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 experience. Our views. 

The very thing below our feet – the trail – tends to be forgotten almost entirely. Little if any attention is paid to the magnificent pathway under our boots that’s allowing us to have these thoughts and experiences.

 We don’t think about how it was built, who built it, when it was built or who paid for it. The trail is there, so we hike it. The end. But, that’s nowhere near the end. 

The story of any trail is fascinating. From conception to completion it takes years even decades to finish. First, comes the idea - typically from a dedicated group of Pennsylvanians that want a trail in their community. That idea is followed by countless public hearings, community discussions and planning meetings. All the while they’re working to get approvals from everyone from the railroad to the bureau of forests. 

It’s a long, long process. And expensive. Groups spend years trying to raise money through donations and grants. And even if the money is raised and the approvals are given, then you gotta build the bloody thing.

It’s honestly amazing that we even have trails. The amount of work it takes for everyone – from the organizing group to the hands-on builder – is spectacular. It’s mind boggling. 

So much so, that I wanted to learn how trails are built here in Pennsylvania. How does one shape an unbroken forest into a beautiful trail? How long does it take? How much does it cost? 

Luckily, I got to see first-hand how natural surface trails are made as a member of the PA Trails Advisory Committee. I met this episode’s guest riding a machine, cutting a brand new trail in Rothrock State Forest. It was an experience that reshaped my thinking on trails and made me appreciate how much work goes into the trails we hike.

On this episode, I speak with Zachary Adams. Zach is the founder of Appalachian Dirt. 

Be sure to support our 2026 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association

Purple Lizard Maps

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Sisters' Sunflowers

Discover Clarion County

Go Laurel Highlands 

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

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 and a quiet stream. Look all the way to the left and then all the way to the right. That’s it. That is Upper Pine Bottom State Park.

When I first visited the park in 2021, while I was running a mile in all then 121 state parks, a park ranger at Little Pine State Park asked if I was visiting Upper Pine Bottom next. “You’re going to run a mile at Upper Pine Bottom?” he asked with a smile. I answered, “Yeah, why?” And he just laughed and said “good luck.”

When I got to the park a few minutes later, I got the joke. This park is tiny. Not small. Tiny. A gentleman was fishing when I first arrived to run my mile. As it was 90-plus degrees, I took off my shirt and started running laps in the small parking lot to get my necessary mile. 

The older man, seeing some crazy un-shirted man jogging laps, just packed up his gear and left. Leaving with a story he may still be telling to this day. I know I do.

So, why do an episode on this park if it’s so small. Because I firmly believe that all of our state parks matter. They may not all be great. But they all matter. Also, what better park to feature for our April Fools episode. I wanted to make this episode as short as the park is small.

On this episode, I speak with Haley Redmond. Haley is the manager of the Little Pine State Park Complex.  

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association

Purple Lizard Maps

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Sisters' Sunflowers

Discover Clarion County

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Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

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 simple weekend can feel like a full reset. Don’t we all deserve that?

At its heart flows Little Pine Creek, which eventually winds its way toward the legendary waters of Pine Creek and the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon. The warm and coldwaters of Little Pine Creek and Little Pine Lake make the park the perfect place to catch trout, smallmouth bass, pickerel, sunfishes, catfishes and perch.

But Little Pine is more than just a fishing destination. It’s a story of conservation, of Civilian Conservation Corps craftsmanship, of reclaimed forests and carefully managed waters.

It’s a place where families pitch tents beneath the stars, where kayaks glide across the lake and where generations return year after year to reconnect with something slower, steadier and deeply Pennsylvanian. 

Heading into the valley, there’s just so much for visitors to explore. You can delve into the area’s fascinating history of native cultures, discover how conservation efforts rebuilt ancient forests, find out about the vast network of trails in and outside of the park and learn about the ways you can enjoy a day on the water. 

Little Pine State Park is a quiet treasure. A special place. Completely surrounded by Tiadaghton State Forest, Little Pine offers the escape many of us crave. 

