Discovering the great outdoors in the midst of a pandemic
What comes to mind when you think of Lancaster County? Rolling hills of Amish farms and handmade soft pretzels? You’re not wrong, but how about windmills, waterfalls, geological wonders, street art, and haunted tunnels?
Thanks to 2020, we’ve had the opportunity to explore our own county like never before – and we’ve been pleasantly surprised by all we’ve found! Of course all of these spots are family friendly, and I’ll add notes on wheelchair accessibility for each one.
Look what we found!
Caboose and windmills and waterfalls, oh my!
Turkey Hill Nature Preserve was discovered just by googling “hikes near me.” I went out with my oldest when he had an early dismissal, for a quick hike before the other two got off of school. We’ve already been back with the family. You can take a six mile rugged trail loop by the top of the mountain with incredible views and windmills and a waterfall (park near the beginning of the lot and take the first trail entrance you come to), or stick to the low grade trail for full wheelchair accessibility (including an accessible outhouse), views of the river, and a restored caboose (access at the far end of the lot)!
Street Art
Street art is highlight of any city tour, and we have plenty of it right here in Lancaster County! Just off the corner of Arch and Marion St. (downtown) is the most well known, with a frequently updated wall. Walk through downtown on Market St in Elizabethtown and you can see trains and historic scenes of the area painted on the sides of businesses. Just out of town, at 680 Cloverleaf Rd, you can see more historic scenes on the side of a barn. Head over to River Park in Columbia and you can see their local history showcased on a wall, too. All of Lancaster County’s wall art is wheelchair accessible, and can even be viewed as a drive-by.
Geological Art
Have you heard of the pothole playground? These rocks, tucked away at the edge of the Susquehanna river, are filled with smooth, deep holes, thanks to the combination of molten heat and glacial waters impacting their erosion through the ages.
This one involves some trekking through narrow grassy trails, and hopping across boulders. It’s not wheelchair accessible, and probably best for kids over 5. To access it, park at the Falmouth Boat Launch. Other sites will tell you take the trail at the back of the lot and then cut over to the river. Don’t. The trail by the river is easier to follow and gives you plenty of options of where to head out to the rocks. It’s much more tiring to boulder hop than to walk the trail, so we hopped out to the boulders two powerlines in to explore, and took the trail most of the way back. The best rocks are beyond the third powerline down from the parking lot.
The White Cliffs of Conoy
Ok, these are a little less geological wonder and a little more man-made left overs, but still pretty neat to look at. You can hop on the river trail at Koser Park and it’s a smooth, albeit long (just over two miles one way) walk out to the top of these limestone cliffs that stand in stark contrast to their surroundings. There’s an accessible restroom near the top of the cliffs. The areas that you can reach on the cliffs is limited by a wheelchair, but you can still see them. I’ve also seen people at the bottom of the cliffs, but I don’t think there’s an accessible trail that way.
A haunted tunnel and trails galore
We’re all about the trails this year, and we get tired of doing the same ones. Always remember to look for bike trails when you want a wheelchair accessible path – or even just something that’s easy for younger kids! The Northwest Lancaster County River Trail begins in Columbia and offers 14 miles of smooth trails with multiple access points. In my kids’ minds, each access point is a new trail. If you start in Columbia and head north for just over a mile, you can even cross through a haunted rock tunnel. Totally wheelchair accessible.
The Grave of a veteran from the war of 1812
We walked through the Lancaster Cemetery and my oldest wanted to find a soldier. I suggest he look for an American flag. The first one he found was a veteran from the war of 1812! It’s a little hard to wrap my mind around. You can follow the road for wheelchair accessibility, but you’ll have to venture into the grass to explore many of the grave sites.
Are any of these new to you? I hope we helped you discover something fun to explore while we eagerly await the end of this pandemic!
If you’re not familiar with the usuals, you can check out the rest of Lancaster, or check out local activities specific to the holidays!
