THE PARKS...
Blue Marsh Lake Recreation Area
Phone - (610) 376-6337
Website - http://www.nap.usace.army.mil/sb/bm_guide.htm
Admission Fee - Yes
Directions - Leesport, Berks County; northwest of Reading on Route 183 between Route 222 and I-78.
The Park
In 1955, waters along the Delaware River and its tributaries poured over their banks and caused over $100 million in property damage, taking 90 lives. Blue Marsh Lake was the result of a federal initiative by the United States Army Corps on Engineers to bring that type of devastating flooding under control. An earthen dam was erected across Tulpehocken Creek, blocking its flow to the Schuylkill River. The resulting reservoir, developed in the 1970s, is designed to hold up to 11 billion gallons of water above normal wintertime depths. But most of the people who come to Blue Marsh Lake for recreation don’t much think about that anymore.
The Walks
The Blue Marsh Lake Trail actually circles the lake in a 30-mile journey, designed for bicycles and equestrians. The best place for canine hikers to sample the lake views from this path is at Old Dry Road Farm, a national historic site operated by the Army Corps as a living history museum (on Highland Road off Brownsville Road, park at the first gate past the farm and walk the road or further along in the State Game Lands parking area at the second gate). Use Highland Road as a spine for exploring this area and follow it to the lake and the multi-use trail. This is one of the best country lane/rolling farmland walks with your dog in the area. Hiking-only trails at Blue Marsh Lake are located on opposite sides of the lake. The Squirrel Run Nature Trail loops around a small stream valley heading into the lake. The Great Oak Nature Trail at the Day Brooks Day Use Area dips and climbs to a wildlife viewing area and vistas of the lake. Both are secluded forested hikes of about one mile. Also at Day Brooks is the Foxtrot Hiking Loop, a lakeside amble that visits woodlands and farm fields.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural surface trails for foot traffic
Workout For Your Dog - Long, rolling canine hikes
Swimming - High banks but the water’s great when there is access
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs in the swimming area
Something Extra
A permanent orienteering course has been developed in the Dry Brooks Day Use Area to introduce trail users to the art of map and compass. Try it and you can challenge your dog’s nose in a wayfinding contest.
Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area
Phone - (717) 567-9255
Website - http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/boydbigtree.aspx
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Fishing Creek, Dauphin County; north of Harrisburg. From Route 322, take the Fishing Creek Exit, turning on to Fishing Creek Valley Road. The park entrance is in an open field about 2.5 miles on the right.
The Park
This swatch of about 1000 acres on Blue Mountain became one of Pennsylvania’s newest state parks when Alexander Boyd, president of the Union Deposit Corporation, donated the land for the perpetual management and protection of big trees. For this act Boyd received a Conservation Landowner of the Year award.
The Walks
Once you leave the parking lot every step your dog takes here will be under a canopy of leaves. Most of those steps will be moving uphill or downhill. For those chasing an easy exploration of the large trees on the mountainside choose the Lower Spring Trail upon entering the woods. The toughest haul in the park is up the Janie Trail where the 2.5-mile footpath reaches the ridge of Blue Mountain. Up on the ridge are superior views of the annual hawk migration on the thermals swirling along the mountain. There are over 10 miles of trail in the Conservation Area but most, unfortunately, are rocky, old access roads that can be tough on your dog’s paws on a long hike. In contrast to its nearby cousin, the Ibberson Conservation Area, these trails are rougher, longer and steeper. Also, about 800 of the park’s acres are open to hunting so in-season it will be nearly impossible to take a canine hike of any duration without crossing into activehunting grounds.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt trails and rocky roads
Workout For Your Dog - Long, tough climbs
Swimming - A pond is on the Pond Trail straight out of the parking lot
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
At Boyd Big Tree park a small chestnut grove is planted by the parking lot where conservationists practice a technique known as backcross breeding. After an initial cross with an American Chestnut and a Chinese Chestnut - that is resistant to the blight - all subsequent generations are crossed only with American Chestnuts. The blight-resistant gene is carried forward as the young trees become closer and closer to the original prince of the American forest.
Central Park
Phone - (717) 299-8215
Website - http://co.lancaster.pa.us/parks/cwp/view.asp?a=676&q=518262&parksNav=|7871|
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Lancaster City; south of center city. Take Duke Street south until Chesapeake Street. Turn right and enter the park on the left in 300 yards.
The Park
People have been traveling through this land for centuries – the Great Indian Warrior Trading Path, the most heavily used in colonial America, passed through here. And Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamship, first practiced with a paddlewheel boat on the Conestoga River here. Much of the heart of today’s park was once owned by Edward Hand, George Washington’s Adjutant General. The first land to transfer to public use came in 1903 as a gift from businessman and philanthropist Henry S. Williamson to the City of Lancaster. He had earlier supplied the money for Franklin & Marshall’s first athletic field. Central Park became Lancaster County’s first park in 1966 with a purchase of 397 acres. Today the county showplace contains 544 acres of diverse activities.
