Hemlocks to Hellbenders

When people find out that I’ve visited every state park, I often get asked the same question. What’s my favorite? And consistently I give the same answer, Worlds End State Park.  It’s an easy answer for me since I fell in love with the park the first time I walked into the s-shaped gorge to see it surrounded by tree-covered mountains and boulders. But when it comes to state forests, I haven’t alwa...

What’s the best gift you’ve been given? It’s a tough question. I’ve been fortunate to have received a lot of great gifts over the years. The minibike from my parents. The engraved knife from my brother. The souvenir medal from my wife. And countless others.  They’re awesome and they each hold a special place in my heart.  But when I learned of the recent gift that the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania...

For every Pennsylvanian that grew up stomping through creeks, wandering through the woods and exploring our magnificent forests, there’s many more that are just discovering the outdoors.  Maybe they grew up in a city. Or they mostly played sports. Or their families didn’t have an outdoor background. But now, they’ve found the beauty and splendor of our wonderful public lands.  That’s so great to s...

The more time I’ve spent outdoors, the more I’ve learned about the threats our trees face here in Pennsylvania. It seems like every other day I’m finding out about a new disease or invasive plant or insect that’s come to our shores and is devastating our trees.  It’s sad to see our forests choked by kudzu vines. To see our trees impacted by the emerald ash borer, spongy moth and hemlock woolly ade...

Little Buffalo State Park is the place that kicked off my love for Pennsylvania’s state parks. I’ve told this story many times, but I’ll do it quickly here right now.  In 2020, my wife Abby and I were looking for something to do after brunch. The world was beginning to open up during the COVID 19 pandemic and we didn’t want to spend any more time cooped up in our house.  So, we went for a drive th...

What does it mean for a place to be truly quiet? It’s a question I’ve been pondering over the last several months following a webinar from the Keystone Trails Association and Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation.  They had a discussion with Quiet Parks International – a nonprofit committed to saving quiet for the benefit of all life. Saving the quiet. What does that mean?  Quiet’s not somethi...

There’s a lot of thoughts that float through our minds when we’re out on the trails hiking. Am I in the right career? Is that snake poisonous? Look at that beautiful view! Did I leave the oven on? I need a bathroom, quick!  Whatever we’re thinking about – whether it’s the joy we feel on a hike or working through some of our problems – it tends to center on ourselves. Our problems. Our joy. Our exp...

Driving down Route 44 from Lycoming County to Montgomery County, you may be able to spot a brief break in the trees and rhododendrons. It’s so quick that if you blink, you’ll miss it.  But if you slow down, you’ll see that it’s one of the smallest state parks in all of Pennsylvania. As you pull into the gravel parking lot, you’ll notice a few things. You’ll see a couple picnic tables, a few signs...

If you’ve ever stood beside a cold mountain stream at first light — mist rising off the water, hemlocks towering overhead and the gentle sound of moving water— then you already understand the magic of Little Pine State Park. Tucked deep in the rugged country of north-central Pennsylvania, this park is where brook trout still thrive, where the mountains become majestic green waves and where a simpl...

It’s December 26th, 1776. Gen. George Washington has just successfully gotten 2,400 men from the Continental Army across the Delaware River from Pennsylvania into New Jersey.  The first year of the American Revolution has been a difficult one. The young United States has had few victories battling the highly skilled British army and their paid German mercenaries, the Hessians.  Washington has retr...

When I was on my journey of running one mile in all-then 121 Pennsylvania state parks in 2021, I took notes after every run. It was an effort to make sure I would remember my experiences. I’d take notes like, I spotted a fox here. Or I fell there. Or I want to hike the full trail here.  But one of the most important pieces of information I recorded was my overall feeling of the park. It’s difficul...

Pymatuning State Park is big in every sense of the word. It is the largest state park in Pennsylvania. Its Pymatuning Reservoir is the largest lake in Pennsylvania. And it’s one of the most visited state parks with more than three and a half million visitors a year. But just because it has these big qualities does not mean you’ll be unable to find your own peaceful spot at Pymatuning. For every sp...

