Planning Your Hike
Difficult to strenuous. Kellys Run Nature Preserve hosts the Kellys Run Trail, a national recreation trail which also serves as a section of the Conestoga Trail. The Kellys Run Trail is 3.8 mile loop that traverses difficult and steep terrain that requires multiple stream crossings and scrambles across bedrock and boulders. As part of the Conestoga Trail, Kellys Run Nature Preserve is connected to Pinnacle Overlook by a network of trails.
Ecology and Management
Kellys Run is managed for its passive recreation as being of highest and best use.
Hillside seeps and marshy vegetation sustain many amphibians. Deer, turkey and even the occasional house cat can often be found on the preserve. The preserve is a haven for bird watchers as well, and depending on the time of year one can spot finches, warblers, woodpeckers, indigo buntings, bluebirds, sparrows, and nuthatches, as well as raptors like hawks and vultures.
A large area around the small tributary has large, straight, mature timber. The major portion of the preserve contains mostly oaks and maples. This preserve offers spectacular blossoms of wild azalea, large leaf rhododendron and our state flower the laurel (Kalmia latifolia) over the spring and summer season. Pawpaw trees are here, with burgundy flowers in spring and custardy fruit in autumn. May apples, wild geranium, Solomon’s seal, Jack-in-the-pulpit, violets, a variety of ferns and seasonal wildflowers are noted at this preserve.
Pollinator Park
In 2018, Lancaster Conservancy staff and Board members designed and planted a small meadow at the edge of the Kellys Run Nature Preserve parking area. It was a meaningful starting point that inspired the next phase of this restoration. In 2020, Lancaster Conservancy began discussions with Natural Resources Conservation Service, and with technical assistance from Pheasants Forever, we developed a project plan. In 2021 with funding from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, work officially began on improving and expanding the pollinator meadow at Kellys Run.
Restoring the abandoned fields at Kellys Run Nature Preserve started with the planting of 3 acres of native trees and shrubs including pollinator powerhouses like ninebark, meadowsweet, and redbud. The trees and shrubs planted along the perimeter of the meadow create a feathered edge between the established woodlands and the meadow, serving as a transition zone and increasing the wildlife habitat value. The plantings also serve as a defensive buffer from woodland encroachment into the planned meadow. Chesapeake Bay Foundation provided trees, shrubs, and planting materials through the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership for this part of the restoration project.
The site was prepared by removing invasive species. A seed mix that includes local ecotypes of over 30 pollinator species, was then planted with a seed driller under the guidance of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
The seed mix, designed in consultation with Pheasants Forever, was formulated to provide a variety of blooms throughout the growing season. These pollinator plants are capable of supporting a wide range of pollinator insect and bird species, but they are specifically tailored to provide critical habitat for five species:
- Monarch butterfly
- American bumblebee
- Regal fritillary
- Duskywing columbine skipper
- Frosted elfin
Of these, the American bumblebee, duskywing columbine skipper, frosted elfin, and regal fritillary are all listed as a high conservation priority in the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan.
The warm season bunch grasses in the meadow at Kellys Run will provide nesting and winter cover for ground nesting bird species. The deep root systems of big bluestem and switchgrass will increase long-term carbon storage in the meadow. Studies show established pollinator and bunchgrass meadows are capable of sequestering and storing over 2 tons of CO2 per acre each year. The 9 acres seeded at Kellys Run Nature Preserve are estimated to be capable of storing over 18 tons of CO2 per year!
As the meadows come to life with more species blooming every year, it may be tempting to pick some flowers. However, we ask that you resist this temptation. In addition to no longer being able to provide nectar for the pollinators we are trying to save, any flower picked during bloom is not contributing to the future seed source for the meadow. It is essential to the health and longevity of the meadow that the seed source cycle is not disturbed. Thank you for helping to care for this special ecosystem and protect our important insects, birds, and other wildlife!
The Conservancy has also partnered with PPL Electric Utilities to transform the utility corridor that traverses the preserve into a sustainable, native, supporting habitat.
Watershed
Kellys Run empties directly into the Susquehanna River.
Hunting Information
Kellys Run is open to Mixed-Use and Archery-Only Hunting with areas of No-Hunting. It is your responsibility to be aware of the areas with hunting restrictions. Respect property boundaries and safety zones. All Pennsylvania Game Commission Rules and Regulations apply. See ‘Where to Hunt’ for more details.
Report Hunting Violations: PA Game Commission Centralized Dispatch Center at 1-833-PGC-HUNT (1-833-742-4868) or 1-833-PGC-WILD (1-833-742-9453)
Acquisition History
The Conservancy acquired the first piece of Kellys Run Nature Preserve in 2000, when Thomas Stuart donated his 55 acre property. This remainder of the land was acquired as part of a nationally recognized landscape protection project known as the PPL Project. Funds for that Project were provided by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, The Conservation Fund, Lancaster County, York County, PPL, Talen Energy, and Brookfield Renewable. The tracts that form the Kellys Run Nature Preserve were donated by PPL, Talen Energy, and Brookfield Renewable.
Address
9 New Village Road, Holtwood PA
Amenities
Parking. Port-a-john. Pavilion. Preserve sign. Kiosk.