Shapiro Administration Expands Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area in Dauphin County with 12-Acre Addition and New Trailhead, Boosting Recreational Access to Harrisburg[...]

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October 02, 2026 - Harrisburg, PA

Shapiro Administration Expands Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area in Dauphin County with 12-Acre Addition and New Trailhead, Boosting Recreational Access to Harrisburg Suburbs

The Shapiro Administration is expanding public access to Boyd Big Tree Preserve Conservation Area with the addition of a 12-acre parcel in Lower Paxton Township, Dauphin County's largest municipality.

The parcel, formerly known as Hocker Park, adds a new parking area and trailhead to the 1,068-acre conservation area and its 12 miles of trails, providing residents of the Harrisburg region with additional opportunities to hike, experience nature, and enjoy the outdoors. The expansion advances the 2025-2029 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), Pennsylvania's five-year blueprint for expanding and enhancing outdoor recreation across the Commonwealth through Pennsylvania's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).

List of Speakers:
Courtney Troutman, Memorial Lake State Park Complex Manager
Kate Scheib, Lower Paxton Township Supervisor
Peggy Fogarty, Central Pennsylvania Conservancy Executive Director
Evan Endres, The Nature Conservancy Pennsylvania Government Relations Director
Jennifer Sliko, Mid-Atlantic Audubon Landscape Conservation Specialist
State Representative Nathan Davidson
DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn

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