Lancaster County has made a commitment to conserving greenways, including abandoned railroad lines H Conewago An Outdoor Laboratory suitable for hiking trails. Because of its rich history of rail- Recreation Trail roading, Pennsylvania has become one of the leading states Lancaster County The county’s parks provide in the establishment of rail trails. In fact, in Pennsylvania In 1979, the county acquired the Conewago Recreation opportunities for educational alone there are over one hundred such trails extending Trail located between Route 230 and the Lebanon County field trips, independent study, Parks & more than 900 miles. line northwest of Elizabeth­town. This 5.5-mile trail, and numerous outdoor formerly the Cornwall & These special corridors not only preserve an im­portant and environmental educa- Recreation Lebanon Railroad, follows piece of our heritage, they also give the park user a unique tion programs. Programs view of the countryside while preserv­ing habitats for a the Conewago Creek include stream studies, ani- Seasonal program listings, individual park maps, and variety of wildlife. While today’s pathways offer the pedes- through scenic farmland mal tracking, orienteering, facility use fees may be obtained from the department’s trian quiet seclusion, these routes once represented part of and woodlands, and links GPS programming, owl website at www.lancastercountyparks.org. the world’s busiest transportation system. to the Lebanon Valley Rail- Trail. A 17-acre day-use prowls, moonlit walks, and area, which in­cludes a interpretive walks covering For more information, call or write: small pond for fishing, was wildflowers, birds and tree Conestoga Lancaster County G acquired in 1988. This area Greenway Trail identification. Other sea- Department of Parks and Recreation is located immediately east sonal programs include 1050 Rockford Road of Route 230. Acquired in 2010, the 1.3-mile Conestoga Greenway a group challenge course, Lancaster, PA 17602 Trail is a paved pathway that runs along the outer bank canoeing, and survival of the Conestoga River as it encircles the Sunnyside skills. Telephone (717) 299-8215 Fax (717) 295-5942 peninsula. This trail provides excellent opportunities for Lancaster Junction I We invite you to learn walking, jogging and biking. It also provides a convenient Recreation Trail pedestrian connection from the City of Lancaster into about ongoing projects and programs in the Lancaster Central Park. In 1987, the County Park System by county acquired the www.lancastercountyparks.org In addition to recreational activities, the Conestoga contacting the park office or Greenway also provides educational opportunities to study Lancaster Junction E-mail: [email protected] visiting our website. the riverway itself, as well as the wildlife and flora and Recreation Trail. fauna that call it home. This trail will serve as a proto- This trail, part of the former Reading & type for the development of additional greenways along Park Rules the Conestoga River. Columbia Railroad, runs for 2.3 miles Program Services between the hamlet ƒƒ County parks’ rules and regulations can be viewed online The Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of Lancaster Junction and Route 283. Like the Conewago at www.lancastercountyparks.org. of services in addition to its park facilities. Recreational Trail, Lancaster Junction Trail travels through some of ƒƒ With a rental permit, extended hours are allowed at programs include cultural programs and in-service training Lancaster County’s most scenic farmland, and borders reserved facilities such as pavilions, camping areas, and programs for teachers. Our maintenance program and ranger Chiques Creek in its northern half. lighted athletic fields. staff are often instrumental in helping groups plan a recre- Both trails have well-graded, level surfaces, making ational, fund-raising, or other special event. Please feel free to ƒƒ Alcoholic beverages are prohibited at all locations. them ideal for hiking, jogging, bicycling, horseback riding, call us if our experience in this area can support your group’s ƒƒ Parks are patrolled by Lancaster County Park Rangers and and cross-country skiing. programming in the county parks system. by police of the municipality in which they are located. Revised 12/2015 The Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation ƒƒ In 1979, a Native American burial ground was acciden­ Environmental Center The Conestoga Area is committed to improving the well-being of county residents tally discovered. A plaque marks the site. Artifacts from This beautifully restored, 19th-century bank barn is the This section is the site of year-round recreational by providing facilities and programs that encourage participa- an archaeological dig conducted at this site are on display center for the county’s environ­mental education programs. activities. The county swimming pool complex is located tion in outdoor activities and foster personal action for the at the Environmental Center. Naturalists conduct public programs, classes for organized immediately adjacent to the park office. This facility conservation of natural resources. ƒƒ Containing 544 acres of various habitats be­tween Mill groups, in-service training for