Mount Holly Marsh Preserve is made up of 900 acres of bog lands around the base of South Mountain in south-central Pennsylvania. Today it is managed by the Nature Conservancy and the Holly Gap Committee — thanks to these groups, this important wilderness area was purchased in 1992. Today hikers and fishers can enjoy many species of trees such as the pitch pine dominating the ridge with black ash and other species in the swampy area below. Snapping turtles, minks, and blue herons abide here as well.
Before efforts to preserve this local ecological gem, the Mount Holly Marsh Preserve area had had a varied history. In the 1800s it was owned by the Mount Holly Paper Company, and the lands were damned to support the paper mills. Then around 1900 it became a local resort, and a trolley took vacationers to the parkland where they could ride on a roller coaster, go boating, and attend concerts. After the invention of the automobile, the Park wenr out of business in 1928.
I am grateful for the forward-thinking Nature Conservancy for the purchase of this land for future generations’ ecological patrimony.
Source(s): Ccpa.net, “Cumberland County Pennsylvania” “Mount Holly Marsh Preserve.”
