#12b - Indian Steps Museum
Property Manager: Conservation Society of York County
GPS address: 205 Indian Steps Rd, Airville, PA 17302
Hours: Grounds are open 7 days a week Dawn until Dusk. Museum is open Thurs-Fri 10am - 4 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am - 5 pm
Parking: There is ample free parking available in a paved parking lot located on the south side of the museum.
Restrooms: Portable toilets are located near the parking lot on the walkway to the museum (spring - fall).
Best Birding: Non-waterfowl birding is best April through September, dawn until dusk. Waterfowl is best October-April.
Site Description: The museum was built by John Vandersloot in 1912 as a way to display his collection of Indian Artifacts and to celebrate the Native American Culture. Much more information can be found about the museum and events by visiting their website at www.indiansteps.org. There is an entrance fee to get into the museum (currently $6 as of 7/2021), but you do not have to pay the entrance fee to walk the grounds. The Indian Steps Museum is primarily a historical attraction, but it is also a great spot to be enjoyed by birders and other nature enthusiasts. The grounds consist of the area around the museum itself, with property that borders along the Susquehanna River, as well as the Ulmer-Root-Haines Memorial trail, which is a short hiking trail on the opposite side of the road through a wildlife sanctuary, culminating with a neat little waterfall and rock shelter.
Begin birding the area by taking some time to scan the trees around the parking lot. There is a stand of evergreens on one side and a grouping of mature deciduous trees surrounding the rest of the parking lot. This is a good place to find migrating warblers and vireos in April-May. It is also a good place to see local breeders all summer such as Phoebe, Scarlet Tanagers, Northern Parula, Worm-eating Warblers, American Redstart, Great-crested Flycatchers, and both species of orioles. After birding the parking lot, walk down the path toward the museum building. If you did not find an Orchard Oriole in the parking lot, keep an eye out along this path and up in any trees around the grounds as this species is quite reliably seen on this property all spring and summer. Continue walking towards the river front and scan the river for waterfowl or shorebirds, especially from Oct-April. In the spring, listen for the call of a Prothonotary Warbler coming from the adjacent Bair Island. In late spring and summer, the mineral deposits in the small sandy area along the shore are a great spot to find butterflies including Tiger, Spicebush, and Zebra Swallowtails.
On the north side of the museum property is a very short trail to a tribute to what once was the largest American Holly tree in Pennsylvania. The open area around the tree offers good visibility for birding. On the other side of Indian Steps Road is the Ulmer-Root-Haines Trail, which is a ¼ mile loop through the woods. While this trail may not produce a great many more species of birds, it is worth the short hike to see the abundance of native wildflowers such as Red Trillium, Blue Cohosh, and Wild Ginger. Also on the loop, you will find the unique Umbrella Magnolia tree with its huge, whorled leaves. After the short loop, you can continue on the trail for about another ¼ mile to the waterfall. On the way, be on the lookout for Louisiana Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, Worm-eating and possibly Kentucky Warbler. The trail does get a bit rockier and steeper along this stretch, but it is worth it to arrive at the unique, spring-fed waterfall that awaits at the end.
A recommended additional quick birding stop to pair up with your trip t o Indian Steps Museum is to stop at the York Furnace Boat Launch. This boat launch is located on Indian Steps Road, ¾ mile north of the museum, right where Indian Steps Rd meets Furnace Rd. It is another spot to scan the river for waterfowl. In the spring, look up in the sycamores around the parking lot for migrants. Be sure to listen for the sweet-sweet-sweet, I’m so sweet call of the Yellow-throated Warbler. While not a reliable bird anywhere in York County, the area around Indian Steps Road and Otter Creek Campground is one of the better areas to catch a glimpse. If interested, you can also park here and access the Mason-Dixon Trail by walking straight across Furnace Road down a lane that looks like a driveway (shows up as Sawmill Rd on Google Maps). This lane goes behind a house to a trail that connects to the Mason-Dixon Trail.