The story of the United States of America cannot be told without Pennsylvania. Independence Hall. The Declaration of Independence. Philadelphia. The Liberty Bell. Benjamin Franklin. George Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware. The Battle of Brandywine. And Valley Forge.  Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State because it refers to the central stone in an arch that holds all other stones in plac...

Hundreds of years ago, a group of Native Americans living along the lower Susquehanna River made an indelible mark on the valley. At what is now known as Safe Harbor, they made hundreds of carvings into the rocks found in the middle of the river. Animals, bird and animal tracks, directional symbols, teaching or storytelling images, humans and anthropomorphic images, spiritual symbols and geometric...

Welcome, fellow explorers. My name is Christian Alexandersen and I’m the host of Hemlocks to Hellbenders , a podcast highlighting Pennsylvania’s parks, forests and great outdoors. Season four of Hemlocks to Hellbenders is shaping up to be our most exciting yet and I can’t wait to take you along for the journey in 2026. We’ll be exploring some of Pennsylvania’s most incredible parks and forests wit...

For a long time, there’s been this mostly unspoken rule that “real” outdoor experiences have to be rugged. You’ve got to rough it, hike ten miles in the rain, sleep on the ground and eat beans from a can — or else it somehow doesn’t count.  Luckily, that’s changing. More and more people are discovering that you don’t have to give up comfort to connect with the outdoors. Here in Pennsylvania – espe...

In Pennsylvania, every state park has its purpose. Allegheny Islands shows people what undeveloped islands once looked like on the river. Colton Point features stunning views of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. And Pine Grove Furnace highlights the iron making industry crucial to Pennsylvania and America’s growth. But are there any places set aside for learning and study. As it turns out, there is....

One of the strangest things about getting older has been the shift in my interests. Despite being intensely curious as a kid, I never cared about nature growing up. I didn’t climb trees or capture bugs or explore creeks.  But as I’ve gotten older all that’s changed. Which has made me feel like I’m constantly catching up to those that spent their early lives trekking through the woods, paddling on...

What is it that makes a state park special? It’s a question I’ve asked my self countless times since I began exploring Pennsylvania’s public lands in 2021.  For some it’s deep, meaningful history to indigenous cultures, to early settlers or even to industry. For others its beautiful features like waterfalls, old growth forests and scenic vistas. And for many it’s the landscapes that allow them to...

When people think about history, especially armed conflicts, many picture dusty textbooks, old maps and long-forgotten generals. But here in Pennsylvania, history isn’t just words on a page—it’s written into the very ground beneath our feet. From the rolling hills of Gettysburg, where the fate of a nation turned in just three days, to the banks of the Brandywine, where the Revolutionary War nearly...

When you stand on the ridgeline of South Mountain and look out across the valleys, you see more than just trees and farmland. You see orchards stretching toward the horizon, you see trails that have carried travelers for centuries and you see small, thriving towns that grew out of rocky soil. This beautiful ridgeline is the northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a billion-year old mountain...

When you stand at the edge of Hyner View State Park, it feels like Pennsylvania has stretched itself out just for you. Rolling mountains covered in endless green, the West Branch of the Susquehanna winding far below, and a sky so wide it makes you want to take flight. In fact, people do—Hyner View is one of the state’s most famous hang-gliding spots, where the bold launch themselves into the open...

As the sun dips below the tree line and the night sky takes over, a quiet but critical process begins above our heads. Tiny silhouettes flit through the dark, weaving between branches and barn rafters, doing the work of a thousand pesticides—silently, efficiently and for free. These are Pennsylvania’s bats, and despite their bad reputation in folklore and films, they’re some of the hardest-working...

While most of the places we feature on this podcast are either a state park or forest, this episode is about something a little different. Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve is not just a garden or a park. It’s a sanctuary. A living, breathing tribute to Pennsylvania’s native plants and the ecosystems they support. Founded in the early 1930s, Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve is the nation’s only a...

Stretching 444 miles from New York through Pennsylvania and into Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay the Susquehanna River is one of the oldest rivers in the world.  And while it served generations as fertile hunting and fishing grounds and trade and transportation routes, it took American industries a couple hundred or so years to nearly destroy it. Like always, it took a dedicated group of people to speak...