Natural Lands

Dense woods with large and small trees

Hartley Wood

Pink flowers in a natural environment

Gerhold Wildflower Trail

Firefighters monitor a small field fire

Prescribed Burn at Prairie Restoration Site

Walking trail beside a fence surrounded by trees

Bellefonte Central Rail Trail

Hartley Wood and the Marilyn Quigley Gerhold Wildflower Trail

This remnant old-growth forest is one of the few local woodlands to have escaped logging for the iron industry during the 1800s. Most of the mature trees are more than 150 years old, and a few of the oaks in the forest are older than 300. Explore this unique environment with a walk along the rustic Marilyn Quigley Gerhold Wildflower Trail, which boasts an abundance of native wildflowers during the spring.

View or download a map of the Marilyn Quigley Gerhold Wildflower Trail and Hartley Wood (PDF).

Prairie Restoration Site

Prairies were a rare but distinctive part of the central Pennsylvania landscape before the arrival of European-style agriculture. We are using native plants and periodic fire to re-create a 12-acre prairie habitat in the Arboretum. Walk the prairie trail in summer or fall to enjoy a palette of golden grasses and late-season wildflowers.

Bellefonte Central Rail Trail

This biking and walking trail follows the old bed of the Bellefonte Central Railroad, which used to connect the towns of Bellefonte and State College. The 1.3-mile trail traverses the Big Hollow portion of the Arboretum and connects to nearby parks and residential neighborhoods.