The Walks
There is plenty of canine hiking for any taste on Central Park’s nine miles of trails, including three miles of the Lancaster Hiking Club’s Conestoga Trail System. Your first choice could be the 1.4-mile Mill Creek Trail through a natural area dominated by mature oak and beech trees. The going is easy on the paw-friendly natural trail (muddy when wet) that loops inside an oxbow of Mill Creek. To form circuit hikes you will need to combine the short spurs of the remaining named trails. The CVA Trail begins with a pull up a short hill to the dramatic Indian Rock before dropping to the banks of the Conestoga River and a level waterside ramble. For the most challenging canine hiking in Central Park, save some time for the Conestoga Trail as it rolls up and down the park’s hills.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural surface and some asphalt
Workout For Your Dog - Moderate hills through the park
Swimming - The Conestoga River and Mill Creek each provide the opportunity for canine aqautics
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Central Park’s covered bridge was originally built across the Conestoga Creek near Hinkletown in 1876. The wooden structure was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and was rebuilt across Mill Creek.
Codorus State Park
Phone - (717) 637-2816
Website - http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/codorus.aspx
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Hanover, York County; southeast of town. From I-83, take Exit 18 and stay on PA 216 all the way to the park.
The Park
In a pioneering cooperative project between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the P.H. Glatfelter Paper Company the Codorus Creek was impounded in 1966. The paper company paid $5.5 million to construct an earth fill dam 109 feet high, 750 feet thick and a third of a mile wide. The resulting lake that became the heart of the state park was named Lake Marburg for the small community that was covered by the trapped waters.
The Walks
The marquee Codorus hiking trail, the Mary Ann Furnace Trail, is tucked away in the western edge of the park. The Mary Ann Furnace that operated here (a common name for Colonial iron furnaces) was founded in 1761 by George Ross, a Lancaster attorney who would later ink his name on the Declaration of Independence, and Mark Bird. It was the first iron forge built west of the Susquehanna River, fueled by the abundance of chestnut trees in the area. The route is a trio of stacked loops that total about 3.5 miles. The wide walking paths meander along the water between Black Rock Flats and Wonder Cove - dropping down to the shore several times for superb canine swimming. The trails are shady throughout. A second hiking trail - the LaHo Trail - slips around a finger of the lake called Wildasin Flats for 1.5 miles. The path hugs the waterline and also affords excellent swimming opportunities for your dog. If you don’t mind sharing trails you can also sample the seven miles of bridle trails on the western shore of Lake Marburg and the mountain biking trail system that is open on Sundays only during hunting season.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Paw-friendly dirt and grass mostly
Workout For Your Dog - Easy ups and downs
Swimming - Just try to get your water-loving dog out of the park’s lakes
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Pennsylvania state parks are slowly warming to the idea of dogs in their campgrounds. A few parks set aside a few sites for pets as a trial and it has been well enough received that more campgrounds are opening to pets. In Codurus State Park about a dozen dog sites are available and several dog walking areas have been designated.
Conewago Recreational Trail/Lebanon Valley Rail Trail
Phone - (717) 299-8215
Website - http://co.lancaster.pa.us/parks/cwp/view.asp?a=676&q=518283&parksNav=|7871|
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Elizabethtown, Lancaster County; the trailhead is one mile northwest of town along Route 230.
The Park
First came the ore deposits - there are 82 different minerals in the hills around Cornwall. Then came the furnace to smelt the ore into iron. The first was built in 1742. Then came the rail lines to move the ore from the mines to the furnace. There would be three – the last built in 1883 by Robert H. Coleman to compete with the Cornwall Railroad operated by other members of his prominent family. Coleman’s Cornwall & Lebanon Railroad tracks often ran alongside his competitors’ and it was not unusual to see trains racing each other to provide superior service. Automobiles gradually ate away at the train business until Hurricane Agnes ripped up enough track in 1972 to close the Cornwall & Lebanon forever. The historic line was preserved by the county of Lancaster in 1979.
The Walks
The 5.5-mile Conewago Recreation Trail is one of the best of the railto-trail family of abandoned railroads, exuding a peaceful country feel. You will slip under a tunnel of trees, past producing farms and massive boulder fields. The meandering Conewago Creek is never far away. The Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail extended down to its ninth mile – including the 1000th mile of old Pennsylvania railroad track coverted to footpath - and connected with the Conewago trail in 2002 to create extended canine hiking in this area.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Mostly cinder paths
Workout For Your Dog - Easy canine hiking
Swimming - Conewago Creek can be accessed in several places and the waters can get frisky at time
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Robert Coleman built a sylvan retreat called Mt. Gretna.Thanks to the Cornwall & Lebanon’s connection to the Reading and Pennsylvania railroad lines, his outdoor camp was accessible to vacationers across the country. President Benjamin Harrison passed some time here. Coleman created an early amusement park with a primitive switch-back rollercoaster, a dancing pavilion, a fancy carousel and other attractions. Today, Mt. Gretna is still a quiet retreat for those looking for an escape.
