Have you been out and about finding the South Mountain
Geo-Trail’s caches? Now that a little bit of warmer weather has finally made it
our way, are you getting ready to get back out and locate a cache or two that
you have yet to find on the trail? We hope you take a minute to look around and
enjoy the South Mountain landscape as you do – we think it’s a pretty special
place!
We thought you might be interested in learning a bit more
about the South Mountain landscape:
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| An aerial photograph of the South Mountain landscape (courtesy of Loy Elliott) |
The South Mountain landscape is a geographically distinct
portion of south-central Pennsylvania that falls within portions of Adams,
Cumberland, Franklin and York counties. This landscape is defined by folds of
forested uplands that run in a generally north-south direction, and the
surrounding valleys and communities.
The South Mountain ridgeline, reaching elevations of nearly
two thousand feet, is the northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a main
geologic province of the Appalachian Mountains that stretches from northern Georgia
up to south-central Pennsylvania. At its northern terminus here in
Pennsylvania, it creates an island of uplands between the low-lying valleys of
the Piedmont and the eastern seaboard to the east and the elevated “Ridge-and-Valley”
topography to the west. What makes this landscape unique and special is that
within this generally small, geographically distinct region, we find a convergence
of diverse natural and cultural resources.
·
Natural Resources – The forested South Mountain,
including the 85,000-acre Michaux State Forest, is perhaps the largest intact
forest between Harrisburg and Washington DC, offering important wildlife
habitat and innumerable ecosystem services, not the least of which is an
seemingly limitless supply of clean water: by some accounts, nearly 80% of the
region’s residents drink water filtered and stored by the forests and
underlying geology.
·
Cultural Resources – A deep human legacy can be
found from the valley bottoms to the top of the ridgeline: Native American
quarry sites, Civil War battlegrounds, and a secret World War II P.O.W. camp to
name a few. A powerful story too can be traced of the area’s iron industry,
fueled by a seemingly boundless forest – and an equally compelling story of
South Mountain as a nationally important cradle of forestry and conservation
when the 19th Century iron tycoons proved the limits of these
woodlands.
·
Agricultural Resources – The Cumberland Valley
boasts some of Pennsylvania’s most productive agricultural soil, and topography
and geology converge in a 20,000-acre nationally significant “Fruit Belt” along
the eastern toe slope of the mountains.
·
Recreational Resources – With its proximity to
Baltimore and Washington D.C., the South Mountain landscape and its public
lands have become an outdoor playground. And of course, 60-odd miles of the world-famous
Appalachian Trail run through the heart of the landscape.
So while no particular aspect of this landscape singularly
defines it, the dynamic convergence of this range of diverse resources makes
the South Mountain landscape one of Pennsylvania’s more unique, special
landscapes. We’re thrilled you’ve begun to explore the area through the South
Mountain Geo-Trail, and, knowing how much this landscape has to offer, we encourage
you to continue to explore it the landscape beyond the trail!
For instance, be sure to check out the South Mountain Mobile
Phone App – an app for your mobile device that highlights more than 75
different destinations throughout the landscape and includes 5 pre-set thematic
tours. Download the app by visiting Google Play or the iTunes store and searching
for “South Mountain PA” – and then use your mobile phone as a gateway to
discover scenic beauty, history sites, fruits and delicious food, wineries,
theatres and so much more.
Oh – and be sure to leave a note letting us know what you’ve
enjoyed most about the South Mountain landscape!
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