Township | 30% | 0.4 | 26 | 26% | B+ |
| Willow Street | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Lampeter Township
Where can I hike in West Lampeter Township?
The longest trail networks: Lancaster County Central Park, 9.7 miles; Village Park, 1.5 miles; Shiprock Woods Nature Preserve, 0.8 miles; West Lampeter Park, 0.4 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of West Lampeter Township is conserved land?
28% 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 Lampeter Township’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at West Lampeter Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Lampeter Township?
0.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of painted or protected lanes. Named routes: Lancaster County Central Park.
Is there public land near West Lampeter Township?
14,380 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Lampeter Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 626 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does West Lampeter Township have?
Ahead of 91% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #123 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 Lampeter 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 →