Reed Township and surrounding municipalities offer various recreational programming and opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and scenic setting.  In addition to municipal parks and programming coordinated by Halifax Area Recreation Authority, Reed Township also sits at the intersection of the Susquehanna River, the Juniata River, and the Appalachian Trail which follows the Kittatinny Ridge flyway corridor, providing for numerous hiking, fishing, paddling and birdwatching opportunities.  Read below for more information.

Meandering some 2,181 miles between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is the United States’ most beloved recreational footpath and one of the first designated National Scenic Trails.

The A.T. travels sixteen miles through five townships in Dauphin County, traversing the spine of Peters Mountain via a narrow protected corridor owned by the National Park Service in the western portion and larger swaths of State Game lands in the eastern portion. In Dauphin County the A.T. is maintained by the York Hiking Club and Harrisburg-based Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club. Connecting recreational trails and waterways including the Susquehanna Trail in Reed Township, Clark's Creek in neighboring Clark's Valley, and the Stony Valley Rail Path, create various opportunities for day-hike loops and enjoyment of other recreational activities for Trail visitors including birding, fishing and bicycling.  In autumn months, the Peters Mountain HawkWatch along the A.T. just north of PA-225 offers prime viewing of migrating raptors.   

Trailhead parking is available at the informal parking area under PA-322 adjacent to the Clark's Ferry Bridge in Reed Township.  Traveling north, the white-blazed A.T. ascends Peter's Mountain next to the stone wall across the Railroad Tracks.  Parking is also available six miles up the Trail on PA-225 at the top of the Peter's Mountain ridge.  For more information on the Appalachian Trail and an interactive map of parking areas and trail features, visit the Appalachian Trail Conservancy's web site at www.appalachiantrail.org.    

Water trails are recreational waterways on a lake, river or ocean between specific points containing access points and day use and/or camping sites for the boating public.  Typically, water trails emphasize low-impact use and promote stewardship of the resource.  Explore Pennsylvania's first formal water trail, the 24-mile Susquehanna River Trail.

Featured points along the Trail in and adjacent to Reed Township include Haldeman Island (State Game Lands No. 290), a rearing location for young eagles brought to PA from Canada as part of the eagle restoration program; the confluence with the Juniata River; and Clark's Ferry Bridge, a new concrete bridge on the site of a covered wooden bridge that conveyed boats traveling the Pennsylvania Canal in the 19th Century.

For more information on the Susquehanna River Trail and opportunities to get involved, contact the Susquehanna River Trail Association.