Information
Landmark: Mt. Penn PreserveCity: Reading
Country: USA Pennsylvania
Continent: North America
Mt. Penn Preserve, Reading, USA Pennsylvania, North America
Overview
Covering about fifteen hundred acres, Mount Penn Preserve stretches around the east and south sides of Reading, Pennsylvania, linking Mount Penn, Neversink Mountain, Antietam Lake Park, and a handful of smaller municipal parcels into one protected sweep of wooded ridges and trails.Starting near Angelica Creek at just four hundred feet, the land climbs to over eleven hundred on Mount Penn’s quartzite crest, so in half an hour’s walk you can leave the shade of riverside sycamores and stand among ridge-top chestnut oaks, looking out across the Schuylkill Valley to the blue line of the Appalachian’s Blue Mountain.On Mount Penn, hard white quartzite juts into cliffs, scatters into boulder fields, and tumbles into the steep talus slopes beneath the red-roofed Pagoda.Rain soaking the ridge slips through cracks in the rock and reappears as cold springs that feed Antietam and Angelica Creeks-their headwaters help supply part of Reading’s drinking water.Vegetation changes with slope and height: sunlit southern hills grow chestnut oak, tangled mountain laurel, and lowbush blueberry, while shaded coves hide hemlock groves, fragrant spicebush, and damp spring seeps where spotted salamanders lay their eggs.In March, broad-winged hawks ride warm updrafts along the ridgeline, their wings glinting in the sun; by May, the woods pulse with the songs of wood thrush, scarlet tanager, and cerulean warbler.Two massive stone towers rise above the town, their weathered edges catching the late-afternoon light.Built in 1908, the seven-story Japanese-style Pagoda rises 886 feet and, each night, glows a deep red that can be seen for miles.A mile to the east, the twelve-story William Penn Memorial Fire Tower climbs to a full thousand feet, its deck giving clear views in every direction when the summer weekends throw open its gates.Skyline Drive winds along the ridge, a scenic “motor boulevard” from the early 1900s where cyclists glide past, runners pound the pavement, and sunset seekers pause to watch the sky burn gold.More than thirty miles of marked trails wind through the preserve, weaving past pine groves and quiet streams.The Gravity Railroad Trail follows the easy slope of an 1870s iron-ore railbed, a favorite for families, while the steeper paths up Neversink Mountain lead to quartzite ledges and wide, wind-swept views over the city.Mountain bikers crowd the machine-shaped DH Flow Line and the Duryea Downhill Race-a mile-and-a-half rush that dives 900 feet from the old fire tower to the edge of City Park, wheels humming over packed dirt.Each October, runners crowd the starting line for the Pagoda Pacers 10K, while in winter, fresh snow deeper than four inches sends cross‑country skiers gliding along Skyline Drive.Down in the lowlands, Antietam Lake Reservoir invites you to cast for trout, glide across the water on a paddleboard, or linger in picnic groves cooled by the deep shade of towering tulip-poplars.The City of Reading, Alsace and Lower Alsace Townships, Berks County, and the nonprofit Berks Nature all work together to handle stewardship and conservation, from maintaining quiet forest trails to protecting local streams.Every “Trail Work Tuesday,” volunteers gather with shovels and clippers to fix worn tread, set new water bars, and hack back the thorny multiflora rose.Since 2018, crews have filled storm-torn gaps with over fifteen thousand seedlings-red oak, white pine, and hardy American chestnut-each one pushed into the damp earth.Prescribed burns keep the blueberry bushes thriving and cut wildfire danger, while crews wrap trees with lanternfly bands and tug out garlic mustard to keep invasive pests in check.Trailheads open at dawn, and the gates along Skyline Drive shut at eleven at night.You can park for free in six lots, with the biggest one beside Antietam Lake’s old stone dam, where the water hums against the wall.Keep dogs on six‑foot leashes, let bikes give way to hikers, and carry every bit of your trash-right down to that crumpled snack wrapper-out with you.Cell-phone service holds steady up on the ridges, but it drops to a whisper in the cool, shadowy hemlock ravines-bring a paper map or save an offline GPS layer.From May to September, always check for ticks-every hike, every backyard stroll.Events and community life come alive with full‑moon hikes, as park rangers guide groups from the old fire tower once a month under silver-lit skies.In June, “Arts on the Mountain” fills the Pagoda terrace with plein-air painters, easels catching the scent of fresh pine, while autumn’s Trail Work Marathon challenges teams to see how many feet of new tread they can lay in twelve hours.In December, the Pagoda’s neon glows green and white, the bell tolls at midnight on New Year’s Eve, and families bundle up on Skyline Drive to sled under bright floodlights humming from portable generators.The Mount Penn Preserve keeps the forested hills that frame Reading’s skyline intact, shields vital headwater woodlands, and gives locals a taste of wilderness-pine needles underfoot-just minutes from downtown.With its striking rock formations, beloved landmarks, four-season adventures, and devoted local caretakers, it’s both the lungs and the living room of Berks County, like fresh air drifting in through an open door.
