June 6, 2009: National Trails Day
A special invitation to Strawberry Hill members

Bring the whole family out to Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve and celebrate National Trails Day with the Conservation Fund and a hike of Glatfelter Tree Farm No. 1. Join the Conservation Fund, local elected officials, and volunteers who have helped to protect Adams County’s land and water resources by preserving the 2,500 acre tree farm. This event will be led by the Conservation Fund and Strawberry Hill’s own naturalist, Mr. Eddy.

Starting at Strawberry Hill, the hike will introduce the community to the unique plant and animal life found on the former tree farm. The hike will include stops along the way to appreciate the natural wonders of the South Mountain Region and views of Gettysburg, Fairfield, Carroll Valley, and Swamp Creek Valley. Participants are asked to please wear appropriate hiking shoes/boots and clothes for moderate terrain and uphill hike. Bring rain gear in case of inclement weather. Water and trail bars will be provided. The hike will begin at promptly 9:30 a.m. and take approximately 90 minutes. Upon return the Conservation Fund will hold a check presentation at 11:30 a.m. Things will wrap up with a free picnic at noon, sponsored by Strawberry Hill and Hamiltonban Township.

Come discover this wonderful area that is soon to become part of Michaux State Forest. Please RSVP so we can plan our numbers for the picnic. For more information contact Strawberry Hill at (717) 642-5840 or email info@strawberryhill.org.

Board votes to proceed with forest stewardship plan

At its regular April meeting, the Board of Directors voted to proceed with the timber management strategies laid out in its 2002 forest stewardship plan. If you’ve been around Strawberry Hill for a while, you may remember that in 2002 we obtained a grant to have a forestry consultant develop a plan that would guide us as we maintained our forest for the present and for years to come. Completed in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), this plan laid out a management strategy to promote the health of Strawberry Hill’s forest—and therefore our wildlife, wetlands, and streams.

While the evaluation found Strawberry Hill’s forest in very good shape generally, it also discovered evidence of stress caused by a combination of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (click to go the USDA Forest Service info site) infestation and overcrowding. Since 2002 the Woolly Adelgid has decimated a large number of our Eastern Hemlocks. A primary recommendation of our stewardship plan is to remove the hemlocks that have become infested and are dead or dying.

A second recommendation addresses overcrowding caused by the Preserve’s previous timbering history as a tree farm. The stewardship plan called for a select thinning of less than 12 percent of one quarter of the Preserve forest. This project makes up only a small percentage of the Preserve’s total acreage. A thinning was determined necessary to recreate an uneven aged understory, and a forest more reminiscent of a deciduous forest not originally managed for a tree farm. Our stewardship plan recommends thinning these stands in order to regenerate an under-story and free up forest resources to keep the remaining trees healthy.

To be honest, it’s been hard for us to contemplate taking down any trees on the preserve, but as the stressed and infested trees have continued to decline, we’ve had to admit that it’s time to take these trees down. We’ve enlisted the help of the Glatfelter Pulp Wood Company and Matt Kern, a DCNR Community Service Forester, to help us complete this stewardship project in the late summer through fall of 2009.

To learn more about this project, read Strawberry Hill Forest Stewardship 2009 Salvage and Timber Harvest Project.

 Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve is a private nonprofit education and conservation institution located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Pennsylvania. Strawberry Hill’s mission is to connect our community with the natural world by teaching, inspiring, and promoting environmental stewardship. The 609-acre preserve features a variety of habitats to explore, including wet and dry woodlands, three ponds, two pristine mountain streams, and much more.

Browse our photo galleries.

 Recently selected as a stop on Pennsylvania Audubon’s Susquehanna River Birding and Wildlife Trail, Strawberry Hill offers the avid birder a chance to spot Barred, Screech, and Great Horned Owls, Pileated Woodpeckers, American Woodcock, Ruffed Grouse, Wild Turkey, Scarlet Tanager, Wood Thrush, Great Blue Heron, and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds, among others.

