Franklin County, PA is built for Exploring
Walk At Your Own Pace
An easy way to bring harmony to mind and body is a daily walk. With four state parks and 36 municipal parks, Franklin County gives many choices to enjoy greenery, birds chirping, and mountain views. Plus, the tree-lined streets of Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro all offer downtown walks of history and architecture.
Walking is low-impact and is a good way to boost energy, help digestion, burn calories, and keep bones healthy. Try one of these walks or easy hikes as a way of exploring the beauty and culture of Franklin County.
Monterey Pass Battlefield Walking Tour
Monterey Pass Battled Field Park
14325 Buchanan Trail East
Blue Ridge Summit, PA 17268
HOURS: 8 am to Dusk
South Mountain Self-Guided Freedom Hike
Trail of History Greencastle Walking Tour
Take A Hike!
Many Americans may be familiar with the Appalachian Trail, stretching a total of 2,181 miles from Maine to Georgia. Of those miles, 232 pass through the state of Pennsylvania, where several hiking experts and enthusiasts will tell you the magnificence of the trail is most apparent.
“Hikers are greeted with the beauty of the Pennsylvania state flower, Mountain Laurel, and the state tree, Hemlock,” says Joe Patterson, a member of the Appalachian Trail Museum Society’s Board of Directors. “These are all especially inviting in the spring.”
An avid hiker himself, Patterson is familiar with the ever-changing terrain of the trail.
“Rocky in some places and paved in others, the trail is ideal for the occasional hiker, as well as for those who spend six months hiking the entire length of the AT from Georgia to Maine.”
Park officials in South Central Pennsylvania provide hikers in the area with plenty of places to embrace the scenic beauty.
The trail passes over South Mountain in Franklin, Adams and Cumberland Counties, while also making its way through two of Pennsylvania’s most popular state parks, Caledonia State Park and Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The Pennsylvania Forest Fire Museum can be found at Caledonia, and Pine Grove Furnace is home to iron furnace ruins from the American Revolutionary War, as well as the Appalachian Trail Museum.
Franklin County Visitors Bureau
Explore Franklin County PA is the official site for adventure, history, and getaways throughout our wonderful county. You'll find adventure at your pace throughout our diverse and unique towns of Chambersburg, Greencastle, Waynesboro, Mercersburg, and a little sliver of Shippensburg and all points in between.
Underground Railroad
