Outdoor exercise is encouraged during COVID-19 restrictions as a way to stay healthy and positive and maybe even increase defenses against disease. Benefits of exercise may include lower cholesterol and blood pressure, while improving strength, balance, and coordination. Social distancing is usually easier when exercising outside, as well.
Kristen Holloway, founder of the Facebook page Day Hikes of Lancaster County PA, has always been a hiker. During the pandemic, she has been trying to hike at least weekly alone and with family members. "When I lived in San Diego, I found this book of day hikes of San Diego County," said Holloway, who set herself a goal of visiting all the trails in the book while she lived there.
After returning to her native Lancaster County, Holloway decided a Facebook page could offer other avid hikers the same kind of information she had found in the book - trails that offer beautiful scenery along with varying degrees of difficulty. "I knew there were all these great hikes, but I knew there were some I didn't know about," said Holloway. "I was looking for one place that had all the good hikes, so I wanted to put something together so that people would know what's out there."
Trails that are good for a variety of activities include the Enola Low Grade Trail, which can be accessed from a number of points in the county - the Turkey Hill Trail Head in Manor Township, Sigman Road in Pequea Township, and Fairview Road in Strasburg Township. The trail has a crushed stone surface and is a favorite of walkers. The White Cliffs of Conoy in Marietta are located along the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail, which can be accessed from Columbia, Marietta, or Bainbridge. Holloway said it is a paved trail often used for running and biking in addition to hiking. The trail, which runs along the Susquehanna River, features some abandoned buildings and the cliffs, actually remnants of a limestone quarry. "It's a pretty overlook with the white cliffs, and you're walking along the railroad tracks, which is kind of cool," said Holloway. For short hikes, Holloway recommends Ray's Woods, 44 Laurel Drive, Holtwood, and the Farmingdale Trail in Noel Dorwart Memorial Park, 408 Parklawn Court, Lancaster.
For more moderately challenging hikes, Holloway recommends the loop at Steinman Run Nature Preserve, 215 Stump Road, Pequea, and combining trails at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, 100 Museum Road, Stevens, where she has spent up to three hours hiking. Because Holloway lives in Penn Manor School District, many of the trails she has discussed on the page are in that area. For a good workout, she heads to Kelly's Run Nature Preserve, reporting that that the trail is a loop of nearly 4 miles with hilly terrain. Kelly's Run can be found at 199 Street Road, T397, Holtwood.
Holloway said that hiking has been a family tradition. "My parents took us hiking a lot as kids," she shared. "It's fun, but it's a good way to get exercise." When Holloway hikes with her children, she likes to visit the Lancaster Conservancy Trout Run Nature Preserve, 215 Stump Road, Pequea (Holtwood). "Trout Run is great for those who like to play in the water," she said. For green and shady hikes, Holloway recommends Lancaster Conservancy's Climbers Run Nature Preserve, located off Frogtown Road, Pequea. Other scenic trails on Holloway's list include Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve, 857 Green Hill Road South, Conestoga, in Martic Township and House Rock Nature Preserve, 370 House Rock Road, Pequea.
Holloway appreciates the beauty of the outdoors during solitary ventures. "I like to hike by myself," she said. "It's meditative, so it's time to be in my thoughts and be in nature. You take more in when you're by yourself."
The Facebook page Holloway founded allows her to combine her interests in hiking and photography. "I have a list of 25 more hikes to investigate that aren't on the page (yet)," she noted. For those who are averse to the summer heat and crowded trails, she recommends hiking in the early mornings before the sun is high and the parking lots fill up.
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