Planning Your Hike
This site is made accessible to the public via the Mason Dixon Trail in coordination with the Mason Dixon Trail System. No parking on site.
Ecology and Management
Prior to the Conservancy’s acquisition, this site was primarily managed for timber production. McCalls Ferry Nature Preserves is being managed for habitat as its highest and best use for the property.
This site was targeted for preservation due to its unique natural character within the Susquehanna Riverlands. These broad, rounded flat-topped hills and shallow valleys support a relatively mature forest that is dominated by eastern hemlock and tulip poplar, with components of sweet birch and red maple. The understory has thickets of rhododendron with ferns and moss covering the rock formations of mainly schist, gneiss, and quartzite. These unique mesic sites support plant species of concern. These surrounding uplands on both sides of the river are primarily forested and provide an essential terrestrial link in Susquehanna River migratory corridor.
Watershed
Both Oakland and Wallace Run are designated as streams that support Cold-Water Fisheries as they meander within the Muddy Run-Susquehanna River Watershed.
Hunting Information
McCalls Ferry is open to Mixed-Use Hunting. Respect property boundaries and safety zones. All Pennsylvania Game Commission Rules and Regulations apply. See ‘Where to Hunt’ for more details.
Report Hunting Violations: PA Game Commission Centralized Dispatch Center at 1-833-PGC-HUNT (1-833-742-4868) or 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453)
Acquisition History
This preserve was acquired in 2021 as part of a nationally recognized landscape protection project known as the PPL Project. Funds for that Project were provided by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, The Conservation Fund, Lancaster County, York County, PPL, Talen Energy, and Brookfield Renewable. The land that makes up this preserve was donated by Brookfield Renewable.
Address
River Road, Airville, PA 17302
Amenities
Trails