Creek-Stomping Through History at Fishing Creek Nature Preserve

unchartedadam

8 months ago

Advertisements

When Was the Last Time You Forded a Creek?

*Fishing Creek Road crossing the creek it takes its name from.*

If you’ve ever dreamed of stepping into the video game Oregon Trail and wading across a mountain stream, here’s your chance. Tucked away in southern Lancaster County’s river hills lies Lancaster Conservancy’s 170-acre Fishing Creek Nature Preserve—one of the few places in the region where the only way forward is through the water. In fact, the route crosses the cool, clear waters of Fishing Creek not once, not twice, but three times. It’s the perfect summertime adventure—shoes off, pant legs rolled up, and childhood wonder restored.

Better yet, you don’t have to be on foot to ford the creek. Fishing Creek Road winds its way through the preserve and drives straight across the stream at three separate points, offering a rare chance to channel your inner pioneer.

*Just deep enough to get your shoes wet.*

The preserve’s namesake, Fishing Creek, is a designated high-quality cold-water fishery and one of the last remaining habitats for wild trout in Lancaster County. Its cold, schist-lined waters carve through hemlock (Pennsylvania’s state tree) dominated forested ravines, creating gravel bars and rocky shoals that support a surprising diversity of aquatic life. Along the shady, looping trails and rugged dirt road, visitors will find bursts of wildflowers, towering hardwoods, and perhaps even a great blue heron stalking the creek’s edge.

But beneath this tranquil beauty lies a powerful history.

Fishing Creek Road, which cuts through the preserve, was once a route on the Underground Railroad. So close to the Mason-Dixon Line, this forested hollow was a corridor for freedom seekers fleeing slavery in the South. Just beyond the preserve’s entrance, the road’s three crossings of Fishing Creek offered more than scenic variety—they helped cover the tracks of those in flight. Scent-hunting dogs lost the trail where water washed away evidence, giving desperate travelers a crucial advantage.

*LiDAR of the former African American schoolhouse along Fishing Creek Road.*

Near the intersection of Fern Glen Drive and Fishing Creek Road stood a small African American schoolhouse (39.796083, -76.252333), now overgrown by dense foliage, its stone steps barely visible in the underbrush. In the 1800s, free Black families—farmers, laborers, and tradespeople—settled in this rural area, and their children would have attended the school. A nearby ferry, operated by a free Black man whose name has been lost to history, once carried these families—and many fleeing bondage—across the Susquehanna River into safety.

History runs even deeper here, back to the days when Drumore Township was famous not for creeks or forests, but for crafting the tools that helped shape America. In the early 1700s, Scotch-Irish settlers brought with them blacksmithing traditions that soon gave rise to the legendary “Drumore Sickle.” These locally crafted blades were so well-made and affordable that they outcompeted English imports, becoming essential implements on farms across the region.

Sickle-making families like the Longs and Neels turned their forges into thriving cottage industries. Along Fishing Creek, water-powered mills once buzzed with activity. One of the last sickle makers, James Buchanan Long, continued the family craft into the late 1800s, before industrialized farming tools finally replaced the humble scythe and sickle.

*Stamped I. Long sickle made in Drumore Township.* 📸: Scott Long.

Today, the only sounds you’ll hear in the preserve are wind in the trees, the burble of water over rocks, and maybe even the clip-clop of horseback riders. But look closely, and you might glimpse the outlines of history—carved into stone steps, whispered in creek crossings, and echoed in the quiet forest that has sheltered generations of struggle, work, and freedom.

Planning Your Visit

Fishing Creek Nature Preserve is open year-round for hiking, creek-stomping, fishing, and archery hunting (in season). Parking and the trailhead can be found here: 39.809694, -76.243444. Fishing Creek Road fords the stream three times—offering a unique driving experience—but use caution. Attempting to drive through the creek during or after heavy rains can be dangerous.

Adventure Awaits!

Never miss a new article or event announcement by signing up for email updates below. Be sure to follow Uncharted Lancaster on Facebook or Instagram for exclusive content.