Walks & Hikes

2026 Summer Hikes Schedule

Date: Dates, times, and locations vary. Please see below for complete details.

Description: The walks are FREE and open to everyone. Dogs on leashes are welcome except as specified. Bring water. Email questions to ejmeyer99@hotmail.com or for the latest hike updates, please visit Healthy Adams County’s Facebook page by clicking HERE.

UPCOMING HIKES:

Saturday July 11, 9:00 AM – Old Forge State Picnic Area South on the AT, 3.75 miles.  8006 Old Forge Rd, Waynesboro. The hike goes south on the AT, picks up a logging road to Rattlesnake Run Rd to connect back to the AT. It has an elevation gain of 500 feet (50 flights of stairs) over the first 45 minutes and is rocky – rated moderate to difficult.  Carol Deardorff lead 

Saturday, July 18, 9:00 AM – Caledonia St Park – Charcoal Hearth Trail, 2.7 miles.  Take Rt 30 West to the traffic light at 233.  Turn right on 233 and immediately right into the Furnace parking lot.  This is the longest and most rugged trail in the park.  It climbs steeply for 10-15 minutes to Graeffenburg Mountain before leveling off, then descends gradually, ending by a quiet stream near the Furnace Dam.  On the descent, watch for four historic charcoal hearths and an old wagon road.  This hike is strenuous at the start.  Patty Weaver leading

Wednesday, July 22, 9:00 AM – Carroll Commons – 5685 Fairfield Rd, Carroll Valley. Walk the 1-mile, partially shaded trail with a ½ mile add on to the fishing pond. Trail is pea gravel, relatively flat and partly wooded.

Wednesday, July 29, 7:00 PM – Summer Garden WALK. Meet in the Howard Avenue Parking Lot at the back of the Gettysburg Rec Park (across from 339 S. Howard Ave). We will walk 1.5 miles while visiting 6 neighborhood gardens. The walk should take 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the time we spend admiring the gardens. Please let us know if you have questions.

Wednesday, Aug 5, 9:00 AM – Intersection Stillhouse Hollow & Ridge Road in Michaux Forest, Franklin County.  The 5.2 mile hike will be out the AT to Ridge Road and then come back Ridge Road.

Wednesday, Aug 19, 9:00 AM – Catoctin National Mountain Park,  14707 Park Central Road, Thurmont, MD.  Meet outside the Visitor’s Center.  The hike is downhill to the Park Office, then uphill to vistas at Chimney Rock, Wolf Rock and Thurmont Vista, returning downhill to the Visitor’s Center.  The long, uphill climb is difficult, we will take breaks.

8th Annual Ice Cream Walk

Date: Tuesday, August 18th

Time: Varies depending on the hours of the various ice cream shops. See below flyer for further details.

Location: Varies. Please see below flyer for further details.

Description: Please click HERE for details about Healthy Adams County’s Physical Fitness Task Force’s 8th Annual Ice Cream Walk. Get 5 small (1.5 ou) cones for $10, one each from your choice of 5 locations.
Proceeds benefit the Physical Fitness Task Force. Tickets can be purchased at Mr. G’s Gift Shop.

To view additional events please click on the following link:  https://www.healthyadamscounty.org/events

For questions or more information regarding these events please call 717-337-4137 or email kgaskin@wellspan.org.

Health Benefits of Outdoor Recreation

This video by the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation encapsulates so many of the benefits of walking and biking outdoors!

Attention Parents and Children! The internet is full of free resources to keep you and your children motivated for physical activity!

Click on the following link children-go-for-physical-activity-resources-wm-final-1 to access the “Children Go for Physical Activity – Links for Parents and Children”, which will lead you into the world of health and physical activity, with fun, internet-based links for movement activities. Children and their parents will find  some basic searchable internet resources, as well as links to yoga, Zumba, and theme-based movement adventures. Want to foster alphabet sound recognition? Numbers? Colors and Music? Build a simple obstacle course? Find it here – some English, some Spanish – all can be followed by watching the motions! Search and move for a healthier heart!

Developed by the Physical Fitness Task Force and the Children’s Health and Nutrition Task Force of Healthy Adams County, PA.

Visit these websites for other activities  happening in the community

YWCA Gettysburg & Adams County:  https://www.ywcagettysburg.org/special-events/ & https://www.ywcagettysburg.org/brown-bag-lunch-series-2/

United Way of Adams County:  http://www.uwadams.org/Annual-Events

Adams County Arts Council *(scholarships for classes available):  https://adamsarts.org/

Adams County Library:  https://www.adamslibrary.org/

Gettysburg Rec Park:  https://www.gara-recpark.info/

Healthy Adams Bicycle Pedestrian Inc.:  http://habpi.org/pages/organized.php

Destination Gettysburg:  https://www.destinationgettysburg.com/index.asp

Strawberry Hill Nature Preserve:  https://www.strawberryhill.org/

*Under the Horizon:  http://underthehorizon.net/

Gettysburg Community Theatre:  https://www.gettysburgcommunitytheatre.org/

Gettysburg College Sunderman Conservatory:  https://www.gettysburg.edu/academic-programs/sunderman-conservatory/events/

Adams County Penn State Extension:  https://extension.psu.edu/adams-county

Penn Cares:  https://www.penncares.org/

Pine Grove Furnace State Park:  https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/PineGroveFurnaceStatePark/Pages/default.aspx#FindUs

East Berlin Community Center:  http://www.ebacc.org/

Read more: Upcoming Events & Website Resources