teachers and environmental includes a main pool, a large beach-like children’s pool edu­cation workshops. Each year people of all ages use the with water-play features, two water slides, a bathhouse, a With six regional parks and three recreational trails, the Creek and the Conestoga River, Central Park is consid- center’s auditorium and two classrooms, as well as period concession stand, playground, basketball courts and more department manages approximately 2,000 acres of land. ered by many as the flagship of Lan­caster County’s fleet exhibits of local and natural history. Near the center, you than three acres of lounge area. The pool attracts over Regional parks range in level of development from Central of county parks. The park has several distinct areas that will find lovely gardens, a primitive campground and a 40,000 visitors each year. Park’s more urban setting to the Theodore Parker Natural provide their own unique facilities. wildlife habitat which surrounds the Shuts Environmental Area’s rural setting in the woodlands along Stewart Run. All The Conestoga Area is also the site of three pavilions The Williamson Area Library. county parks and services are also open to non-residents. The Kurtz Mill Covered Bridge was originally constructed with a view of the Conestoga River. These pavilions are The oldest section of Central Park, this area is named near Hinkletown in 1876. The structure was almost equipped with adjoining restrooms, play areas, and volley- for Henry S. Williamson, who originally donated the park The Environmental Center destroyed by Hurricane Agnes in 1972 and was then ball courts, making them ideally suited for family picnics Lancaster County to Lancaster City in 1903. Facili­ties include a pavilion, a and Shuts Library are great rebuilt at the present site. and summer-camp programs. Nearby trails provide short A modern skate park, ball fields, a playground and a pair of Central Park resources for learners of all and long routes for the novice or experienced hiker, bird- basketball courts. The Kiwanis Area ages. watcher, or cross-country skier. Central Park, named for its central location in the county, Donated by Mrs. Clara Williamson to Lancaster City is found on the southern edge of Lancaster City and in West in 1918, this 94-acre area includes a mature oak and beech The most unique park facility in this area is the Garden Lampeter Township. The park has a rich history: forest along Mill Creek, with numer­ous hiking trails. The of Five Senses. The garden combines barrier-free, paved Kiwanis Area is well-known for its covered bridge and an walkways with raised herb and flower gardens, scent boxes, ƒ ƒ Rock Ford Plantation, the preserved 18th-century home abundance of wildflowers; spring programs are conducted reflecting pools and watercourses, and interpretive signage of Edward Hand, George Washington’s Adjutant General, here annually by park naturalists. to lead the visitor through a natural experience of the five is located adjacent to the Conestoga River. senses. A nearby gazebo and picnic area, coupled with ƒƒ Robert Fulton first experimented with the paddle- The Kiwanis Area also includes two group facili­ties: numerous seasonal flower displays, makes this site ideal for wheel boat on the Conestoga River, along what is now Pavilion #21, with an enclosed kitchen and wood-burning garden enthusiasts and photographers. Rockford Road. fireplace; and Lodge #22, a fully-enclosed, heated building with kitchen, gas fireplace, and accommoda­tions for 150 people. The lodge is ideally suited for banquets, meetings, Shuts Environmental Library and other social functions. Shuts Environmental Library is a public lending library that occupies an 18th-century farmhouse beside the Environmental Center in Central Park.

The library provides resources about the envi­ronment to the public. Educators can take advan­tage of a comprehen- Other Areas sive selection of teacher guides and curriculum materials for A sports complex on Golf Road contains softball and grades K–12. soccer fields and a large playground. North of this complex, The library contains over 4,500 books and vid­eos about a community garden plot area pro­vides over 300 plots for nature, wildlife, gardening, Native Ameri­cans, health, vegetable gardeners. This area also includes four tennis wilderness survival, and other topics for children and adults. courts, a fitness trail, and a restored farmhouse. This The skate park covers over a quarter acre and includes a There is also an impressive collection of field guides for quaint building includes an activity room, fireplace, and Shooting star and columbine are two of the many challenging snake run; four-, six- and ten-foot bowls; and a North American plants and animals. All of these resources kitchen. The farmhouse is ideally suited for small meet- types of spring flowers found in park woodlands. 16-foot diameter full pipe. are part of the Lancaster County Public Library System. ings and classes. Chickies Rock Money Rocks Speedwell Forge B County Park D County Park E County Park

