#11 Apollo County Park
Property Manager: York County Parks (717) 840-7440
GPS address: 4925 Boyd Road, Brogue, PA 17309
Hours: Dawn until Dusk
Parking: ¼ mile East of PA 425 on Shenks Ferry Road, Brogue, PA. 17309 (preferred area)
4925 Boyd Road, Brogue, PA. 17309 (longer hike to birding areas)
Restrooms: NONE
Safety Reminders: Hunting is permitted. This is a remote park. Cell phone reception is spotty. Hills are steep in some portions.
Best Birding: All seasons during daylight hours
Site Description: Apollo County Park is a 340 acre section of land that includes the Mason-Dixon Trail and a wonderful view of the Susquehanna River at the Safe Harbor Dam. It is a remote location with no restrooms.
Due to the shape of the park which is combined county property and county leased property, a minimum walk of at least two miles is necessary to get out and back to the overlook of the river. It is closer to hike from the Shenks Ferry lot. In that lot from May-June Yellow-breasted Chats are active near or in the parking area. A spotting scope (if one is willing to carry it through the hilly terrain) is essential to identifying medium to large sized birds migrating along the river.
The overlook situated in the powerline cut is not the only draw for birders. Closer to the Shenks Ferry lot there are three very interesting ecological features that seem to concentrate birds. The first is a large plantation of Loblolly Pines accessible to hike through using trail 2, assuming you are not on a crusade to find either Pine or Prairie Warbler and/or Red-breasted Nuthatch (the warblers are common in this area May-Aug). I would suggest pushing forward on the blue blazed Mason-Dixon Trail to where the pines meet the other features and the other end of trail 2.
The second and third features are an impressive little creek in a special forest. Stay on the Mason-Dixon Trail’s blue blaze. An orange blaze will “shortcut” you down a steep hill to the creek, and it is not an easy descent. A hardwood forest dominated by Tulip Poplar, Sweet Birch, Paw Paw, and Umbrella Magnolia (the latter alone is a reason to visit Apollo when the large white tree flowers open in late May) meets a small stream setting up perfect conditions for birders in an open forest below the magnolias. The canopy shades out a lot, and this is the best location for Worm-eating Warbler in the county. Over a dozen have been seen in this area at one time. The Mason-Dixon Trail shelter will be above you as you cross the small creek. Listen here for Worm-eating, Kentucky, and Blue-winged Warblers. The latter’s songs are often heard from the edge of the forest overlooking its habitat in the powerline cut. On the hike back, listen for the hoarse “three-eight” song of the Yellow-throated Vireo. It’s more likely to be viewed while in the cut as it stays high in the trees.
Property Manager: York County Parks (717) 840-7440
GPS address: 4925 Boyd Road, Brogue, PA 17309
Hours: Dawn until Dusk
Parking: ¼ mile East of PA 425 on Shenks Ferry Road, Brogue, PA. 17309 (preferred area)
4925 Boyd Road, Brogue, PA. 17309 (longer hike to birding areas)
Restrooms: NONE
Safety Reminders: Hunting is permitted. This is a remote park. Cell phone reception is spotty. Hills are steep in some portions.
Best Birding: All seasons during daylight hours
Site Description: Apollo County Park is a 340 acre section of land that includes the Mason-Dixon Trail and a wonderful view of the Susquehanna River at the Safe Harbor Dam. It is a remote location with no restrooms.
Due to the shape of the park which is combined county property and county leased property, a minimum walk of at least two miles is necessary to get out and back to the overlook of the river. It is closer to hike from the Shenks Ferry lot. In that lot from May-June Yellow-breasted Chats are active near or in the parking area. A spotting scope (if one is willing to carry it through the hilly terrain) is essential to identifying medium to large sized birds migrating along the river.
The overlook situated in the powerline cut is not the only draw for birders. Closer to the Shenks Ferry lot there are three very interesting ecological features that seem to concentrate birds. The first is a large plantation of Loblolly Pines accessible to hike through using trail 2, assuming you are not on a crusade to find either Pine or Prairie Warbler and/or Red-breasted Nuthatch (the warblers are common in this area May-Aug). I would suggest pushing forward on the blue blazed Mason-Dixon Trail to where the pines meet the other features and the other end of trail 2.
The second and third features are an impressive little creek in a special forest. Stay on the Mason-Dixon Trail’s blue blaze. An orange blaze will “shortcut” you down a steep hill to the creek, and it is not an easy descent. A hardwood forest dominated by Tulip Poplar, Sweet Birch, Paw Paw, and Umbrella Magnolia (the latter alone is a reason to visit Apollo when the large white tree flowers open in late May) meets a small stream setting up perfect conditions for birders in an open forest below the magnolias. The canopy shades out a lot, and this is the best location for Worm-eating Warbler in the county. Over a dozen have been seen in this area at one time. The Mason-Dixon Trail shelter will be above you as you cross the small creek. Listen here for Worm-eating, Kentucky, and Blue-winged Warblers. The latter’s songs are often heard from the edge of the forest overlooking its habitat in the powerline cut. On the hike back, listen for the hoarse “three-eight” song of the Yellow-throated Vireo. It’s more likely to be viewed while in the cut as it stays high in the trees.