Did you know that the Susquehanna is home to some unique turkeys? While these turkeys don’t have wings or feathers, they are sure fun to visit and explore! So in honor of our favorite Turkey Day, Thanksgiving, we are counting down some of the Susquehanna’s top not-your-typical Turkeys. So put your pilgrim hats on, brush up on your Susquehannock turkey-hunting skills, and see how many Greenway Turkeys you can track down!

 

1. Turkey Woods Road Access: Hop on the Susquehanna River Water Trail at this Great Bend, PA turkey access. The Turkey Woods Road Access is located off of Turkey Woods Road; follow the dirt access road leading to a gravel parking lot at the edge of the North Branch of the Susquehanna River. From here, visitors can launch their canoes and kayaks for a real Thanksgiving weekend river adventure.

2. Turkey Hill Brewing Company: Need to fuel up after your journey on the river? Paddle on down to the second turkey on our list for some grog and grub. Turkey Hill Brewing Company is located in the Susquehanna Greenway River Town of Bloomsburg, PA in a reconstructed barn, serving house-brewed European & American craft beers and great pub food.

3. Turkey Run: Our Susquehanna River would be nothing without its many wonderful tributaries, and this Run has a little Thanksgiving spirit all year round. This 2.2-mile stream runs through Clinton Township, PA and into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. It is a great off-the-beaten-path spot to visit for any curious pilgrim. You may even spot one of its namesakes!

4. Turkey Hill Experience: We are waddling on down to Columbia, PA for our fourth Susquehanna Turkey. You won’t want to miss out on this spot as it is a great place to round out your Thanksgiving meal with—ice cream! The Turkey Hill Experience provides visitors with the opportunity to learn about ice cream production, “Create Your Own” virtual ice cream flavor, ice cream package, and even your own television commercial. After visiting this turkey, head on over to the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail to walk off some of that delicious dessert.

5. Turkey Footprints: There’s a little archaeologist in every pilgrim! On the rocks rising out of the river in Lancaster County, the Susquehannocks made their marks by carving petroglyphs. Of the animal shapes, human figures, and symbols that the tribes left, the markings that we’ve chosen as our fifth turkey are the turkey tracks on Little Indian Rock.

Photo by Find Your Chesapeake

6. & 7. Turkey Hill Nature Preserve & Turkey Hill Overlook Trail: Encompassing just over 27 acres, turkey number six was once the home and hunting grounds of Susquehannock Indians. It is a great place to get back to nature and imagine what the riverside was like when the first settlers and tribes met along the shores of the Susquehanna. You can even take a hike on the Turkey Hill Overlook Trail (turkey number seven); a 6-mile loop on the Turkey Hill Nature Preserve, popular for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding. It begins at the Enola Low Grade Rail Trail, offering scenic vistas over the river and woodland paths. That’s a turkey within a turkey; double points!

Photo by Mark Kissinger

8. Turkey Island: Last but not least is our final course—turkey number… ate! Joking aside, Turkey Island is a tiny piece of land in the Lower Susquehanna near Susquehannock State Park in Lancaster County. As you near the end of your paddling adventures in search of turkeys, you may bump into our eighth turkey next to his bigger brother, Lower Bear Island. This turkey however is for viewing only, please refrain from landing on this island.

How many turkeys can you gobble up? Ready, set, go and #GetOutontheGreenway!