Conservation area · Middle Paxton Township, Dauphin County
Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area
Outsized trees of many species shade the slopes of Blue Mountain here, alive with warblers in spring, while a hillside meadow fills with butterfly weed and butterflies in midsummer.
What you will find
- Hiking trails
- Cross-country skiing
- Wildlife and bird watching
Hunting is permitted here in season. Check the state hunting calendar and wear blaze orange in fall and winter.
Make a day of it
Nearby
-
Fort Hunter Mansion and Park
A Federal-style stone mansion on the site of a French and Indian War fort, set in riverside parkland along the Susquehanna with traces of the Pennsylvania Canal and a rebuilt covered bridge.
-
Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area
Tall hardwoods blanket Peters Mountain here, and quiet trails wind up through warbler-filled woods to join the Appalachian Trail along the crest.
-
National Civil War Museum
Set in Reservoir Park, this museum tells the whole story of the Civil War, from its causes to its aftermath, through artifacts, letters and dioramas that give both Union and Confederate perspectives.
-
Susquehanna Art Museum
Harrisburg's art museum, with changing exhibitions of regional and contemporary art in Midtown, a few blocks from the river.
-
State Museum of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's story from dinosaurs to the industrial age, told beside the Capitol, with Peter Rothermel's enormous painting of Pickett's Charge and a planetarium.
-
Pennsylvania State Capitol
A grand 1906 capitol under a dome modeled on St. Peter's in Rome, its interior rich with Moravian tile floors, murals, stained glass and marble, shown on guided tours.