If you ignored the modern roads, buildings and signs, it’s easy to see what this place looked like 200 years ago. A big, beautiful tract of forest that gets more wonderful every minute you spend in it.

Where your nostrils are filled with the sweet smell of the woods and not with car exhausts. Where your ears are filled with songbirds and not honking horns. Where you can get away but still feel right at home. 

On this episode, I speak with Haley Redmond to the podcast. Haley is the manager of the Little Pine State Park Complex. 

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association

Purple Lizard Maps

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Sisters' Sunflowers

Discover Clarion County

Go Laurel Highlands 

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

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 retreated from New York after sustaining significant losses during the Battle of Long Island. Morale is low. Supplies even lower. Men are deserting. And it seems like the American Experiment is doomed before it’s really gotten started.

It is bitterly cold. In fact, the other detachments of 3,000 American troops never make it across the freezing river. Washington’s troops that did make it across the dangerous river crossing arrived several hours later than planned. The element of surprise might be lost.

But none of that matters at this moment. At this moment, Washington is in Trenton leading his troops on a surprise attack. Then, the first shots ring out as the Americans caught the Hessians off guard.

The Battle of Trenton was not a grand, orderly clash of polished armies. It was desperate, freezing, chaotic and brutally human.

While the battle itself lasted less than an hour, the victory at Trenton revived the Revolution. It proved the Continental Army could beat professional soldiers. It convinced many whose enlistments were about to expire to stay.

More than a battle, it was a turning point — a moment when a failing rebellion felt, for the first time in months, like it might survive. 

Now, while there’s plenty of state parks in Pennsylvania that highlight important history, people, communities, industries, resources, flora, fauna, animals and more. There aren’t many that highlight one specific event.

Washington Crossing Historic Park does just that. This episode will go into detail about this all-important surprise attack, but we’ll also delve into much more than just that one moment in time. 

As much as this park is meant to celebrate the brave actions of the Continental Army during the American Revolution, it also serves as a wonderful river-side escape for those looking to spend time outside. 

On this episode, I speak with Kimberly McCarty. Kim is the museum curator at Washington Crossing Historic Park.

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association

Purple Lizard Maps

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Sisters' Sunflowers

Discover Clarion County

Go Laurel Highlands 

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

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 difficult to get a sense of a natural landscape in just one mile, often running half a mile one way and then running half a mile back the same way. But some places just stand out and beg to be explored some more. 

Here’s what I wrote about Trough Creek State Park on March 13, 2021. “Well, this place is incredible. I have to come back.” It only takes a few seconds at Trough Creek to realize it’s special. And that it deserves more time to be explored. 

You even get that sense by just driving through the park. Traveling through the scenic gorge along the Great Trough Creek you see signs for Balanced Rock, Rainbow Falls, Ice Mine, Copperas Rocks, Paradise Furnace Cemetery and the suspension bridge.

Your mind can’t help but get excited by the idea of what the heck all these things are and how you can go see them. For outdoors people it feels like entering a theme park. What ride do I go on first? 

And with so many of these wonderful features, you’d expect it to be huge. Some place you’d need a week to explore. But that isn’t the case. At less than 600 acres with only 12 miles of hiking trails, you can see most if not all of it in a weekend. 

But this isn’t a one and done sort of park. Once you visit Trough Creek, it sinks its hooks into you. Its trails, its views, it’s features beckon you for many more visits. 

Despite the fact that Trough Creek is more than two hours from me, I’ve been there multiple times while passing other great state parks along the way. It is just that damn cool. And no matter how many times I’ve been there, I want to keep going back.

And that’s about the biggest complement I can give to a state park. 

On this episode, I speak with Michael Garbinsky. Michael is the environmental education specialist at Trough Creek State Park. 

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association

Purple Lizard Maps

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Sisters' Sunflowers

Discover Clarion County

Go Laurel Highlands 

Support the show

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

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 space taken up by a family BBQing, there are nooks and crannies that allow you to explore the park that straddles the Ohio and Pennsylvania state lines.

