Mini-Grants Archive

Franklin County Visitors Bureau, Inc.

| “Out of the Ore” Nature Trail Project |

Download the “Out of the Ore: Birds and Blooms” Guide

In the 1800s, the natural resources of South Mountain fueled the iron ore industry. Plentiful timber, water, and iron ore kept the furnace stacks of South Mountain working day and night. For decades the iron industry stripped the life from South Mountain, leaving a blank landscape, void of natural resources and habitats. Out of the iron ore industry, the Pennsylvania conservation initiative took shape. Today, the South Mountain landscape is home to hundreds of bird, wildlife, insect, tree, and plant species

The legacy of the iron industry in South Mountain continues to shape our natural and cultural landscapes; one of the most inspiring stories to come out of this legacy has been the regeneration of the region’s forests. This project will improve a short 1-mile walking path near Mont Alto to interpret the history of the iron industry and the reforestation and return of important natural habitat for birds and plant species. This project too will help preserve an important historical resource, the Mont Alto Furnace Lime Kiln.