Norristown Farm Park
Park
250 acres2.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Staib · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in West Norriton Township
12% of West Norriton Township’s land is conserved, and 99% of residents live within a half mile of a park
7.9 miles of mapped trail cross West Norriton Township, 1.3 per square mile of land. 12% of West Norriton Township’s land is conserved, about 467 acres. The biggest trail networks: Norristown Farm Park (2.2 mi), Burnside Oakland Park (0.6 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #89 of 1,037 in Pennsylvania. What drives it
Conserved land
12%
467 acres · of 5.9 sq mi of land
Trails
7.9 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
333 ac
20 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
99%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.9 mi
6.9 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
3
2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is West Norriton Township?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does West Norriton Township have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, West Norriton Township is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #89 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 West Norriton Township’s overall grade.
Conserved land12% of the land · typical PA town 8% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (8 mi) · PA 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land20 acres of park per 1,000 residents (333 acres) · PA 14 · U.S. 13BParks close to home99% 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 93%
LessMore
Pennsylvania towns of 2,500+ (1,037)Ahead of 92%
Pennsylvania towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 8%; the U.S., 4%), so West Norriton Township’s 12% is ahead of 65% of Pennsylvania towns, while its trails per square mile lead 85% of them.
Water is 5% of West Norriton Township’s area (0 of 6 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 12%.
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 Norristown Farm Park, with 2.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
467 conserved acres
12% of West Norriton Township’s land. Water is left out: West Norriton Township has 5.9 square miles of land and 0.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages West Norriton Township’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks251 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government174 ac
National Park Service15 ac
Not recorded26 ac
State Other or Unknown · 251 acLocal Recreation Area · 134 acLocal Park · 44 acLocal Other or Unknown · 22 acHistoric or Cultural Area · 15 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 10 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norristown Farm Park State Other or Unknown | State parks | 251 | Open |
| Jeffersonville Golf Club Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 128 | Unknown |
| Betzwood Park Local Park | Not recorded | 21 | Open |
| VanLandeghem Tract Local Other or Unknown | Other or Unknown Local Government | 17 | Open |
| Centennial Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 15 | Open |
| Valley Forge National Historical Park Historic or Cultural Area | National Park Service | 15 | Restricted |
| Padden Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 8 | Open |
| Jefferson Firehouse Recreation Site Local Recreation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 6 | Open |
| Municipal Land Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 3 | Open |
| Fema Flood Buyout (County Or Municipal Owned) Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 2 | Open |
Things to do
12 places to go in West Norriton Township
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in West Norriton Township
Northridge Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in West Norriton Township
5 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in West Norriton Township
2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in West Norriton Township
Betzwood Trailhead
DirectionsPlus 3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 lakes & rivers
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.9 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
6.9 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
18Tennis
14Baseball
5Soccer
2Basketball
2Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
When to get out
The best walking months in West Norriton 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 | 14.8 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 9.9 | 9.3 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 43 | 51 | 64 | 73 | 82 | 87 | 85 | 78 | 66 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.3 | 4.3 |
February is the driest month (2.8 in) and July the warmest (highs of 87 °F). 4.7 inches fall in July, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 87 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in West Norriton Township →
Next door
West Norriton Township and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Lower Providence Township23 miUpper Merion Township21 miWest Norriton Township7.9 miEast Norriton Township6.5 miNorristown3.3 miKing of Prussia2.4 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Norriton Township | 12% | 1.3 | 20 | 99% | A |
| Upper Merion Township | 17% | 1.2 | 16 | 96% | A |
| King of Prussia | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Norristown | 11% | 0.9 | 8 | 99%+ | A |
| Lower Providence Township | 25% | 1.5 | 63 | 99% | A+ |
| East Norriton Township | 13% | 1.1 | 36 | 94% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Norriton Township
Where can I hike in West Norriton Township?
The longest trail networks: Norristown Farm Park, 2.2 miles; Burnside Oakland Park, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of West Norriton Township is conserved land?
12% 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 Norriton Township’s trails?
Norristown Farm Park and Burnside Oakland Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Norriton Township?
6.9 miles of bike routes are on the map: 6.9 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near West Norriton Township?
24,640 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Norriton Township or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 339 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does West Norriton Township have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #89 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 Norriton 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 →