And while there are plenty of great ways to discover the park on land, like by hiking or biking or even playing disc golf, this park needs to be explored by the water. The park’s crowning jewel is it’s 17,088-acre reservoir. 

 The Reservoir plays the perfect host for sailboats, motorboats, kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. The park has three marinas and three concession areas where you can rent a boat for the day. There’re also numerous boat launches located in both Ohio and Pennsylvania to get you on to the water safely. 

While in the water, you have the opportunity to explore the stunning beauty that this park has to offer. You can cast out lines and fish all day or simply paddle between the numerous islands. 

I can just imagine waking up early, and getting my kayak on the water. Silently paddling between islands as I take in the sounds of the birds and swaying trees around me. A perfect peaceful paddle. 

And you may be thinking at this point, “Christian, why haven’t you talked about the most well-known feature of Pymatuning State Park? Where the ducks walk on the backs of fish.” Don’t worry, we’re getting there. 

On this episode, I speak with Jared McGary. Jared is the environmental education specialist at Pymatuning State Park.

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association

Purple Lizard Maps

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Sisters' Sunflowers

Discover Clarion County

Go Laurel Highlands 

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

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 place, symbolizing strength and stability. Pennsylvania was the hub of political and economic activity during the colonial period and played a pivotal role in American history. 

Pennsylvania – it’s people, its industries, its thinkers, it’s revolutionaries, its influence, it’s morals and its resources – serve as the bedrock of these United States. And throughout this year, we are going to be celebrating our place in history as part of the 250th Anniversary of the United States. 

The semiquincentennial – as it’s known – will be celebrated in the original 13 colonies as well as throughout the entire country. But, you know, we’re here to talk about Pennsylvania. 

While so much of our colonial history took place in and around Philadelphia, America 250 PA will be highlighting the incredible contributions of all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. From Lancasters farmers to Pittsburgh’s factory workers. From the fisherman in Erie to the coal miners of Lehigh Valley. 

I’m a history lover, I don’t hide this fact. Give me a book or documentary series about the American Revolution or Civil War and I’m a happy camper. But you don’t have to be a history buff to care about this year’s historic celebrations.

This upcoming celebration serves as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about the founding of this amazing Commonwealth and country. There’s going to be concerts, fireworks, educational programs, lecture series, family events, volunteer opportunities and so much more. 

On this episode, I speak with Matt Darragh. Matt is the Chief of Staff for America250PA.

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association

Purple Lizard Maps

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Sisters' Sunflowers

Discover Clarion County

Go Laurel Highlands 

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

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 and abstract designs were painstakingly carved into the boulder strewn landscape of the river. From the banks of the river, the sites look like any of the rocks found in the river. But up close, these stunning petroglyphs offer a window into a fascinating culture that we still know very little about. 

Despite Native Americans being driven from their homes, villages and hunting grounds. Despite countless floods. Despite dam construction. Despite pollution. Despite industry. And despite man’s constant need to exert his will over the river, these magnificent petroglyphs remain.

Big Indian Rock. Little Indian Rock. Circle Rock. Turkey Track Rock. Eagle Rock and Conestoga Rock.

Right in the middle of the Susquehanna River, as they have for hundreds of years. These sites are sacred spaces for Native Americans. The Safe Harbor Petroglyphs are a rare, direct connection to Indigenous peoples who lived along the Susquehanna River long before European contact.

For many Native communities, these carvings are not just historical artifacts but living cultural expressions—messages left by ancestors that carry spiritual meaning. Their location along the river, a vital life-giving force, further reinforces their sacred nature as places of reverence, storytelling and ancestral presence.

And unlike many pieces of indigenous rock art, they are accessible to the public. But that accessibility comes with a responsibility. 

These carvings are irreplaceable cultural and spiritual expressions created by Indigenous peoples, and even small actions—touching the rock, climbing on it, or disturbing the surrounding area—can cause permanent damage.