Ferncliff Wildflower and Wildlife Preserve
Phone - (717) 392-7891
Website - http://lancasterconservancy.org/
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Benton, Lancaster County; south of Lancaster on the Susquehanna River. Take Route 272 south past the intersection with Route 372. Continue for three miles to Chestnut Level Road and make a right.Make a left on River Road past the cemetery and a quick right onto Slate Hill Road. After a bend in the road, make a right on Harmony Ridge Road. In a couple miles look for Bald Eagle Road on th eleft. Turn and find the preserve at the bottom of the hill on the right.
The Park
This wooded ravine is celebrated for its old growth forest, one of the last remaining in Pennsylvania’s Piedmont region. In 1972 the Ferncliff Wildflower and Wildlife Preserve was named a National Natural Landmark. Today the 65 acres are managed by the Lancaster County Conservancy.
The Walks
The way in and out of the Ferncliff Preserve is on a closed county road. Gently sloping and comprised of dirt and gravel, it is a beautiful trail as it swings back and forth along the Barnes Run stream corridor. There are a couple of shallow water crossings that certainly won’t trouble even the smallest dog. Past tiny waterfalls, beside jagged rock outcroppings, and under towering ash, oak and hemlock trees, the old road eventually reaches the railroad tracks that block the way to the Susquehanna River. A small sign on the north side of the road points the way to a North Rim Trail and this narrow footpath can be used for a return trip, picking along the valley slopes.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt road that is easy on the paw
Workout For Your Dog - Easy unless you decide to try the slopes that may require some bushwhacking in the side ravine
Swimming - Barnes Run is too shallow for real swimming
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Ferncliff Wildflower and Wildlife Preserve is one of fewer than 600 sites designated as a National Natural Landmark. The program recognizes and encourages the conservation of outstanding examples of our country’s natural history. There are 26 such sites in Pennsylvania. Ferncliff Preserve has been selected for its unique vegetation, thought to be virgin growth.
Gifford Pinchot State Park
Phone - (717) 432-5011
Website - http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/giffordpinchot.aspx
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Lewisberry, York County; from Harrisburg use the Lewisberry Exit (35) of I-83 south then PA 177 south; or by US 15 south to Dillsburg, then to PA 74 south. From York, take PA 74 north or I-83 north. From I-83, take the Newberrytown Exit (32), PA 382 west to PA 177 south.
The Park
Gifford Pinchot studied in France and became the first American trained in forestry. As the first Chief Forester of the U. S. Division of Forestry he placed over 200 million acres of national forest came under scientific land management. Policies developed by Pinchot still help guide most national and state forests. In 1922 Pinchot began serving the first of two terms as governor of Pennsylvania. He created the first state budget and erased the state’s debt, starting by cutting his own salary. This state park was dedicated in his honor in 1961, fifteen years after his death at age 81.
The Walks
The focal point of Gifford Pinchot State Park is a multi-fingered lake. The trail system, with nearly 20 miles of paths, is constrained by the water although a variety of canine hikes can be cobbled together. The Lakeside Trail covers 8.5 miles around the lake and numerous short trails in a network near the campground or latch on to the Mason- Dixon Trail as it nears its conclusion from the Brandywine Valley south of Philadelphia to the Appalachian Trail on South Mountain.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Asphalt, gravel and natural trails
Workout For Your Dog - Mostly gentle hill climbs
Swimming - Super dog paddling in Pinchot Lake
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The legacy of Gifford Pinchot is wide-ranging, but not without controversy. Although regarded as a pioneer in American land conservation his developmental policies were hotly contested in California and led to the formation of the Sierra Club, now the nation’s leading voice for protecting our natural resources. During the Depression in the 1930s Pinchot established work camps throughout Pennsylvania that President Franklin Roosevelt used as a model for the national Civilian Conservation Corps. Pinchot’s crews built 20,000 miles of paved roads for “taking the farmer out of the mud.” His first hard-surfaced, high-crowned road is now PA 177, running across the northwest boundary of the state park.
Governor Dick
Phone - None
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Lebanon, Lebanon County; six miles south of town, on the northeast edge of Mount Gretna. A trailhead and parking can be found on Route 117 and, one-half mile from town, on Pinch Road.
The Park
When Cornwall Furnace impressario developed Mount Gretna as a resort destination in the late 1800s it was natural to provide access to a neighboring 1120-foot mountain top known as “Governor Dick.” Not an influential government official, Governor Dick was the nickname of a former slave and later a woodsman and laborer at the Cornwall Furnace who worked the site in the late 1700s. Coleman built a narrow- gauge railroad (only two feet wide) to transport picnicers to the top. This type of railroad is generally constructed to reach tricky mines and timber stands on steep mountain slopes and this four-mile line was the only one of its type used for recreational purposes. In 1934 Clarence Schock, founder of the Schock Independent Oil Company (SICO), bought this land and in 1953 donated 1105 acres to “forever remain as playground and park.” A half-century later the uniquely privately owned but publicly accessible Clarence Schock Memorial Park at Governor Dick strains to hold true to that promise against developmental pressures.
