Dauphin County officials shared plans for Detweiler Park on Thursday.
On a sunny Thursday, Dauphin County and state officials gathered in a local park to announce some nature news.
The county shared its plans to develop Detweiler Park, in Middle Paxton Township, to include improved access and amenities for visitors.
“Middle Paxton Township has benefitted greatly from having such a beautiful piece of land here and stands to benefit so much more in the years to come,” said Rep. Joe Kerwin (R-125), at Thursday’s press conference. “It’s the perfect, central location for a county park.”
In 2016, the county was gifted the 411 acres of parkland by the previous owners, the Detweiler family. For the past several years, county officials have developed plans to make improvements to the park and completed a master plan for the area in 2021.
Starting in the spring, construction to create a new entryway and parking lot for the park will begin. The county is working with PennDOT to add more turning lanes on Peters Mountain Rd. for easier and safer access to the park. There will also be new bathroom facilities, a pavilion for visitors and an event field.
That work will likely be complete by the end of 2024, according to the county’s Director of Parks and Recreation Anthea Stebbins.
Additionally, in the coming years, a new ADA-accessible 1.4-mile loop trail will be added to the park, and meadow restoration work will take place. Detweiler will be the first of the county’s eight parks to include a wheelchair-accessible trail, officials shared.
There are also plans to add more trails and possibly to use an old airplane hangar and barn onsite, donated along with the land, as space for a farmers market.
The $3.4 million project will use $1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, another $1 million from a state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant and additional funding from other state partners.
Detweiler Park can currently be accessed at the Dauphin County Conservation District office parking lot at 1451 Peters Mountain Rd.
For more information, visit the county’s website.
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