Nothing beats teamwork! Yesterday morning, a group of volunteers, Montgomery County Park staff, and Appalachian Mountain Club staff joined forces to tackle invasive multiflora rose bushes growing alongside the Perkiomen Trail in Green Lane Reservoir Park. Five bags of foliage were removed to prevent the spread of the plant’s seeds and stumps were treated to stop regrowth. Thank you to our hard-working team for facing heat, humidity, and thorns!
Yesterday was a great day for the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network! On July 23rd, alongside representatives from the Lehigh Valley Transportation Study, the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, the County of Northampton, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the City of Bethlehem held a press conference to announce $3.7 million in federal funding. These funds, which came from the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) and Carbon Reduction Programs (CRP), support three projects targeting sustainable transportation in the region. The
In my opinion, the best day trips have multiple stops, each fulfilling a different need. These include but are not limited to: a nature experience to get moving and breathe some fresh air, an interesting small business to buy a knickknack or a reward for completing a long hike, and of course, a local restaurant with delicious food. If that sounds like your kind of day trip too, then you’re in luck! Nockamixon State Park Marina to Haycock Boat Launch via
Have you been getting out on the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network this summer? We have! Paired with some amazing volunteers, Appalachian Mountain Club team members have been hard at work putting up Highlands Trail medallions and signage up in Nockamixon State Park and French Creek State Park. There’s plenty more trails to hit, but enjoy these action shots of the process!
The Highlands Conservation Act boundary nearly tripled when it was reauthorized in 2022. When the Highlands Region was originally protected in 2004, it covered 3.5 million acres and 320 municipalities across four states. Now, the boundary is 10.2 million acres and includes 877 towns. A map of the HCA boundary, within Pennsylvania, can be found here. Now, all 877 municipalities are eligible to apply for grant funding that can be used to acquire land for conservation and outdoor recreation
The Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Hike Challenge begins on May 1st! It’s time to start planning your first hike. While there are many potential routes you can take on the Highlands Trail, but we have some favorite spots. Morlatton Village to French Creek State Park via Schuylkill River Trail and Big Woods Trail (10 miles) This hike begins at the Morlatton Village Trailhead on the Schuylkill River Trail in Douglassville, PA. Spend some time walking through the historic Colonial-era Morlatton Village. The
Dear Adventure Enthusiasts, The Hike is ON! We are thrilled to invite you to participate in our exciting 7-month Challenge spanning from May-December 2025! Designed to test your limits and ignite your passion for the great outdoors! This summer, we encourage
The PA Highlands Resources Interactive Map has been updated. This map can be found on the homepage of the Pennsylvania Highlands website. Explore over 40 features on the interactive map that cover recreational resources, federal and state funding opportunities, environmental justice communities, the US FWS Highlands Resource Priorities, and other features. In addition to reviewing this information, you can also locate these resources within a specified distance from a defined location, through the “Resources Near Me” tab. This update is based
September 3, 2024, marked the 60th anniversary of the passing of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), our nation’s premier federal conservation funding program. At the time of its creation, LWCF was to receive yearly allocations of $900 million in royalties from energy companies that drill on the Outer Continental Shelf. The goal was to take revenue from the depletion of oil and gas sites and to use the proceeds to protect federal lands and to create grants for
Join the Appalachian Mountain Club, DCNR, the Schuylkill Highlands Conservation Landscape, and additional Highlands Trail partners to celebrate the completion of a 3-mile segment of the Highlands Trail through Nockamixon State Park! This new section of trail connects the Marina Day Use Area to the Haycock Boat Launch, closing a gap in the Highlands Trail network. In its full completion, the Highlands Trail will connect Nockamixon State Park to Quakertown borough.
