Susquehanna National Heritage Area

SNHA River Photo of the Week - Columbia River Park. The Columbia Crossing River Trails Center located in Columbia River Park is managed by the Susquehanna National Heritage Area for the Borough of Columbia as a gateway visitor education and trailhead for land and water trails in the Susquehanna Riverlands. Visit the park to go for a late fall bike or hike on the 14-mile Northwest Lancaster County River Trail, which begins at the Columbia Crossing trailhead! Use this link to learn more. https://bit.ly/3mOjg2R

We are thankful for each and every one of you who have celebrated the river with us this year! By making a donation this #GivingTuesday, you are helping us to continue sharing the stories of the Susquehanna Riverlands during this challenging time. Your donation to Susquehanna Heritage National Heritage Area, in any amount, supports our heritage education programs designed for kids and families, shows your support of outdoor recreation, and helps us get folks to the river and on the river. https://www.susquehannaheritage.org/support/donate/

SNHA River Photo of the Week - Zimmerman Center for Heritage waterfront at Long Level. We hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and chance to #OptOutside this Friday! If you still need to walk off that holiday dinner make plans to explore the Zimmerman Center grounds or go for a hike in Native Lands County Park. https://www.susquehannaheritage.org/explo/zimmerman-center/

Take some time to get out of the chilly weather and curl up with a book from our reading recommendations for river lovers. Uncover the hidden history of the region from past to present, with stories of Native American inhabitants, early settlers and notable visitors. This compilation of books is rich with history, featuring stories ranging from John Smith’s account of the Indians he encountered on the Susquehanna River, the burning of the bridge in 1863, harrowing tales of those who traversed the Underground Railroad and many more. Get a glimpse into the lives of those who visited the area and lived along the banks of the Susquehanna through the stories of the past! https://www.susquehannaheritage.org/book-recommendations/

Learn more about Native American Heritage this month by revisiting Susquehanna NHA's RiverRoots blog post that dives into dugout canoes on the Susquehanna River. Long before powerboats and jet skis, before mule-drawn canal boats, and before Anderson’s, Wright’s and Cresap’s ferries, dugout canoes were the favored way of navigating the Susquehanna’s shallow waters. Unlike the birchbark canoes used by many northern American Indians, dugouts were heavy, slow, and unsuitable for... long distance travel. But the swift, rocky, Susquehanna was not suited for travel in more fragile birchbark canoes, and birch trees with suitable bark were not found here. The lower Susquehanna’s native peoples relied on their network of footpaths to traverse the land, but for fishing and carrying cargoes of meat, hides, and people across the river, dugouts were ideal. Dugout canoes have been used by indigenous peoples worldwide for thousands of years. Specimens recovered in the northeast United States have been found dating as far back as 6,000 years before the present. They were undoubtedly being constructed thousands of years earlier. #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth https://www.susquehannaheritage.org/riverroots-dugout.../

SNHA - America's 55th & Newest National Heritage Area