White-tailed deer, bobcats, coyotes, and many other animals make their homes in our preserve. Our quarry pools contain the largest concentrations of Red-Spotted Newts in the area.

More than 10 miles of blazed trails meander through the property, leading to unique rock formations, scenic vistas, and secret glades. Trails range from easy streamside strolls suitable for families with young children to more rugged trails with some moderately steep sections.

Now you can adopt a trail!

Hours of operation

 Strawberry Hill’s hiking trails are open to the public daily, from dawn to dusk. Our Nature Classroom is open when staff are on site. If you would like to visit our exhibits, please call ahead.

See a trail map.

Rules of the trail

• For your own safety, please stay on the trails.
• Park only in designated areas. Visitor motor vehicles are prohibited from the preserve.
• Carry out all your trash and leave the area as you found it. Don’t use the portable toilets to dispose of trash.
• We encourage observation; we discourage collecting.
• Strawberry Hill’s sensitive habitats require our protection. We ask that you keep pets leashed and under control. Clean up after your pet.
• Because of the potential for injury and damage to the environment, the following activities are not permitted on the property: smoking, swimming, mountain biking, use of motorized vehicles, horseback riding, possession or use of alcohol.

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Directions to Strawberry Hill

Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve
1537 Mount Hope Road • Fairfield, PA 17320-9420
(717) 642-5840

From Gettysburg
From the square, go south on Baltimore Street/Route 97. At the first light, turn right onto Middle Street/Route 116. Follow Route 116 west for approximately 8 miles. Right after you see the big blue Strawberry Hill sign, turn right onto Bullfrog Road, which becomes Mount Hope Road. The Nature Classroom, office, and parking lot are on the left, 3.5 miles up Mount Hope Road.

From Route 16 (Waynesboro, Emmitsburg)
At the PNC Bank, take Route 116 east toward Ski Liberty. Follow Route 116 for 4.4 miles. At the Fairfield Post Office, turn left onto Carroll’s Tract Road, then take first left onto Mount Hope Road. Proceed for 3 miles to Strawberry Hill.

From Chambersburg
Follow Route 30 east for approximately 15 miles from Route 81. Turn right at the flashing light at Adams County National Bank. Proceed .6 miles to the first stop sign; turn left onto Old Route 30. After .1 mile, turn right onto Orrtanna Road. Follow Orrtanna Road for 1 mile to the first stop sign; turn left at the stop to continue on Orrtanna Road. After you pass Knouse Foods on your right, Orrtanna Road will become Carroll’s Tract Road. After passing Mountain View Golf Course on your left, turn right at the next intersection onto Mount Hope Road. Proceed for 3 miles to Strawberry Hill.

From Outside the Area
If you’re coming to Strawberry Hill from outside the area, you can find a suitable map view of our location at MapQuest. Note that Swamp Creek Lane is not a through lane. It does not connect Mount Hope Road to Cold Springs Road.

From Mount Hope Road
The Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve, office, and parking area are on the left, 3 miles up Mount Hope Road, about 0.25 miles past Camp Eder. Once you reach Mount Hope Road, cell phone service will be lost.

Join Strawberry Hill!

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New!
Summer Day Camp
Strawberry Hill is offering a structured recreational and environmental education day camp program for children who have completed first through seventh grades. Based at Carroll Valley Borough Park and with regular field trips to Strawberry Hill, this six-week camp will run from June 15 through July 24, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Find out more about
Summer Day Camp.

New!
Adult Naturalist Program
This four-part series is for adults who want to learn more about the natural environment of Adams County. Complete the series and become eligible to teach at Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve!

Find out more about
Adult Naturalists.

Calling Junior Naturalists!
This summer make some new friends—insects, snakes, turtles, and toads! Strawberry Hill is the ideal place to explore nature. Our popular Junior Naturalist Camps are full of fun and educational activities that teach campers about the animals, plants, and landscape found here at Strawberry Hill and beyond.

Find out more about
Junior Naturalist Camps.