Over spring break, I took the time to revisit one of my favorite parks, the Susquehanna Riverlands State Park. The Susquehanna River runs between York and Lancaster County, which provides residents with great views overlooking the water. This park is one of my favorites due to its beautiful views and pleasant paths.
The Susquehanna Riverlands State Park is only about 10 minutes away from my hometown of Wrightsville, Pa. but would be a bit more of a drive from campus, around 30 minutes. However, I believe the drive is worth it to walk through the woods to the rocky cliff overlooking the river.
The 1,044-acre park runs along both Codorus Creek and the Susquehanna River, providing visitors with incredible views of the water. The park has multiple rocky outlooks, but my favorite features a railroad bridge in the background. This outlook is spacious enough for multiple visitors to admire the views or sit down and enjoy a relaxing picnic overlooking the river.
When my partner and I visited this park for the first time on our second anniversary, we planned on having our picnic on this outlook. However, I didn’t realize there was more than one parking lot, so we ended up having to walk an extra half mile down a stone road before we even saw the second lot. It was a very hot day in June, but we still enjoyed our hike. Once we got past the second parking lot, it was much more shaded. I also recommend visitors to use the bathroom before coming, since there are currently no bathrooms on site.
Along the path, we passed wheat and corn fields of the neighboring farms. These fields are off limits to visitors, but the path was clearly marked well enough to prevent us from wandering too far outside the park’s borders.
We also encountered other visitors and their dogs! While this park is pet friendly, remember to clean up after your pets along the trail and be careful to not let them disturb any wild animals living in the area. During our first hike on the trail, we did see a dog get spooked by a garden snake moving through the tall grass. Speaking of tall grass, remember to check yourself and your pets for ticks after the hike to prevent taking home any bloodsucking hitchhikers!
When we finally got to the outlook, we took so many pictures with the Susquehanna in the background and enjoyed our well-deserved food! I would recommend anyone who is afraid of heights to skip this particular outlook, as it doesn’t have a railing and drops straight down to the rocky riverbed.
Whenever you visit a park, be sure to clean up after yourself so that others can enjoy the same park as you did. Litter can cause wildlife to get tangled in the debris, ingest the litter and choke, become ill, get intestinal blockages or even attract invasive species. It can also unfortunately encourage wildlife to approach humans which can be dangerous to all involved.
The Susquehanna Riverlands Park is a short three minute drive away from Codorus Forge, also known as Hellem Forge. This historic iron forge was created in 1765 and was once owned by James Smith, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Cannon balls were cast in the original furnace during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The iron forged here was sent downstream to Philadelphia and Baltimore to service early manufacturing until the furnace shut down in 1850. The forge is located just off the road and is a worthy stop for history lovers after the hike.
Overall, I would say that this park is great for anyone who loves hiking and great views!
