Community, Trail, Conservation & Artisan Vendors signed on for June 2nd

Vendor scenes from Trail Days in Damascus, VA

The *almost* final list is in!  Representatives and displays from the following organizations and businesses will be set-up between 12-4pm on Cumberland St. for the Duncannon A.T. Community designation event.

Retail vendors all donated an item for raffle during the event - be sure to get your raffle tickets!  Duncannon Fire Company will also be selling their famous Chicken BBQ for those that worked up an appetite out on the trails.   

Lead photographer Annie Leiby will also be setting up an Appalachian Trail PhotoBooth display so you can snag that hiking action photo even if you couldn't make a morning hike.

Information Vendors:

• The American Chestnut Foundation
• Appalachian Music Conservancy
• Appalachian Trail Museum
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy
• Blue Mountain Outfitters
• Cornerstone Church
• Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club
• Duncannon Church of God
• Duncannon Girl Scouts
• Family, Career, Community Leaders of America (selling Trail Mix!)
• Keystone Financial Management
• Keystone Trails Association
• Mary Ann Evans, Trail Pictures
• Members 1st Credit Union
• Mountain Club of Maryland, Trail Maintenance Display
• Norfolk Southern Corp.
• Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, North Chapter
• PNC Bank
• Ray Sterner - Duncannon Area 3D map display
• Sherman's Creek Conservation Association
• Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club
• Susquehanna Greenway Partnership
• Susquehanna River Trail Association
• Women and their Woods
• York Hiking Club

Retail Vendors:

• A View of the Soul Photography
• Appalachian Primitives
• Country Wood Bird Houses and Toys
• Crafty Nana
• Mountain Bloom Honey
• Qualtech Resource Group, Inc. - Randy "Windtalker" Motz and Georgia "Mom" Harris
• My Wife's Barn
• Perry County Council of the Arts
• Tastefully Simple

Volunteers needed, Cove Mountain Trailwork trip rescheduled for May 6th

Mountain Club of Maryland's Cove Mountain trail maintenance trip was rained out this past Sunday and rescheduled for the morning of Sunday, May 6th.  As of now we have a Susquenita High School sophomore that's doing his senior project on the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community effort signed up to help out MCM's Trail Maintainer.  More volunteers needed!  Get in touch with Appalachian Trail Ambassador Paul Smith at rivers.26@hotmail.com if interested.

Two new blogs for local hikers: TrailVistas.com & Hiking Around Midstate PA

Two great new blogs for hiking enthusiasts have started up in the greater capital region, one from a Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Committee member!  

Trail Vistas comes from DATC's Sean O'Shell described as the best place to find scenic vistas with trail information from local hikers.  The photos are breathtaking and maps/hike descriptions are very thorough - for the next time you're sitting around on a beautiful afternoon thinking about trying a new hike!  Many hikes in the Duncannon and South Mountain area on or near the A.T. are featured including Hawk Rock, Table Rock, Sunset Rocks, White Rocks... notice the theme?  Sean is encouraging feedback on the new site so please leave comments.

From Cumberland Valley Appalachian Trail Club President, Jim Foster, comes Hiking Around Midstate PA & Beyond, a community blog hosted on WITF.org.  Hiking Around Midstate brings information about hiking trails, environmental issues, recreational funding challenges and trail maintenance in Central Pennsylvania.  Recent announcements include Appalachian Trail Museums 2012 Summer Programming and the dedication of the new Trindle Rd Appalachian Trail Parking Lot, a project CVATC completed in partnership with Middlesex Township with funding from Mountain Club of Maryland's Miles Fund Grant and the South Mountain Partnership. 

Starting a Trail-related Business? Check out upcoming New Business Seminar

Did you know the Appalachian Trail receives between 2-3 million visitors annually Trail-wide?  Thru-hikers, section-hikers and day-hikers pass through or start/end their hikes in Duncannon and you may be considering starting a new business to cater to these visitors.  Knowing the resources available to you is a great starting point.  Interested entrepreneurs or business owners looking to expand their business should consider attending an upcoming Making It Happen New Business Seminar being held by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber at the Penn Township Building on Thursday, May 10th.  See flyer for details or visit the Harrisburg Regional Chamber upcoming events page.

The recreational opportunities the greater Duncannon area boasts in its location at the crossroads of the A.T., the Susquehanna River, the Juniata River and the Kittatinny Ridge fly-way, combined with the region’s accessibility to large metro areas on the eastern seaboard, hold great potential as the basis for the targeted development of a place-based tourism industry catering to the outdoor recreation and heritage visitor market.  Duncannon already receives a significant number of out-of-town visitors including both A.T. users and patrons of Old Sled Works. Opportunities exist, however, to enhance and grow existing businesses and identify where new supportive businesses could be introduced to further increase recreation and heritage tourism demand, while at the same time maintaining and increasing services for local residents.  For more info on Trail-related business opportunities, check out the Appalachian Trail Community Business Opportunity factsheet by clicking here.

Exciting news for Ibberson Conservation Area on Peters Mountain

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced late last week that the Joseph E. Ibberson Conservation Area located on the north slope of Peters Mountain in Halifax Township recently added another 433 woodland acres, more than doubling in size.  

Ibberson Conservation Area is directly adjacent to the Appalachian Trail corridor roughly 10 miles from Duncannon Trail-north and will provide further opportunities for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts to explore down the Ridge via publicly accessible trails.  This land donation from this former DCNR Forester also serves to preserve the Appalachian Trail experience in greater Duncannon for future generations as another large swath of land on Peters Mountain is permanently protected from incompatible development.

