Explore Lancaster’s Central Park

Whatever outdoor activity is the most fun to you in the summertime, you’re sure to enjoy them at the 550-acre Lancaster County Central Park. Cool off in the pool, take to the trails, or stroll the gardens just minutes away from downtown Lancaster City. With its convenient location and exceptional facilities and features, Central Park stands out from the county’s other nine parks, drawing over 40,000 visitors every year.

Stimulate your senses at the Garden of Five Senses on its wooded hill overlooking the Conestoga River. With a dazzling display of color, the flowers of the Garden provide a spectrum of scent. At stops along the pathways, try to guess what mystery scent is making itself known above all the others. Listen to bubbling streams and waterfalls as well as the harmony of singing birds before reaching the gazebo, a lush garden grove that is a popular wedding destination.

For the more active and go-get-‘em types, Central Park’s trail system gives hikers, bikers, and horse riders a meandering network of paths through fields, woods, and along creeks. Stroll along the Conestoga River on the Conestoga Greenway Trail for a mile-long hike that hugs the east bank of the river. One trailhead is at Central Park but if you’d rather park and start somewhere else, there are three access points in total: Conestoga Drive at Betz Road, South Broad Street at the river, and the Central Park trailhead at South Duke Street. For more information on the trails as well as a trail map and guide, visit the county website. 

If you start at Betz Road and take the Conestoga Greenway Trail in a southbound loop towards Central Park and Williamson Park, you’ll find Rock Ford Plantation. This National Historic Landmark is worth visiting if you’re already in Central Park or nearby spending the day outdoors. Besides being famed for its architecture (which is the most intact pre-1800 building in the county), this colonial estate was home to Edward Hand, the Adjutant General to George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Tour times are 10AM-3PM on the hour, each hour with the last beginning at 3PM. Tour admission is $8 per adult. Visit the website to learn more and view photos.