CAVE HILL
PARK AND NATURE PRESERVE
DISCOVER
VISIT
ENVISION
Including years as a trolley park, learn about Cave Hill's storied past, and it's unique ecology.
Swing in to enjoy an outdoor gem within walking distance of downtown.
Cave Hill's best days can be ahead. Support us in planning for a setting that welcomes all.
A TREASURE
Years forgotten, an antique is pulled from Grandma's attic--rich in history and value, it's ready to be reimagined for today's use. All that dust is nothing some elbow grease can't fix.
Because of the cave, cool swimming hole and lovely views for picnicking, Cave Hill has been a popular destination for Carlisle residents since the 1700s, and saw its heyday as a trolley park in the late-1800s and early-1900s.
In 1962, after seeing the place undermined by construction of the Turnpike and a nearby factory, community members and Carlisle Kiwanis Club joined together to purchase Cave Hill and donate it to the Borough as one of PA's first municipal nature preserves.
Since then, the park has suffered abuse and neglect, but continued to serve as a popular attraction for those who have discovered it.
A part of Cave Hill Park and Nature Center has been proposed as a dumping site for up to 3500 triaxle dump truck loads of rock and soil related to widening the Turnpike. The Carlisle Parks and Rec board has approved the proposal for negotiation and consideration by Borough Council, sometime early in 2015.
The proposal has simultaneous potentials to jeopardize the character of the park and undermine the 1963 donors' intent, and to dedicate tens of thousands of dollars to park improvement. Before we know more, the Conservancy is not going to weigh in on one side or the other.
READ MORE about the proposal here. For the time being, please sign on to our letter of public comment and sign up to get email updates.
A THREAT
PROPOSAL TO DUMP IN NATURE CENTER ADVANCES TO NEGOTIATIONS
A COALITION
CaveHillCarlisle is a partnership of community members and organizations dedicated to the appreciation and stewardship of Carlisle's wildest park, sharing this best-kept secret.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:
Paul Biebel, Former Bio Professor
'Part of the reason we worked so hard to protect this place in 1962 is that three ecotypes connect at Cave Hill--there's a striking diversity of plants and animals, including rare and threatened ones'