The Walks
The most heavily-traveled route at Governor Dick is the main road up and over the summit of the mountain. The old rail bed is very rocky under paw but offers a steady pull up, rather than steep grind to the top. For additional canine hiking at Governor Dick, come with a mind to explore. Side trails marked with numbered signposts are impossible to decipher for the uninitiated and a forest left in a natural state means large tree blowdowns and thick underbrush rather than the groomed trails of a public park.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt road and trails and rocky paths
Workout For Your Dog - A good one here
Swimming - There will be no canine aquatics on Governor Dick
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Every first-timer’s visit to Governor Dick is sure to include a hike to the concrete-and-steel tower on the summit.The current 66-foot tower is a descendant of the original tower built in the 1800s as a geodetic survey signal station.
Joseph E. Iberson Conservation Area
Phone - (717) 567-9255
Website - http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/josepheibberson.aspx
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Dauphin County; the Ibberson Conservation Area straddles Peters Mountain, north of Harrisburg. The park entrance is on the north side of the mountain. From Route 322/22, take PA 225 north over the mountain and turn right on Hebron Road near the bottom of the other side, a distance of about 4.5 miles. Follow Hebron for another 4.5 miles, bearing right at the forks in the road, until reaching the Conservation Area on the right.
The Park
Peter Allen built a stone house on the mountain that came to be named for him in 1726. The house, the oldest in Dauphin County, still stands at the interesection of PA 225 and PA 325. In 1962, Joseph Ibberson, a long-time Bureau of Forestry executive, began buying land here to create a tree farm and in 1998, the same year he was named Pennsylvania Tree Farmer of the Year, Ibberson donated his land to become the first conservation area in the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks.
The Walks
The trail system in this 350-acre swath of unbroken hardwood forest is a crown jewel for area canine hikers. The paths are wide, the woods are airy, and the choices are many. The only thing Ibberson Conservation Area lacks for canine hiking superstardom is varied access to water sources. A pleasant woodland pond is encountered along the Turkey Foot and Pine trails. For those sniffing out a challenge, the Victoria Trail - utilizing the historic Victoria Road that was used to drag timber to the iron furnace - grinds for two miles up to the Appalachian Trail on top of Peters Mountain.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Natural trails
Workout For Your Dog - Moderate uphills on the mountain slopes but you can go for hours without setting your dog to excess panting
Swimming - A small pond in the western area of the park
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
This is a good place to observe forest succession. Pioneering species are typically pines that require healthy doses of sunshine. The original white pines and hemlocks that populated these slopes were mostly cut and mostly hardwood trees grew up in their place.
Kellys Run Natural Area
Phone - (800) 354-8383
Website - http://pplweb.com/holtwood/
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Holtwood, Lancaster County; the Holtwood Environmental Preserve stretches across both sides of the lower Susquehanna River. To reach Kellys Run turn on River Road (the first or last turn in Lancaster County) and make your first left onto Old Holtwood Road. The parking area for the preserve is on the right.
The Park
The Pennsylvania Power and Light Company manages 5,000 acres of recreational land surrounding the Holtwood hydroelectric plant. You can camp, enjoy a picnic, play some ball, do a little fishing - or hike. There are 39 miles of marked trails along the lower Susquehanna, most on the long distance Mason-Dixon and Conestoga trails. Canine hikers will want to head for Kellys Run where the 6-mile trail system has been designated a National Recreation Trail.
The Walks
Starting out on the blue-blazed Kellys Run Trail you begin routinely enough at a picnic pavilion and drop quickly into airy woods of mature maples and poplar. Nothing special as you roll along. Then the trail drops abruptly and you are introduced to Kellys Run. Soon you are squeezing through thin avenues in a Wissahickon schist canyon as you follow the roiling stream down to the Susquehanna. In places where the rocks pinch the stream tightly enough, deep pools form to lure your dog in for a swim. After you reach the end of the run the character of this outing changes again. Old access roads are used to climb relentlessly back to your car. Benches appear in the woods as if by magic in this leg of the hike. Your final steps will be through rolling farm fields and, finally, ballfields. Near the parking area, circling around Kellys Run Trail, is the 3/4-mile Oliver Patton Trail that was also named a National Recreation Trail in 1992. This lively little track, named for the original farmer on these hills, traverses a stand of Norway spruce and white pine planted by the power company.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt woods and grass fields
Workout For Your Dog - Some major climbs lurking on these trails
Swimming - Kellys Run is mostly for splashing
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Several routes will take you out of the Kellys Run gorge up to the Pinnacle, a grassy picnic spot on a bluff more than 507 feet above Lake Aldred. The best route is the Conestoga Trail, carved by the Lancaster Hiking Club along the river. At the Pinnacle you can fill your dog bowl with water in season.
Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area
Phone - (717) 733-1512
Website - http://www.pgc.state.pa.us/pgc/cwp/view.asp?a=487&q=159288
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Kleinfeltersville, on the Lancaster-Lebanon County border. The park Visitor Center is on Hopeland Road, south of Kleinfeltersville from Route 897 or north of Clay from Route 322.
The Park
A large chunk of Furnace Hills woodland was purchased in the 1930s with money from hunting licenses and the preserve was eventually built to more than 5,000 acres of wildfowl habitat. Today hunting license money maintains all operations at Middle Creek. Although conceived with Canada geese in mind, more than 280 species of birds have been identified around the 400-acre shallow water lake created by the damming of Middle Creek.
The Walks
If you begin your tour at the Visitor Center your first canine hike at Middle Creek will be on the Conservation Trail, a 1.5-mile loop of easy walking. The grass and dirt trail is the most paw-friendly of the hikes in the preserve. More challenging is the Millstone Trail, that grinds 300 feet up into the Furnace Hills south of the lake at White Oak Picnic Area (the trailhead is across Millstone Road). The entire mile-plus affair is conducted under a lush canopy of hardwoods. The best canine hike at Middle Creek is a forging of trails into a triangular circuit south of the Visitor Center with parking along Hopeland Road near the impoundment dam. To get the toughest stretch out of the way first, take the yellow-blazed Horse-Shoe Trail fork to the right for a narrow, rocky climb up the hillside. Elbow room awaits at the top of the hill and the remainder of the two-hour trek uses old roads (a left on the Elders Run Trail) and an abandoned trolley line (a final left on the Middle Creek Trail). This final leg traces a tumbling Middle Creek, not deep enough for canine swimming though.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Soft grass to rocky dirt
Workout For Your Dog - Yes, especially in the Furnace Hills
Swimming - Creeks and pond on the property
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
A short stroll on the paved Willow Point Trail through open ground leads to the most scenic viewpoint of the 400-acre lake. On the way, scan the surrounding fields grazed by geese and listen for songbirds. During migrations, swans and snow geese blanket the sky above the point. One of Pennsylvania’s three-score eagle nests can be seen across the water here.
Money Rocks County Park
Phone - (717) 299-8215
Website - http://co.lancaster.pa.us/parks/cwp/view.asp?a=676&q=518297&parksNav=|7871|
Admission Fee - None
Directions - New Holland, Lancaster County; from Route 23 East pick up Route 322 East. After four miles take a right onto Narvon Road. Climb for about a mile and look for the parking lot at the top of the rise on the right.
The Park
If you are looking for long, solitary walks through the woods with your dog in Lancaster County you can head for the Furnace Hills, the largest continuous forest remaining in the county or the Welsh Mountains, with the second most. The latter is home to Money Rocks Park - so-named because it was long believed that Pequa Valley farmers hid cash in the outcroppings - with more than 300 acres of mature woodland.
The Walks
The trail system at Money Rocks travels on a spiderweb of old mining and logging roads. Most are paw-friendly dirt, others are rock-filled, but all are wide and airy under the mature black birch trees that dominate the ridge. There are two named trails: Overlook (white) and Cockscomb (red), named for another line of rock outcroppings further down the ridge from Money Rocks. The Cockscomb penetrates deeper into the woods on a long buttonhook that eventually drops down off the ridge before heading back up the hill. This is the hardiest climb you will encounter at Money Rocks.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Some soft dirt, some stony paths
Workout For Your Dog - Moderate climbs and longish trails
Swimming - None; you will walk a long way before you stumble across a little stream
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The exposed ridge and rock outcroppings at Money Rocks serve up impressive views of surrounding farmlands and distant towns with not a great deal of purchase on your canine hike.
Monocacy Hill
Phone - (800) 354-8383
Website - http://www.monocacyhill.org/
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Douglassville, Berks County; Take 422 West approximately 1 mile past Route 662 to right turn at Monocacy Creek Road. Turn right and continue to first stop sign at Loyalsock Drive. Follow to end and turn right on to Hill Road. Follow for .7 mile to Y in road. Bear left at Y on to Geiger Road. Proceed up hill to parking lot on left.
The Park
Monocacy Hill Recreation Area is a 420-acre forest located in Amity Township. This recreation area was purchased by Amity Township in 1967 for open space and recreation purposes. The park has a wide variety of plant life. To date, 170 species of herbaceous plants have been identified, along with 65 species of trees and shrubs, and 17 species of ferns and related plants.
The Walks
There are five miles of interesting trail time on Monocacy Hill with the star being the white-blazed Monocacy Hill Trail that scales the 860-foot hilltop that dominates the surrounding landscape. Views extend to the west from the summit. Providing a contrast to the hill climb is the green-blazed Creek Trail that scampers through a wet, low-lying area to loop around a small waterfall and pool. Various connecting trails circle around the hill on wide, wooded paths. Hunting is allowed on Monocacy Hill so plan a Sunday trip with your dog in huntng season.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt trails and rockhopping at the summit of Monocacy Hill
Workout For Your Dog - It is a steady but not overly arduous climb to the top
Swimming - The creeks in the conservation area are narrow and shallow
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
The Reading Railroad ran across the southern tier of the property a century ago, leaving an interesting array of structures behind.
Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center
Phone - (610) 796-3699
Website - http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/STATEPARKS/parks/noldeforest.aspx
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Reading, Berks County; The Nolde Forest is southwest of the city, on Route 625. There are two entrances, the southern one is the Main Entrance Road, closed on weekends. The northern lot is the Sawmill parking area, open sunrise to sunset every day.
The Park
Jacob Nolde arrived in Philadelphia as a 21-year old from Germany in 1880 and soon found himself among the German-speaking communities of Berks County. He found work as a weaver and within a decade had purchased enough knitting machines to start his own hosiery manufacturing business. In another ten years he had taken over an entire Reading city block and was operating the second largest textile plant in America. Nolde now had the time and resources to pursue his dream: to create “the most beautiful pine forest in Pennsylvania.” He began by purchasing land where he discovered a single white pine tree growing in an abandoned meadow. The lone pine would soon be joined by more than a half-million neighbors - white pine, yellow pine, Norway spruce, Douglas fir, and other coniferous varieties.
The Walks
There are some 10 miles of trails coursing through the forest, mostly on wide, former access roads built by the plantation’s foresters. The well-spaced conifers indeed give the feeling of rambling through a pine farm in places. Expect long, steady ascents and descents when creating circuit hikes on the roughly ten miles of trail here. The focal point for the canine hiking along the Watershed Trail through the center of the property is Punches Run that flows energetically through the valley floor. Strict adherence to the trail system will roughly generate a figure-eight hike but chances are you will be tempted to break off your intended route to explore something interesting in the verdant forest.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt and gravelly asphalt
Workout For Your Dog - All the trails climb
Swimming - North Pond is the best
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Dogs looking to get in some dock diving practice will appreciate North Pond at Nolde Forest. Secluded North Pond is tucked away from many of the trails, use the Beech Trail to reach the Pond Loop or drive to a small parking lot on Church Road.
The Pinnacle
Phone - None
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Hamburg, Berks County; northeast of town. Take I-78 east into town or Route 61 north. Take Fourth Street east out of Hamburg for two miles and make a left on Reservoir Road. Cross Mountain Road to the end of the road and parking at the Hamburg Reservoir.
The Park
The Appalachian Trail through Pennsylvania is not popular with many thru-hikers, derided as “the place where boots go to die” due to the rocky nature of the mountains. But one spot all agree is worth the purchase is the Pinnacle - a jumble of rock ledges offering a true panoramic view of the wooded Blue Mountain and the contrasting cultivated fields of the Cumberland Valley below.
The Walks
This is not a casual canine hike. Expect to devote a solid five hours to completing the 9-mile loop to the Pinnacle and back. The going is rough and rocky and athletic dogs only need apply. Tackling the loop counter-clockwise offers two routes to the Pinnacle: the rocky Valley Rim Trail (the path is not true to its name - there are no views from the trail) and a shortcut on a switch-backing access road to a mountaintop observatory (it is not a major time-saving shortcut). Your anticipation for the views at the Pinnacle will be whetted with a stop at Pulpit Rock across from the observatory. The mountain climbing ends at Pulpit Rock but not the treacherous footing for your dog as the trail to the Pinnacle is particularly rock-studded here. The return down the mountain is best taken down a fire road along the hemlock-draped Furnace Creek. This trail is a completely different experience from the climb up and gives the loop a feel of two canine hikes for the day.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Much trotting on rocky patches with uneven pawfalls and considerable boulder-hopping in spots
Workout For Your Dog - You may not find a better one
Swimming - Furnace Creek is fast and fun but not for swimming
Restrictions On Dogs - No dogs in the reservoir
Something Extra
Rocks are certainly a theme of a hike to the Pinnacle. From Pulpit Rock and the Pinnacle you get a commanding view of ariver of boulders 500 feet wide and a half-mile long known as the Blue Rocks. These erosion-resistant quartzite boulders are souvenirs of the last ice age when powerful glaciers left them behind.
Rocky Ridge County Park
Phone - (717) 840-7740
Website - http://ycwebserver.york-county.org/Parks/RockyRidge.htm
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Hallam, York County; from Route 30, take Mt. Zion Road (Route 24) north for 1 mile. Turn right onto Deininger Road and follow into park. There are three parking areas - for the bulk of the trails make your first right towards the Oak Timbers Picnic Area and continue to a spacious lot in front of the power lines.
