Discover Lancaster County Central Park
Lancaster County is sometimes referred to as the Garden Spot of America for its fertile farmland and plentiful green spaces. In efforts to protect and care for nature's splendor, the county maintains a combined 2,055 acres among six regional parks and three recreational trails. The largest of these is Central Park, aptly named for its centralized location just south of Lancaster City. Spread across 544 acres of land, Central Park's amenities include miles of mixed-use trails, gardens, an environmental center and library, sports facilities and even a swimming pool – offering visitors and residents incredible outdoor recreation choices.
Take a hike on one (or more) of Central Park's nine trails. These interconnected, multi-use trails total 13 miles and are perfect for hiking, biking, horseback riding, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. As you meander across fields, through woods and along creeks, watch wildlife, take in the scenery, and breathe in the fresh air. Check out the Central Park Trail Guide to plan your trek.
The park's Garden of Five Senses is situated on a hill overlooking the Conestoga River. Easily accessible via a paved walkway, the garden delights with vibrant flowers, lush plants and mature trees. Feel a sense of calm as you listen to the birds sing and hear the sound of babbling water from a fountain, waterfall and stream that runs through the garden. In another area of the park, gardeners can rent a garden plot from April through October to grow their own vegetables and flowers.
There a numerous sports facilities within Central Park, including basketball courts, ball fields and soccer fields. Skateboarders and in-line skaters can take advantage of the Skate Park, the only one of its kind in the county. The quarter-acre park includes a 200-feet-long snake run, three ovoid bowls of varying depths, and a unique full pipe that's 16 feet in diameter and 25 feet long. Central Park's biggest summertime attraction is its expansive swimming pool. The pool, with a beach-like wading area, water fountains and twin tube slides, draws 40,000 visitors each summer.
The Environmental Center at Central Park is housed in a beautifully restored 19th century bank barn. Staff provide year-round outdoor education programs on a host of topics, from plants and wildlife to Native Americans and wilderness survival. Next door, there's a lending library in a historic farmhouse that has more than 3,000 books and videos dedicated to environmental programming carried by the nature center.
A note of reference for covered bridge lovers: Lancaster County Central Park is home to the Kurtz's Mill Covered Bridge, which spans Mill Creek. Built in 1876 over the Conestoga River, the 94-foot bridge was damaged by Hurricane Agnes floodwaters in 1972, and repaired and moved to its present location in 1975.
