The Conestoga River is at the heart of Lancaster County’s natural landscape, flowing over 60 miles from its headwaters around the border of Lancaster and Berks counties (the exact location has been a topic of debate for decades) across Lancaster County before emptying into the Susquehanna River. The Conestoga River watershed encompasses 475 square miles, and the river’s tributaries include Muddy Creek, Cocalico Creek, Lititz Run, Mill Creek, and the Little Conestoga Creek.
The Conestoga River is also an integral part of Lancaster County’s culture, history, and community. It’s a place where we fish, paddle, explore, and connect with nature and each other. The river is a catalyst and a unifying force, bringing together numerous partners and community members as we work to restore this important waterway to health.
Help us celebrate the Conestoga River, the work being done to care for it, and the community it creates by voting for the Conestoga as Pennsylvania’s next River of the Year!
Voting is easy and takes less than a minute! Just click the button above or go to https://pawatersheds.org/vote-for-a-2026-river-of-the-year/, select the Conestoga River, input your email address, and hit the “Enter” button.
The River of the Year program, administered by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers with funding from DCNR, celebrates Pennsylvania’s waterways while raising awareness of conservation needs. River of the Year voting ends at 5 p.m. on January 16, 2026.
Learn more and explore the Conestoga River:
- Conestoga River Club kayaking trips and volunteer opportunities
- Susquehanna National Heritage Area’s “RiverRoots: Stories of the Conestoga River” blog series
- Lancaster Water Week “History of the Conestoga River” presentation
- River Connections storytelling through art