Climb the 66-foot Governor Dick tower for panoramic views spanning five counties, explore the network of historic trails, and discover a bounty of boulders.
The remarkable Governor Dick tower crowns the hill of the same name in Clarence Schock Memorial Park in Lebanon County, PA. Therea is a network of trails through the Furnace Hills region of Lebanon County, and you can park at either the Governor Dick Monument off of Pinch Rd. (40.24415, -76.46318), the Environmental Center (40.23772, -76.45907), or walk in from Mt. Gretna.
Governor Dick is a popular area, and for good reason. The parking area on Pinch Road is often filled to capacity. However, we visited on a snowy winter day and had the trails almost to ourselves. We parked at the Environmental Center and made our way to the Governor Dick Memorial stone shown above. The hill has been called Governor Dick’s Hill since colonial times. It is named after a man who was an African slave who was involved in producing charcoal for nearby Cornwall Furnace. “Dick” may have been given the name “Governor” as a title of respect by those who worked with him, or he may have acquired the title through serving as an elected slave leader.
From the Governor Dick Memorial, take any number of trails up the hill and you will arrive at the Governor Dick tower crowning the top. During the summer, the fields at the top of the hill are adorned with wildflowers. A papaw stand is located to the north of the tower. Ascend the tower by climbing a series of ladders inside. There is a landing about every seven feet up. Traffic is facilitated by a one-way flow in the tower: there is an entrance (marked by an arrow pointing “up”) with ladders used for climbing up, and on the other side ladders for climbing down to the exit.
From the top you can see panoramic views spanning five counties: Lebanon, Lancaster, Berks, York, and Dauphin. The photo shows the rolling furnace hills to the east.
When not obscured by snow, you can easily make out Hershey Park to the northwest.
After taking in the magnificent views, we headed northwest and descended the trail to a forested hollow between two hills. There are multiple parallel trails in this section, but they each make a hard right (southeast) and converge near Route 72. The trail then turns back west then south to skirt the base of Governor Dick Hill, leading to the renowned bouldering area.
Diabase boulders of various sized are strewn throughout the area (eastern base of Governor Dick Hill) making the terrain here more challenging, especially in the snow.
There are many climbing boulders on the eastern side of Governor Dick Hill. Because we traveled clockwise up and around Governor Dick Hill, the boulder climbing area was about 4.5 miles into the hike. But if you head east directly form the Environmental Center, it is only about 0.2 miles to the start of the bouldering area. The bouldering area spans about half a mile, with some boulders located at the base and some up the side of the hill.
After a loop of about 5.25 miles, we arrived at the environmental center where we started.
Clarence Shock Memorial Park at Governor Dick provides trail maps here.
The Governor Dick observation tower is remarkable as a local novelty and scores points for the fun factor. There’s nothing quite like it in the area. I would expect that in some places, an admission fee would be charged to climb the tower, but it is 100% free to enjoy. The network of trails, boulders, and the artsy, quirky Mt. Gretna just at the bottom of the hill make this a great day trip. A few items to note: 1) Mt. Gretna is an oasis of adventure in an area not particularly known for its great trails. As such, it is a local hot spot, so expect lots of company. 2) The area is notorious for its ticks. Expect to get ticks while you are there and take the necessary precautions.
Be sure to check out our other adventures.
