Jonestown: Parks, Trails and History

Jonestown can be considered from several perspectives when planning a trip: George H. Kaufman Park combines playground and sports facilities with a long hiking trail. You can also walk, bike or run along the Rail Trail in Jonestown, or kayak and try tubing on Swatara Creek. Historic buildings and the history of a former railroad add to these options. Which of these themes takes priority for you can help shape your stay.

Play and sports facilities at George H. Kaufman Park

George H. Kaufman Park has a large playground built by hundreds of volunteers. It also has three baseball fields, two tennis courts, a basketball court and a sand volleyball court. A long hiking trail is part of the park as well. The facilities offer different options: the playground is an attraction in its own right, while the fields and courts provide various opportunities for sports activities. The park’s hours are also important when planning a visit: it is open from sunrise to sunset.

When planning your time in Jonestown, you can tailor your visit to the park around the facilities you want to use and take the daylight hours into account. The playground, sports facilities and hiking trail are distinct features of the same park; they don’t have to be combined into a single activity. This makes it easier to decide whether playing, a sport or a walk is your main focus.

Rail Trail and Swatara Creek

The Rail Trail offers a different way to get active in Jonestown: visitors can walk, bike and run there. The Jonestown Tour also includes a walking trail, but pairs it with a look at the historic buildings along the route. There are numerous historic buildings along the way, some of which date back to the 18th century. These offer two distinct interests: exercise on the Rail Trail and a walk centered on historic buildings.

Swatara Creek is also among the activities available locally: kayaking and tubing are possible there. The Swatara Creek Water Trail is a 42-mile stretch of the creek. It runs from Jonestown in Lebanon County to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission access point in Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. This describes the length and endpoints of the stretch, not necessarily the length of an individual trip. In the wider region, normal summer water flows allow most human-powered recreational boats to use the Water Trail; water conditions can vary. If you’re considering an on-the-water activity, this seasonal note is therefore a separate planning consideration.

Traces of railroad history

Sand Siding was a historic stop on the former Lebanon & Tremont Railroad. Today, it is located in the 3,520-acre Swatara State Park along the Swatara Rail Trail. Its former role as a stop and its present-day location in the state park belong to different periods: Sand Siding is a reminder of railroad history, while its location connects it today to the park and the Rail Trail. For visitors interested in the area’s history as well as outdoor activities, this is another point of interest.

The Jonestown Tour also adds a historical dimension to a stay, while the park and water activities appeal to other interests. Before your trip, you can decide whether to focus on playground and sports facilities, walking or biking, activities on the creek, or historic buildings. This distinction helps you plan your day around the themes you’re interested in without treating the different trails, places and activities as if they were the same.

Find hotels in Jonestown

When looking for hotels in Jonestown, you can first consider which of these aspects of the area matters most for your trip: the facilities at George H. Kaufman Park, the trails, Swatara Creek or the historic sites.

Explore more destinations: Campbelltown, Myerstown, Palmyra, Lebanon, Annville, Sand Hill.

Return to the main travel overview: Lebanon.