2023 South Mountain Partnership Gift Guide

Originally published in 2021, we’re bringing back our gift guide for all your holiday shopping needs!

We’re kicking off the holiday season in South Mountain with a gift guide tailored to support the people and businesses working to protect our landscape. This season we encourage you to shop small and local and are excited to share some ideas on how to do this.  Keep in mind this list is by no means exhaustive, there are so many ways to support the region this season. Go forth and explore South Mountain!

• Support Your Local Park of Forest Friends Group
  1. Supporting our local parks and forests means protecting our forest land while also investing in public recreation and local economies that thrive on outdoor recreation visitors. This holiday season you can join as a member, sign up to volunteer, or gift a membership to a family member. The Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation (PPFF) hosts our local Friends groups… head to these pages to get involved:
     1. Friends of Michaux State Forest
     2. Friends of Pine Grove Furnace State Park
     3. Friends of Caledonia State Park
     4. Friends of Kings Gap
• MEET FRIENDS FOR A DRINK
  1. Our region is home to the abundance of the Fruit Belt, and one of its great outputs is alcohol (this growing industry was even recognized by the Washington Post this fall!) We are lucky to have growers, beer brewers, and makers of ciders right near home. Most offer indoor and outdoor opportunities to meet your friends or family this holiday season! Start with this list:
     1. Big Hill Ciderworks
     2. Ploughman Cider
     3. Don’t stop at cider… check out the Cumberland Valley Beer Trail, Franklin Fresh Food and Dining Guide, and Adams’s County Pour Tour to help you enjoy the region.
     4. And MANY more… go discover!
• SHOP DOWNTOWN
  1. Our region is lucky to house bustling historic downtowns. Support these small-town character defining businesses while doing your holiday shopping this year! By shopping small, you use your buying power to ensure locally owned businesses are a thriving portion of our economy AND find unique gifts sure to please everyone on your list. Shopping local also applies to our food… consider stopping at a farmer’s market or local grocer to fill your fridge! Check out these shops and markets:
     1. Cumberland Shop in Shippensburg.
     2. Earth and Artisan Outfitters in Carlisle.
     3. Farmers on the Square (Carlisle)
     4. Another Man’s Treasure (Chambersburg)
     5. Dillsburg Farmers Market
     6. Adams County Farmers Market
     7. Purchase your holiday dinner at a local meat store such as Wenger Meats in Carlisle or Warrington Farm Meats Butcher Shop in Dillsburg.
     8. And MANY more… go discover!
• GIFT AN EXPERIENCE
  1. Nothing creates memories more than gifts you can enjoy together. Considering adventuring out into our region with family over the holiday. This can look like #optingoutside for a group hike or getting a gift card to one of these amazing regional experiences. Here are some ideas to get you started:
     1. Golf at Penn National Golf Club in Fayetteville.
     2. Ski at one of our local resorts.
     3. Learn archery through a virtual reality experience at Kecks Store and Archery in Newville or Alpha Archery & Trade Store in Arendtsville.
     4. Buy a bike at Merv’s Bike Shop in Shippensburg and then hit the Cumberland Valley Rail Trail on your new wheels.
     5. And MANY more…. Go discover!

Did you know you can also support the Friends of the South Mountain Partnership this holiday season? Our Friend’s group allow us to fundraise for more conservation dollars to spend in our region through grants and