Sightseeing in the South

Dedicated in honor of the 15th president of the United States, this narrow, peaceful hollow is the site of James Buchanan's birthplace. A stone pyramid monument surrounded by majestic conifers stands on the site of the original cabin where he was born.

The Blair Limestone Company Kiln remnants are the focus of historical and interpretive programs and displays. These large, gray furnaces were used to create quicklime form limestone. The Blair Limestone Company was a subsidiary of Jones and Laughlin Steel Company of Pittsburgh, Pa.

Hopewell Furnace: Many French Creek facilities were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, including two sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Adjacent to the park lies Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site that features a cold-blast furnace restored to its 1830s appearance. National Park Service costumed interpreters lead tours and demonstrations.

A walk through historic Greenwood Furnace creates images of the community that flourished here from 1834 to 1904. Greenwood Furnace was a busy industrial complex, with all the noise and dirt of a 19th century ironmaking community. The Greenwood Furnace National Historic District features many buildings from the town and a costumed interpretor.

The Little Buffalo Historic District has a covered bridge, a restored, operating grist mill, an old farm house built on the site of a colonial tavern, and a narrow guage railroad trace which features one of the original railroad cars.

This park was once the site of the Pine Grove Furnace Iron Works that dates from 1764. Historical buildings include the ironmaster's mansion, a gristmill, an inn and several residences. The self-guiding historical trail leads you through the remains of the iron works. The Appalachian Trail passes through the park.

Mountinous Blue Knob State Park is a great place to see wildlife in all seasons. Explore Blue Knob for more information.

There are many opportunities to see wildlife, but please observe from a safe distance and do not feed wildlife. The conservation area’s many trails offer good opportunities for seeing white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, squirrels, grouse, black bears and a variety of songbirds depending on the season. Eastern bluebird boxes are around the main parking lot. Please enjoy viewing the bluebirds but do not disturb the boxes.

The field and the ridge top of the conservation area can be great places to watch the annual hawk migration as these magnificent birds of prey ride the thermals along Blue Mountain. Their migration begins in mid-October and runs through early December with the peak in early November. American Chestnuts were planted in the field near the entrance as part of a program to create blight resistant trees.

Old fields, wetlands, a lake and a limestone deep mine are interspersed with deciduous woodlots, which provide excellent habitat for over 200 species of birds and mammals. Explore Canoe Creek for more information.

Codorus State Park has many different habitats, like forests, fields, wetlands, and a large lake, which make it a great place to see wildlife. Explore Codorus for more information.

Cowans Gap State Park is in Allens Valley, a narrow, highland valley between Tuscarora and Cove mountains. The valley floor is over seven hundred feet lower than Tuscarora and Cove mountains, yet Allens Valley is still several hundred feet higher than the surrounding valleys. The highland nature of Cowans Gap State Park makes the park an interesting place to see wildlife in all seasons. Explore Cowans Gap for more information.

The heavily forested, scenic hills of French Creek State Park provide habitat for plants and animals in the ever-expanding urban environment of southeastern Pennsylvania. Large oak, poplar, hickory, maple, and beech trees cover much of the park, with a sparse understory of mountain laurel, rhododendron and other brushy plants. Wetlands and pristine streams flowing through rich, damp creek valleys offer additional habitats for plants and animals. This large, diverse environment supports many animals that take advantage of the high quality of the resources found at French Creek. If you are observant while at the park you will see deer, squirrels, raccoons, songbirds, and numerous other small animals and birds. The park sustains good populations of resident birds and animals, but also serves as an important stop for migratory species using the woodlands, streams, lakes, and wetlands for food and cover.

The diverse habitats of Gifford Pinchot State Park support a variety of wildlife through all seasons. The basis for the many habitats is diabase rock that underlies most of the park and was created when molten rock intruded the sandstone and melted it into a new kind of rock. Many of the diabase rocks have unique cracks that formed as the rocks slowly cooled. Explore Gifford Pinchot for more information.

Wildlife is abundant in the area. The alert observer may see white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey, ruffed grouse and many species of small animals. Duck, great blue heron and occasionally osprey visit the lake. At dusk in late May and June, whip-poor-will sing their unique call.

The conservation area is in the Ridge and Valley Province of the Appalachian Mountains, which is characterized by long parallel mountain ridges and wide, flat valleys. A diversity of trees produces nuts, seeds, berries and browse for wildlife like white-tailed deer, squirrels, ruffed grouse, wild turkey, black bear and many species of birds. Explore Joseph E. Ibberson for more information.

