Wizard Ranch Nature Preserve

Kristin Holloway
May 4
3 min read

Updated: 5 days ago

1060 Accomac Rd. | Hellam Township | York County

OUTSIDE OF LANCASTER COUNTY

The first thing that comes to mind with this preserve is it's name. Why Wizard Ranch? The land that that is now the preserve was once owned by Mahlon N. Haines, who was nicknamed the "Shoe Wizard." Ever hear of the Haine's Shoe House? The land was originally operated as a farm and Haines, who was an avid supporter of scouting, started hosting the "Haines Safari" in 1941 for local scouts on his land. In 1960 he donated this land to the Boy Scouts.

The Lancaster Conservancy acquired the preserve from the Boy Scouts of America in 2019. Since then, it has worked to remove invasive species from the preserve and prepare trails for visitors.

This 247 acre preserve, that is part of the Hellam Hill Conservation Area, has open fields, forests, stream and a pond. There are a series of interconnecting trails that takes you all throughout the property. A lot of work has gone into the restoration of this property. As you pass through the different sections of the preserve you are able to see firsthand the work that the conservancy continues to do.

Length: 5 miles of trails

Terrain: grass | dirt | wooded | open fields | gravel

Difficulty: medium rare to medium

Activities: hiking | trail running | leashed dogs

Parking: 1 medium lot

Restrooms: port-o-potty

Website: lancasterconservancy.org

Trail Map

Orange Trail | .9 mile loop

Medium Rare | 20- 40 minutes

This trail can be accessed either from the parking lot or on the other side of the gravel road. If you start at the parking lot you will go through the grass meadow that you passed on the way in. You will then go into the woods. take a look to your right, there is an old root cellar tucked into the woods. You meander through the woods a bit, along a creek and passing by a pond. You will pass over the gravel road and then continue on in the woods. The last section takes you into another grassy pasture before crossing over the gravel road and back to the parking lot.

White Trail | .9 mile loop Medium | 20-40 minutes

This trail can be picked up by going down the gravel road where the orange trail crosses over it. Taking the trail on the right will lead you through a grassy meadow and then into the woods. There is a slight elevation gain as you get to the edge of the woods. You then enter the grassy meadow again and skirt the forests edge before cutting down the middle past a flagpole then back to the gravel road.

Red Trail | 2.2 mile "loop"

Medium | 45-90 minutes

This trail can be picked up off of the brown trail or the orange trail. When using both of these trails it does make a complete loop. The red trail meanders around the property through open fields, through wooded areas and across a stream. It's a great trail to see first hand all of the restoration work that is going into the property.

Brown Trail | .7 miles point to point Medium Rare | 12-24 minutes

This trail is basically a gravel road. It is a continuation of the road that you came in on. It then takes you to a gate at the end of the property.

Yellow Trail | .3 miles point to point

Medium Rare | 6-12 minutes

This is a short trail that connects 2 sections of the red trail. It cuts through an open field at the edge of the woods.

Directions:

From Lancaster take US-30 W toward York

Take the Wrightsville exit and go Right onto Cool Spring Rd.

Continue onto Dark Hollow Rd.

Turn Left onto Accomac Rd.

Preserve is on the right, down a gravel road

Directions