Visitors also have a responsibility to listen and learn. Approaching the petroglyphs with humility means acknowledging that this site holds meaning far deeper than what we may fully understand, and that it represents living cultures whose histories and voices have too often been ignored or erased.

On this episode, I speak with Paul Nevin. Paul is recognized as the leading authority of rock art of the lower Susquehanna River and is the author of the “A Guide to the Safe Harbor Petroglyphs.” 

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association

Purple Lizard Maps

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Sisters' Sunflowers

Discover Clarion County

Go Laurel Highlands 

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

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 with the people who know them best: park and forest managers, outdoor educators, historians, authors, conservationists and volunteers who are deeply passionate about this place we call home.

This season, conversations will range from outdoor recreation and backpacking to conservation, wildlife and plant management, Indigenous history, volunteerism, and the stories of the people who shaped Pennsylvania’s landscapes.

If exploring wild places, learning their stories, and planning your next adventure excites you, you’re in the right place. Together, we’ll dig into hidden gems and help you experience Pennsylvania’s public lands in a deeper, more meaningful way.

I launched Hemlocks to Hellbenders in 2023 to inspire people to spend more time in Pennsylvania’s parks and forests, to stand up for their protection, and to help make the outdoors a more welcoming place for everyone. I hope you’ll join us in that mission.

I’m excited to be bringing back four advertisers for the 2026 season; the Keystone Trails Association, Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, Purple Lizard Maps and Sisters' Sunflowers. And I’m thrilled to announce two new supporters of the podcast, Discover Clarion County and Go Laurel Highlands. 

Our fourth season kicks off on Jan. 7 with an episode on the Native American rock carvings found in Safe Harbor on the Susquehanna River. I look forward to sharing our new guests and episodes with you in 2026.

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

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 – especially in state parks - that change has been evident. Instead of only offering tent sites, state parks have cottages, cabins, yurts and other accommodations. Many offer amenities like stoves, refrigerators, microwaves, tables and chairs.

No longer are you forced to pack up everything you own for a weekend in the woods. You can book a comfortable accommodation AND still be in nature. However, these upgraded accommodations still have rubbed people the wrong way. 

It isn’t “real’ camping. What does that even mean anyway? Real camping? Does it mean sleeping on the ground. Waking up with a sore back and condensation in the tent. Cold and miserable. No thanks. 

It’s that sort of attitude that I despise in the outdoors. You’re not a real hiker unless. You’re not a real hunter unless. You’re not really camping unless. It’s such a pointless and divisive way of thinking. 

Thankfully, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources does not think that way. They are more considered with getting people outdoors and meeting them where they are in their outdoor recreation journey. As opposed to bending them to their will.

That’s why I was so excited when they announced in 2025 that they were partnering with Timberline Glamping Company to bring glamping to seven Pennsylvania state parks in 2026. The public would have the chance to reserve one of the 54 fully outfitted sites —no gear needed. 

Glamping will be available in Pymatuning, Hills Creek, Promised Land, Hickory Run, French Creek, Codorus and Laurel Hill State Parks. 

Timberline will provide the beds, heat, air conditioning, coffee maker, linens, pillows and comfortable accommodations. All you have to bring is an open mind and a sense of adventure. 

These wonderful glamping spots are creating space for everyone to experience the magic of nature in their own way. By making the outdoors accessible for everyone- from people who don’t own camping gear to those physically unable to sleep in a tent - glamping is opening doors, breaking down barriers and reimagining what it means to “get outside.” 

Because nature belongs to all of us — whether you’re sleeping under the stars or under a heated canopy.

On this episode I speak with Nathan and Rebeka Self, founders of Timberline Glamping Company, and Kaitlyn Gundersen-Thorpe, manager of the French Creek State Park Complex. 

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association
Purple Lizard Maps
Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
Sisters' Sunflowers

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected. 

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis