The Great Outdoors Is Still Open
May 31, 2020 07:55PM ● By Gisele M Siebold
Always follow the latest CDC
guidelines when out in public and practice Leave No Trace principles to
preserve the health and beauty of the delicate ecology. This includes disposing
of waste properly, letting nature’s sounds prevail by avoiding loud voices or
music and leaving rocks, plants and other natural objects as we found them.
Pennsylvania Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn says, “Take some
time to connect to nature and the outdoors, and remind ourselves how fortunate
we really are to live in Penn’s Woods, where we have so many resources
available to us to enjoy and appreciate the Earth.”
Cumberland
County
Black Gum Trail follows the contour of the mountainside near the Mansion
Area in Kings Gap and offers hikers abundant views of black gum (tupelo)
trees. The trail can be accessed via the Forest Heritage or Kings
Gap Hollow Trails. The Forest
Heritage Trail is a 1.8-mile loop connecting several prominent charcoal
hearths that have been inactive for more than 100 years. The 2.8-mile Kings Gap Hollow Trail winds
along the stream and follows the gap in the mountain.
Cumberland County
Biker/Hiker Trail follows the route of the
South Mountain Railroad, passing along the shores of Fuller and Laurel lakes.
It winds through Pine Grove Furnace State Park, the “unofficial” halfway point
along the Appalachian National Scenic
Trail, a marked hiking trail in the Eastern U.S. extending between
Springer Mountain, in Georgia, and Mount Katahdin, in Maine.
The Darlington
Trail stretches for 18.2 miles through Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry
counties from the junction of the Appalachian
and Tuscarora trails at its western end to Tower Road at its eastern
end. The trail varies from a narrow footpath to wooded roads, with some rocky
portions of trail.
Dauphin
County
Capital
Area Greenbelt trail is a 20-mile loop
through and around Harrisburg. It passes along the Susquehanna
River through Riverfront Park, including wooded areas, urban offices,
residential areas, Reservoir Park and Wildwood Park. Parts of the trail share
the road, but most of the loop has dedicated paths. Much of the trail is paved,
but portions are gravel or crushed stone.
Fort Halifax Park has nearly four miles
of hiking trails that wind through habitats such as gardens, meadows,
woodlands, streams and river ecosystems. Highspire Reservoir Trail features a lake and is appropriate for
all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is
accessible year-round. Horseshoe Trail is
a 140-mile unique, difficult and long trail that stretches across and has
access points within five counties: Berks, Chester, Dauphin, Lancaster and Lebanon.
York County
The 1.6-mile Hollow
Creek Greenway follows the creek through scenic woodlands and valleys,
offering a quiet oasis in the suburbs. The 199-mile-long Mason-Dixon Trail connects the Appalachian Trail with the Brandywine
Trail. It starts at Whiskey Springs on the Appalachian Trail, in Cumberland
County, passes through Gifford Pinchot State Park and heads east toward the
Susquehanna River. The trail then follows the west bank of the Susquehanna
River south to Havre de Grace, Maryland. Red Lion Mile is a pleasant one-mile community trail that begins
right at the center of Red Lion. The main trailhead is on Main Street, at the
restored Maryland and Pennsylvania train station.
Perry County
Little Buffalo State Park has eight trails that offer eight miles
of hiking throughout the park. Four trails are rated as easy hiking;
two trails are rated most difficult; one trail is ADA-accessible and one is a
fitness trail. Tuscarora Trail weaves through
Cumberland, Franklin, Fulton and Perry counties, with approximately 23 miles crossing the Tuscarora State Forest. Tuscarora Trail is the northern portion of an extensive 220-mile bypass route of
the Appalachian Trail in
Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia.
More Resources
caga.org (Capital Area Greenbelt)