“Mr. Ibberson was fondly known for his forest conservation and philanthropy, and we are thrilled to receive this land as a gift to the citizens of Pennsylvania ‘to be held in the public trust, with minimal development,’ as was his desire,” DCNR Secretary Richard Allan said. From the Patriot News.

Votes are in for Susquenita Middle School Post Card Art Contest

Scenes from Duncannon mural

At the April DATC meeting, members voted on the A.T. Community Post Card Art submissions from the four grade levels at Susquenita Middle School.  The Committee had some tough decision to make, because WOW were the post card designs impressive.  Students have been working on the post cards, based on artistic impressions of Duncannon as an Appalachian Trail Community, in their art classes since last Fall as part of the Trail to Every Classroom program.

The four winners, one from each grade level, will be announced at the designation event on June 2nd.  The winning submissions will also be made available in area businesses for the community, hikers and visitors to collect or mail home.  The hope is that this will become an annual art contest - and that the rest of the designated Appalachian Trail Communities will follow suit so folks can collect the whole set!

Susquenita Elementary School students also recently submitted designs for Thank You cards to be sent to volunteers and donating businesses post-event.  The arts run strong in Susquenita School District, greater Duncannon and Perry County!

Duncannon designation reference on The Doyle's Yelp.com review!

The designation event, already a hot topic on facebook, is still making the rounds in social media!   Visitors to The Doyle Hotel's Yelp.com page will see a rave review by a section hiker from Chester County, PA that wraps up with: 

"On the 2nd of June 2012, if I heard correctly, Duncannon will become an official Trail Town. I hope the Doyle gets recognition for the key role it plays in the constantly unfolding story of the Appalachian Trail."  Great to hear, Lee H. from Berwyn!  We love The Doyle, too.

Neighboring Reed Township launches new web site, highlights A.T. and Scenic Assets

Reed Township, Dauphin County, recently launched a new Township web site - www.reedtownship.com - highlighting the area's recreational resources and scenic assets in addition to general information about municipal officials, services and ordinances.


The Appalachian Trail enters Reed Township at the crossing of the Juniata River as it travels north from the Borough of Duncannon onto "The Island" and then proceeds across the Clark's Ferry Bridge towards the Peter's Mountain climb.  The web site includes information on the Appalachian Trail, Susquehanna River Trail as well as the Peter's Mountain Hawkwatch and also highlights Agricultural Preservation and Conservation Services available in Dauphin County for those potentially interested in conserving their land or keeping it in agricultural use.  The web site was created with assistance from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Mountain Club of Maryland awards Miles Fund Grant to DATC

Special thanks to Mountain Club of Maryland (MCM), and the Duncannon MCM representative Mike O'Connor, for awarding the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Advisory Committee a substantial Miles Fund grant to assist with designation event publications and printing.  Mountain Club of Maryland's enthusiasm and assistance have been integral to this effort since the Committee formed last June.

MCM previously awarded a grant and helped coordinate the design and fabrication of an Appalachian Trail interpretive panel to be installed at Old Sled Works in Duncannon in the coming months.  Stay tuned for updates!  Check out MCM's web site and facebook page for more info on the club.

Duncannon winery a part of Hershey Harrisburg Wine Country

Another reason to start or end your Appalachian Trail hike in Duncannon!  Patriot News readers may have noticed the new Hershey Harrisburg Wine Country initiative highlighted in a recent article and Duncannon's Buddy Boy Winery featured as one a dozen regional wineries collaborating to boost tourism through a place-based experience rooted in the working landscape.
Hershey Harrisburg Wine Country hopes to capitalize on distinct wineries in region

“It’s a bit of that unique culture people can take away with the idea of going and experiencing local culture and artisans which winemakers really are,” Rick Dunlap of Hershey-Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau said. “It’s just the idea of coming away from a region and understanding the region better through the local experience.” 
Visit Hershey Harrisburg Regional Visitors Bureau's "Breweries and Wineries" or "Hiking and Biking Trails."

April 22 - Calling volunteers for Trail Maintenance on Cove Mountain

A few volunteers needed!  The Mountain Club of Maryland Trail Maintainer is planning a Trail Maintenance trip on Cove Mountain the morning of April 22nd.  The Maintainer will be clearing potential fallen timber and helpers are needed for brushing, trimming and other detail maintenance on the Cove Mountain section of the Appalachian Trail.  If interested in helping out with trail work that day get in touch with Duncannon's A.T. Ambassador, Paul Smith, (rivers.26@hotmail.com) for more info.

Next DATC Meeting on April 16th

Because the Borough Office is unavailable on the originally planned date (the 11th), the next DATC meeting will be held at the Borough Office on April 16th at 6:30pm.  The designation event is less than two months away!

Special thanks to event sponsor Orrstown Bank!

Special thanks to Orrstown Bank, the premiere sponsor of Duncannon's Appalachian Trail Community designation event taking place in the Borough on June 2nd between 12-4pm.  Community events like this would not be possible without the support of civic-minded local businesses.


Also, Event T-Shirts are now on sale at DATC Advisory Committee meetings, the Doyle Hotel, The Pub, Dugout Sports Bar, the A.T. Museum, Maria's Hair Salon and Salon Vigorous.  Get yours today!