Property Manager: Conservation Society of York County
GPS address: 205 Indian Steps Rd, Airville, PA 17302
Hours: Grounds are open 7 days a week Dawn until Dusk. Museum is open Thurs-Fri 10am - 4 pm, Sat-Sun 10 am - 5 pm
Parking: There is ample free parking available in a paved parking lot located on the south side of the museum.
Restrooms: Portable toilets are located near the parking lot on the walkway to the museum (spring - fall).
Best Birding: Non-waterfowl birding is best April through September, dawn until dusk. Waterfowl is best October-April.
Site Description: The museum was built by John Vandersloot in 1912 as a way to display his collection of Indian Artifacts and to celebrate the Native American Culture. Much more information can be found about the museum and events by visiting their website at www.indiansteps.org. There is an entrance fee to get into the museum (currently $6 as of 7/2021), but you do not have to pay the entrance fee to walk the grounds. The Indian Steps Museum is primarily a historical attraction, but it is also a great spot to be enjoyed by birders and other nature enthusiasts. The grounds consist of the area around the museum itself, with property that borders along the Susquehanna River, as well as the Ulmer-Root-Haines Memorial trail, which is a short hiking trail on the opposite side of the road through a wildlife sanctuary, culminating with a neat little waterfall and rock shelter.
Begin birding the area by taking some time to scan the trees around the parking lot. There is a stand of evergreens on one side and a grouping of mature deciduous trees surrounding the rest of the parking lot. This is a good place to find migrating warblers and vireos in April-May. It is also a good place to see local breeders all summer such as Phoebe, Scarlet Tanagers, Northern Parula, Worm-eating Warblers, American Redstart, Great-crested Flycatchers, and both species of orioles. After birding the parking lot, walk down the path toward the museum building. If you did not find an Orchard Oriole in the parking lot, keep an eye out along this path and up in any trees around the grounds as this species is quite reliably seen on this property all spring and summer. Continue walking towards the river front and scan the river for waterfowl or shorebirds, especially from Oct-April. In the spring, listen for the call of a Prothonotary Warbler coming from the adjacent Bair Island. In late spring and summer, the mineral deposits in the small sandy area along the shore are a great spot to find butterflies including Tiger, Spicebush, and Zebra Swallowtails.
On the north side of the museum property is a very short trail to a tribute to what once was the largest American Holly tree in Pennsylvania. The open area around the tree offers good visibility for birding. On the other side of Indian Steps Road is the Ulmer-Root-Haines Trail, which is a ¼ mile loop through the woods. While this trail may not produce a great many more species of birds, it is worth the short hike to see the abundance of native wildflowers such as Red Trillium, Blue Cohosh, and Wild Ginger. Also on the loop, you will find the unique Umbrella Magnolia tree with its huge, whorled leaves. After the short loop, you can continue on the trail for about another ¼ mile to the waterfall. On the way, be on the lookout for Louisiana Waterthrush, Ovenbird, Wood Thrush, Worm-eating and possibly Kentucky Warbler. The trail does get a bit rockier and steeper along this stretch, but it is worth it to arrive at the unique, spring-fed waterfall that awaits at the end.
A recommended additional quick birding stop to pair up with your trip t o Indian Steps Museum is to stop at the York Furnace Boat Launch. This boat launch is located on Indian Steps Road, ¾ mile north of the museum, right where Indian Steps Rd meets Furnace Rd. It is another spot to scan the river for waterfowl. In the spring, look up in the sycamores around the parking lot for migrants. Be sure to listen for the sweet-sweet-sweet, I’m so sweet call of the Yellow-throated Warbler. While not a reliable bird anywhere in York County, the area around Indian Steps Road and Otter Creek Campground is one of the better areas to catch a glimpse. If interested, you can also park here and access the Mason-Dixon Trail by walking straight across Furnace Road down a lane that looks like a driveway (shows up as Sawmill Rd on Google Maps). This lane goes behind a house to a trail that connects to the Mason-Dixon Trail.
