A Fall Afternoon at Kings Gap

Sometimes things just fall into place. After spending an incredible Friday at the Phillies victory parade, I woke up Saturday morning to find that someone had swapped the first day of November with a gorgeous September afternoon. Sunny, low 60's, slight breeze. Perfect.

To make the most of it, I headed to Kings Gap Environmental Education Center with my parents and fiancee to get some fresh air. I went to Kings Gap regularly as a child, but I had not been in years. Going back reminded me why it's such a hidden gem. I know the State Parks don't really have much money to market themselves (do they have any?), but if you don't know anything about Kings Gap, I recommend checking it out out either now, or when the weather turns next spring.

CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM MY AFTERNOON AT KINGS GAP ON FLICKR OR FACEBOOK

Some Department of Conservation and Natural Resources properties have more going on than others, and it seems like Kings Gap always has stuff on the calendar. The park consists of 1,454 acres of forest on South Mountain, and is about 45 minutes away from Harrisburg. It has three day-use areas; the mansion area, the pond area and the pine plantation area. The mansion sits on the top of South Mountain and offers some stunning views of the Cumberland Valley. The 32-room structure was built around 1900 and is incredible. They actually have weekend getaways when the mansion opens itself up as a bed and breakfast, and though they don’t start again until next spring, I’d really like to check one out. The mansion area also includes a large garden which hosts a lot of events. It must be beautiful when it’s in full bloom.

Unfortunately, the mansion wasn’t open for tours Saturday, so after poking around the grounds and garden and enjoying the views, we drove back down the mountain to the pine plantation. Walking through a pine forest is very relaxing and very easy on the knees (the ground is covered in pine needles). It also smells like the world’s best air freshener. I’d forgotten how much I like walking through the woods, and I can’t think of too many other places in the area where I’d rather do it. There is a reconstructed log cabin in a clearing in the woods that is also very cool.

If you are interested in checking out Kings Gap, you might be better off waiting until next spring, but they do have Christmas Open Houses at the mansion on the seventh and fourteenth of December. The park’s primary focus is environmental education, and I know classes on a number of subjects continue throughout the year, so if you are into conservation, it’s a must-visit. As always, I took pictures and you can check them out on Flickr and Facebook.

Also, I have posted some pictures from the Phillies victory parade. I know the Phillies mean a lot to a lot of people in Central Pennsylvania, and I want to share the parade experience with anyone who wasn’t lucky enough to go. I’m not going to write about it though, because this isn’t the place. If you want to hear my thoughts on this team, this season, the significance of the win or on the parade itself, you’ll just have to buy me a beer sometime.