Located between the boroughs of Columbia and Marietta, Much of the Hammer Creek Valley is in public owner- Chickies Rock County Park includes Chiques Creek and ship, and this park adds 415 acres to that end. It is located selected access points to the Susquehanna River. The most Chickies Rock County between the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s notable feature in the park is Chickies Rock, a massive Park contains part Speedwell Forge Lake and the wooded State Game Lands outcropping of quartzite rock towering more than 100 feet of the Northwest of the nearby Furnace Hills. In this park, you will find a above the river. The overlook offers impressive views of York Lancaster County diversity of habitats, including successional upland woods, River Trail and the a maturing forest, a wooded wetland, cultivated fields and Musselman-Vesta Iron an overgrown, wet meadow along the Hammer Creek. Theodore A. Parker III Furnace Center. Though undeveloped, this park offers small parking F Natural Area areas along Speedwell Forge Road and Oak Lane, and Also part of the park is the Northwest Lancaster County several hiking trails through its scenic woodlands. This 100-acre park is located in the southeast portion River Trail. This 14-mile, multi-use pathway runs adjacent of Lancaster County. It is named after the late Theodore to the Susquehanna River and spans five municipalities. Beautiful patches of native woodland wildflowers – many common and not-so-common species – are the pride A. Parker III, who was an interna­tionally known orni- of Speedwell’s forests. Many of these flow­ers are in bloom thologist from Lancaster Coun­ty. In this preserved gem, from mid-April until mid-May. Stewart Run tumbles over rocks and waterfalls to create one of the county’s most pristine streams. D. F. Buchmiller Deer, ruffed grouse, wood thrushes, veeries, and several The flora throughout this tract is also impres­sive. C This county park adjacent to Narvon Clay Mine kinds of woodpeckers live in the Speedwell’s forests. County Park Spring visitors may find trout lilies and violets carpeting includes over 375 acres of woodland in the Welsh Moun­ Hunting and fishing are allowed in the park during autho- the forest floor. Named for Dulon F. Buchmiller, who do­nated the tains of eastern Lancaster County. The pride of the rized seasons. property to Lancaster City in 1922, this 79-acre park was park is a rocky spine of boulders called “Money Rocks,” Animal life is also abundant, including deer, rac­coon, acquired by the County of Lancaster in 1977. Located in so-named because farmers in the Pequea Valley alleg- opossum, and both brown and brook trout. Bird enthu- County, the Borough of Marietta, and farmlands of Lancaster West Lampeter Township, the park is known for its open edly hid cash among the rocks. The ridge offers beautiful siasts will find excellent opportunities in this quiet glen. County. A day-use area on the southwest edge of the park, lawn areas and arboretum-type plantings. Facili­ties include views of farmland, towns and distant wooded hills. Fishing is permitted in this park during authorized seasons. known as Breezyview, offers a panoramic view of Chickies three pavilions, six tennis courts, a playground, a non-sanc- Rock and the Susquehanna River. In the northwest section The Welsh Mountains harbor the second largest tioned/unofficial ball field, and a disc golf course. of the park, a day-use area at Furnace Road offers open play remaining forested area in Lancaster County, super­ areas and a boat launch onto the Susquehanna River. seded only by the Furnace Hills. This park preserves a nice part of that forest, which is in various stages Chickies Rock County Park also offers a collection of of natural plant succession. This parkland in­cludes historical treasures. The area which is now county parkland numerous blazed trails making much of this wooded once boasted seven iron furnaces and rolling mills, a canal, park accessible to hikers and nature lovers. Hunting is and a local trolley line during the 19th and early 20th centu- permitted in this park during authorized seasons. ries. Remnants of several of the furnaces, canal walls, and trolley-line grades are still visible. The Musselman-Vesta Iron In 2010, the Lancaster County Conservancy Furnace Center is located in the Chickies National Register ac­quired more than 450 acres of forest land adjacent to Spring beauty (pictured here) and bloodroot bloom in An interpretive sign along the trail describes some of the Historic District and features many artifacts from the iron Money Rocks County Park, expanding publicly acces- early April in the moist, well-drained woodlands of contributions of noted Lancaster County ornithologist furnace era. sible land to more than 800 acres. Speedwell Forge County Park. Theodore A. Parker III. B Chickies Rock County Park Lancaster County F Theodore A. Parker III Natural Area 897 Facility Key

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283 o o l p d d L V o a l S k er all y R 222 i e i ak a b s X-Country Skiing • • • • • • • • • ru k C R M Park 324 v B e h 501 am o W p E i B l a l l v e d Detailed park maps are available online at the Water d. Notes: e 222 Lan ng Road R o a d Lo Parks and Trails web page. * Special hunting regulations apply ** Only with Pavilion Rental Eva n s Railroad Tracks S 230 741 http://web.co.lancaster.pa.us/243/Parks-Trails ^ On Specified Trails Only Revised 12/2015