The different habitats of Kings Gap span from the mountaintop to valley floor. Explore Kings Gap for more information.

The lake and surrounding forests abound in wildlife. Explore Little Buffalo for more information.

Birders may observe over 100 different land and water species in the park, especially during the migratory seasons. Turtle platforms, bat and duck boxes, and the butterfly field also offer opportunities to view wildlife.

The rich soil of the floodplain supports a diversity of vegetation. The southern part of the island is undeveloped and covered in a forest of predominantly silver maple, river birch and sycamore. The island is a rest area for migrating songbirds and waterfowl.

Wildlife is abundant in the area. The alert observer may see white-tailed deer, black bear, wild turkey and many species of small game. Feeding wild animals such as bears, raccoons and skunks is prohibited. When wildlife loses its fear of people, dangerous situations can result. The small, 3.5-acre lake at the confluence of Sassafras Run and Standing Stone Creek is not stocked, but there are wily native brook trout. The stream below the dam is stocked in the spring. Wading is permitted in the lake and stream; swimming is not. On quiet evenings, muskrats can be seen on the lake and an occasional duck, goose or eagle visits from time to time. Trapping is not permitted.

The diverse habitats of Pine Grove Furnace State Park support a variety of wildlife through all seasons. The historic use of the area during the iron furnace period created a varied combination of open areas, wetlands, and vegetation that make the area unique to wildlife. Explore Pine Grove Furnace for more information.

The diverse habitats of Prince Gallitzin State Park provide great opportunities for viewing wildlife. Explore Prince Gallitzin for more information.

Although the forests of Pennsylvania have been logged several times, visitors to R.B. Winter State Park can step back in time and encounter the forest as it appeared in 1850. The 39 acres surrounding the Rapid Run Nature Trail is one of the first State Park Natural Areas. Explore Raymond B. Winter for more information.

The dominant habitat in and around the park is of towering white pines, hemlocks and oaks. Maple, ash, tulip poplar, gum, hickory, and dogwood trees, and mountain laurel and rhododendron add to the year-round scenic beauty.

The 885-foot high Mt. Pisgah is the highest point in the area and offers a spectacular panoramic view of the Susquehanna River and the towns and fertile farmlands that it borders. A wayside panel is on the summit of Mt. Pisgah near Pavilion C and identifies various points of interest along the river valley. Explore Samuel S. Lewis for more information.

Shikellamy State Park is a wonderful place to watch wildlife, especially migrating birds and butterflies. Always view wildlife from a safe distance. Feeding squirrels, ducks geese or any other wildlife is prohibited. Feeding wildlife lures too many animals into an area that cannot support them, and improper food may be unhealthy for the animals.

Many islands are in view from Hawk Point including Mt. Johnson Island, the world's first bald eagle sanctuary. This island is to the left of the overlook and featured a pair of nesting bald eagles for many years. More recently, eagles have been nesting on the island just upstream from the overlook. Use the available optical viewer or your own binoculars and see if you can spot an eagle, osprey or the more common turkey and black vultures that regularly patrol the airways by this overlook. Explore Susuquehannock for more information.

Swatara State Park has a combination of woodland and old fields in various stages of forest succession. The blending of these habitats results in a remarkably wide variety of trees, wildflowers and wildlife. Bird boxes are maintained for game and non-game species like bluebirds, hawks, wrens and ducks. The geology of Swatara State Park is predominately sedimentary rocks formed in a shallow ocean during the Middle Devonian Period of the Paleozoic Era, about 375 million years ago. An Upper Mahantango Formation that contains significant marine fossil beds is exposed at a site along Bear Hole Trail and provides excellent opportunities for fossil collectors.

Trough Creek State Park is in the Valley and Ridge Province of the Appalachian Mountains. Once a great mountain range, weathering and running water reduced the mountains into long, narrow, sweeping ridges. Great Trough Creek still carves the ridges, creating unique geologic features throughout the park and deepening the Great Trough Creek Gorge. Explore Trough Creek for more information.

Several unique habitats exist as a result of the river carving it’s way through the land. A fresh water swamp follows the long axis of the park adjacent to the river bottomland. Also, across the river from the swamp is an excellent example of weathered shale cliffs with unique trees, plants, and animals associated with this environment.

River otter have been released at various sites along the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River, near the park. Ruffed Grouse nest in brushy areas and turkey frequent old fields. A fresh water swamp is great habitat for nesting wood duck and mallard. Fence lizards are often seen along the abandoned railroad corridor near the park gate.