Directions
VISITOR GUIDELINES
Strawberry Hill Nature Center & Preserve is open to the public every day all year without fee for day use. Trails are open from dawn to dusk. We welcome hikers, walkers, families, school children, teachers, photographers, birders, butterfly-chasers, and nature lovers. We invite you to participate in activities that celebrate the outdoors, such as our education programs, hiking, and bird watching. For your own safety, please stay on the trails at all times.
While on our preserves, please respect the land and wildlife at all times. If you get any great photographs, please consider sharing your images with us. If we publish them in our newsletter or other publications, we'll give you credit and thanks for helping to safeguard South Mountain's natural heritage.
We hope that you will enjoy Strawberry Hill Nature Center & Preserve now and in the years to come.
VISITOR USE
What You Can Do
The following activities are permitted:
- Birdwatching
- Hiking
- Nature Study
- Photography (We are always looking for
- Fishing (members only)
- Parking in permitted areas
- Respecting our neighbors
- Staying on Trails to protect sensitive plants and wildlife
- Removing all trash and leaving the preserve cleaner than you found it
What You Should Bring
- Binoculars
- Camera
- Compass
- Field guides (to plants and animals)
- Insect repellant
- Rain gear
- Snack (fruit or trail mix)
- Sunscreen
What You Cannot Do
The following activities are not permitted:
- Biking
- Camping
- Driving an ATV or off-road vehicle
- Cooking or camp fires
- Horseback riding
- Hunting
- Littering
- Fires
- Picking flowers, berries, nuts or mushrooms
- Removing any part of the natural landscape
- Swimming
- Smoking
- Consume Alcoholic beverages
- Disruptive, unruly behavior
- Use portable toilets for disposal of garbage
- Leaving Pets off of their leash
BE PREPARED:
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Wear comfortable footwear suitable for hiking, but please do not wear heavy, cleated boots - these damage the trails.
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To protect yourself from ticks, poison ivy or poison sumac, wear long pants - and tuck them into your socks. Guard against Lyme disease by wearing light-colored clothes and checking yourself for ticks
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No matter which season of the year it is, each person in your party should bring a full water bottle. Dehydration is a serious risk at any time of the year.
Upcoming Events
| Adult Naturalist Class - Pond & Stream Studies Thu Sep 09 @06:30PM - 08:00PM |
| Intermediate Birding Clinic - Early Fall Migration Sat Sep 11 @07:30AM - 09:00AM |
| Second Sunday @ Strawberry Hill Sun Sep 12 @02:00PM - 03:30PM |
| Auction Dinner Committee Meeting Mon Sep 13 @06:00PM - 07:00PM |
| Hike with a Pet and a Vet Thu Sep 16 @06:00PM - 07:30PM |
| Members Picnic Sat Sep 18 @02:00PM - 05:30PM |
| Farewell to Summer Hike Thu Sep 23 @06:30PM - 08:00PM |
| Auction Dinner Committee Meeting Mon Sep 27 @06:00PM - 07:00PM |
| First Friday Auction Dinner Preview @ Community Benefits Real Estate Fri Oct 01 @06:00PM - 08:00PM |
| Auction Dinner Committee Meeting Mon Oct 04 @06:00PM - 07:00PM |
Today's Weather
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.