The Park
The 750 acres of mature oak forest that would become Rocky Ridge Park was purchased in 1968, making it the granddaddy of all York County parks. The namesake rocks on the ridge are mostly Hellam Conglomerate, a sedimentary rock that contains rounded pebbles of quartz. The rock is one of the oldest sedimentary rocks in Pennsylvania, dating back an estimated 570 million years. Rocky Ridge is where you can find the area’s largest exposure of this Hellam Conglomerate.
The Walks
There are nine short trails at Rocky Ridge that conspire to offer some 12 miles of canine hiking. If you don’t have time to sample them all, start by passing under the crackling power lines to the trails in the east end of the park. These trails do not loop but they can easily be combined to create forge a variety of hiking circuits. When the trails drop off the ridge - especially on the north side on trails like #3 - the canine hiking gets downright HARD. But these steep ascents are easily forgiven on the wide tracks through the airy forest. You can comfortably maneuver two or three leashed dogs along the Rocky Ridge trail system. While indeed rocky, the maintained trails are not abusive under paw. It is also possible to create a hiking agenda that loops back to your centrally located car several times for a big day at Rocky Ridge park.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Rocky paths – the name doesn’t lie
Workout For Your Dog - Oh, yes
Swimming - None
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Two observation decks are built on either side of Rocky Ridge. On the north side (Trail #8) you can soak in a panoramic view of Three Mile Island and on the south side you can look out over the York Valley (Trail #1). Mass flocks of migratory birds - hawks, raptors, songbirds - fly down the Susquehanna River and birding enthusiasts gather here to watch them come and go.
State Game Lands 110
Phone - None
Website - None
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Shartlesville, Berks County; take Exit 23 (Old Exit 8) off I-78 at Shartlesville. Head north on Mountain Road, staying straight onto Forge Dam Road when Mountain veers right. Continue to the end of the road and the parking area at the gate, about miles.
The Park
Back in the early days of the 20th century a hardy group of Reading businessmen, many of Bavarian descent, amused themselves with outings on local mountains. The hikers tagged their band “The Fuszgangers,” roughly translated as “men who made their way by foot.” One of the Fuszgangers, Dr. Harry F. Rentschler, led a group into the Blue Mountains in search of a long-ago eagle’s nest he had heard tale of above Shartlesville. The climbers enjoyed the hike so much they made regular treks thereafter to the Eagle’s Nest, now located on Pennsylvania State Game Lands 110. New hikers to the mountaintop were even initiated by dangling them over the cliff to the spot of the one-time aerie.
The Walks
Your dog’s adventure here begins past the gate and down a wooded, gravel road. Straight ahead in a little over one mile will be the Appalachian Trail, where the explorations will be quite rocky. If you are not chasing views, a better option for a canine hike on the State Game Lands 110 would be the light-blue Sand Spring Trail, the trailhead for which is just past the parking lot gate on the left. This trail also works its way to the Appalachian Trail but a 4.5-mile hiking loop can be crafted with the Tom Lowe Memorial Trail, located just past the namesake sandy spring, enclosed on three sides by a stone wall. Look for the sign and follow the orange blazes back down.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: These trails mix soft, paw-friendly dirt passages with plenty of rock-stepping
Workout For Your Dog - You will envy your dog’s fourwheel drive on the more tumultuous Tom Lowe track
Swimming - Plenty of stream encounters to keep your dog refreshed
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
In 1988 the Eagle’s Nest Shelter was added for thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail, constructed off-site and flown in by a National Guard helicopter. Be careful with your dog at the Eagle’s Nest. In addition to the precipitous cliff, rattlesnakes are known to frequent the rugged rocks.
Susquehannock State Park
Phone - (717) 432-5011
Website - http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/susquehannock.aspx
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Drumore, Lancaster County; south of Lancaster on the Susquehanna River, about 4.5 miles off of PA 372. Turn south on Susquehannock Drive to Park Drive.
The Park
The Susquehannock Indians were a small tribe whose only village was located a few miles north of the park. Often besieged by the much larger Iroquois Confederacy, they were eventually conquered and driven from the area in 1675. Many intermingled with the Iroquois but a tiny band returned to what is now present-day Conestoga, living under the protection of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In 1763, during a period of settler-Indian conflict known as the Pontiac Wars, a vigilante group slaughtered most of the two dozen or so remaining Susquehannocks. Only two survived, working as servants on a Lancaster County farm. When they died, the Susquehannock tribe was buried with them on the farm.
