Hike the Highlands: “Highlands Mobile” Launches - Free, Mobile Outdoor Activity Guide to the PA Highlands

AMC celebrated the launch of “Highlands Mobile” on Saturday along the East Branch of the Brandywine River. "Highlands mobile" brings the AMC's popular Hike the Highlands cards into the hands of mobile users with a free, interactive outdoor recreation guide to the PA Highlands designed for mobile devices complete with trail maps, directions to parking areas, and photos. State Senator Andy Dinnaman, local recreational enthusiasts and representatives from outdoor retailers joined AMC’s Mid-Atlantic Policy Director, Mark Zakutansky and Policy Associate Cathy Frankenberg to highlight the connection between recreation and conservation throughout the PA Highlands and to share AMC’s latest interactive and free outdoor activity guide, designed for on-the-go mobile use.

Highlands Mobile currently features 22 parks and trails in the Pennsylvania Highlands and is available at http://highlandsmobile.outdoors.org/ Highlands Mobile has optimal functionality on a touch screen Smartphone or Tablet computer. Desktop users can also access the guide for information about parks and trails in the region. For more information about the event and this new outdoor activity guide, read AMC's press release on our newsroom.

In addition to Highlands Mobile, AMC has unveiled its new “Pennsylvania Highlands Water and You Learning Center,” an animated, family-friendly online water resource guide to the region. Through interesting facts, helpful information, and photos, the learning center highlights the region’s water sources, everyday uses for water, and ways to help protect drinking water and habitat for fish and other wildlife. Visit the Water and You Learning Center by clicking “Interactive” above or clicking “Learn More About Water in the PA Highlands” on the right navigation bar of this page.

The Brandywine-Struble Greenway is an ever developing interconnected system of formal trails, informal paths, parks, river access points, and riparian buffers and will link the Brandywine River with many Chester and Delaware county communities along its path. AMC chose the East Branch of the Brandywine River as its 2011 "Adopt-a-Water Trail" to work on further enhancing recreational access and awareness for paddlers.

In the Pennsylvania Highlands and throughout the state, waterways and the green spaces along waterways can provide some of the most beautiful and locally-accessible outdoor recreation opportunities through the development of walking trails and river access locations. AMC supports these efforts by working to create the Pennsylvania Highlands Trail Network, which will connect existing natural areas and trails throughout the two-million acre Pennsylvania Highlands landscape. AMC has also published the “Pennsylvania Highlands Regional Recreation Map and Guide.”

A special thanks to Richard Whiteford who has contributed to advancing conservation and recreation efforts along the greenway by pulling together partners, elected officials, and local residents, highlighting the multitude of locally accessible outdoor recreational opportunities and building a community of conservation leaders with a common goal. All photos are courtesy of Richard Whiteford.