The Walks
This is a canine hiker’s park with more than five miles of named trails packed into 224 acres. The star walk at Susquehannock is the 1.2-mile Rhodedendron Trail that rolls through dense growth of the namesake plants and past ruins of the homestead of Lieutenant Thomas Neel, a revolutionary war veteran. Look for a massive beech that has been growing for more than 400 years nearby. The rest of the park can be explored on a series of short trails that reach to all corners of the property. Almost all the canine hiking is among a rich variety of hardwoods; you will still be moving up and down but not as dramatically as along the Rhodedendron Trail.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt trails, rocky on the slopes
Workout For Your Dog - Expect this rollercoaster terrain to leave your dog panting in places - especially if you take advantage of the Phites Eddy Trail and take your dog down to Susquehanna River for a swim
Swimming - The muddy banks of the Susquehanna
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
Susquehannock State Park is treasured for its river views, connected by a half-mile Overlook Trail between Hawk Point and Wissler’s Run. Downstream from Hawk Point, 400 feet above he water is Mt. Johnson Island, site of the world’s first bald eagle sanctuary. The offspring of the original nesting pair have flown the first nest and can be seen patrolling the islands closer to Hawk Point.
Tucquan Glen Nature Preserve
Phone - (717) 392-7891
Website - http://lancasterconservancy.org/
Admission Fee - None
Directions - Mactic, Lancaster County; south of Lancaster on the Susquehanna River. It straddles River Road between Route 324 to the north and Route 372 to the south. Small parking lots are on both sides of the road but the lots in front of the trail are on the river side.
The Park
Tucquan Glen, the crown jewel of the Lancaster County Conservancy, has long attracted visitors - both for its scenic wonders and natural resources. European settlement began early on and its tumbling waters first powered a sawmill in 1787. Millers remained active in the glen until the early 1900s when vacationers began arriving. The Conservancy purchased its first land in the glen in 1983 and has since built its holdings to 338 acres.
The Walks
This is an injection of the Poconos in the land of rolling farmland. Two trails envelop the Tucquan Creek. The southern leg supports most of the foot traffic as it hugs the banks all the way to the Susquehanna River and provides the best experience for enjoying the many waterfalls in the stream. Many folks just do the glen as out-and-back hike but canine hikers will want to loosen the grip on the leash by looping back on the north side. This less- traveled route actually climbs to a rock promontory above the water for a completely different experience in the glen. The entire loop covers more than two miles. If you are in no hurry to leave Tucquan Glen, the long-distance Conestoga Trail (orange blazes) crosses the creek and travels northsouth along the river.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Dirt with some rocky spots
Workout For Your Dog - Moderate work in the glen
Swimming - For water-loving dogs make sure to keep going across the railroad tracks for a chance to swim in the Susquehanna River
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
It can be hard to imagine while trekking under the dark canopy of two score species of trees here but the forests of the Tucquan region were once energetically harvested for charcoal to fuel Lancaster’s iron industry. Other important products from the Tucquan forests include tannin from the bark of the oak trees used by local tanneries, chestnut oak timbers that became railroad ties, locust trees for ship masts and tulip poplars valued in the furniture making industries and for building gliders.
William H. Kain County Park
Phone - (717) 840-7440
Website - http://ycwebserver.york-county.org/Parks/Kain.htm
Admission Fee - None
Directions - York City; south of the city on the north edge of Jacobus. From I-83, take Exit 14, Leaders Heights Road west for one mile to Susquehanna Trail. Turn left and continue to the first of seven lots on the right at Lake Williams.
The Park
William H. Kain founded the family law firm in 1842 in York, where he also served as Superintendent of Schools. One hundred and thirty-seven years later his grandson, William H. Kain Jr., president of the York Water Company, executed a 50-year lease agreement to use of the Water Company Reservoir Lands for a county park. The pioneering deal was the first United States county park developed in cooperation with a public utility. The William H. Kain County Park consists of 1,637 acres surrounding two lakes, Lake Williams (220 acres) and Lake Redman (290 acres).
The Walks
Kain County Park features 12 miles of multi-use trails - all used by horses and mountain bikes. There are seven numbered trails, most of which do not loop. It is difficult to patch together a circuit hike without taking your dog along a paved suburban road. If that is your idea of an invigorating canine hike you can actually circumnavigate the two lakes. Whatever trail you choose around Lake Williams and Lake Redman expect a healthy workout for your dog on the many hills in the park. Paths range from roomy fire roads to the occasional ribbon trail. You’ll encounter stands of tall trees and stretches of wetlands and open hiking.
Where The Paw Meets The Earth: Mostly dirt paths
Workout For Your Dog - Many hills on long trails
Swimming - The trails drop down to lakeside every now and then; Codurus Creek is deep enough for dog paddling in the park’s extremities
Restrictions On Dogs - None
Something Extra
With the help of 8,000 deck screws 350-foot walking deck juts into Lake Redman near the Iron Stone Hill Road parking lot. A variety of waterfowl can be viewed from the deck, especially during the spring and fall migrations.Look for Trail #5 to access the Bird Observation Deck, that required 8 months to obtain building permits.