When people think about history, especially armed conflicts, many picture dusty textbooks, old maps and long-forgotten generals. But here in Pennsylvania, history isn’t just words on a page—it’s written into the very ground beneath our feet.

From the rolling hills of Gettysburg, where the fate of a nation turned in just three days, to the banks of the Brandywine, where the Revolutionary War nearly lost its footing, to the quiet frontier where settlers clashed in the Whiskey Rebellion—Pennsylvania has been a crossroads for some of the most important struggles in American history.

In fact, you can’t tell the history of America without looking at the battles that scarred Pennsylvania’s landscape. When hatchets, arrows, bullets, swords and cannons left thousands of dead bodies on what was once was peaceful forests and fields.

It’s also true that you can’t tell the stories of Pennsylvania’s parks, forests and public lands without looking at the battles that shaped our history. Places like Point State Park, Washington Crossing State Park and Fort Necessity National Battlefield are just a couple of the public lands that we can enjoy and appreciate today.

Not to mention places like Colonel Denning State Park, Francis Slocum State Park and Ricketts Glen State Park which are named after influential service members and survivors of battles. The very parks we visit, trails we hike and sites we explore have meaning. And it’s important that we know about these hallowed grounds.

Now I understand that history is not for everyone. But I think it’s all in how you learn about it. History isn’t just about battle lines, troop movements and bloody war stories. It’s so much more than that.

It’s about ordinary people—farmers, shopkeepers, immigrants, and families—whose lives were upended by battles happening in their backyards. It’s about how communities responded to chaos, how a landscape carried on the memory of those lost and how the echoes of cannon fire shaped the Pennsylvania we live in today.

So even if you don’t think you’re a “history person,” stick around. Because the battles that happened here aren’t just about the past—they’re about understanding the public lands we have right now.

On this episode, I speak with Brady Crytzer. Brady teaches history at Robert Morris University and is the author of several books about Pennsylvania history.

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Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

When you stand on the ridgeline of South Mountain and look out across the valleys, you see more than just trees and farmland. You see orchards stretching toward the horizon, you see trails that have carried travelers for centuries and you see small, thriving towns that grew out of rocky soil.

This beautiful ridgeline is the northern terminus of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a billion-year old mountain range that stretches 550 miles across eight states.

South Mountain isn’t just a line on a map—it’s the beating heart of south-central Pennsylvania. But here’s the thing: landscapes like this don’t stay special on their own. They face pressures from development, from climate change, from people loving them a little too much—or sometimes not enough.

That’s where the South Mountain Partnership comes in. The organization serves as a public-private partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Over time, it’s grown into an alliance of citizens, businesses, non-profits, academic institutions, and local, state and federal government agencies and officials collaborating to envision and secure a sustainable future for the South Mountain landscape.

This unique coalition is working together to protect not just the forests and farms, but the culture, the history and the very sense of place that makes South Mountain what it is. Because when you talk about protecting a landscape, you’re really talking about protecting people’s lives, their heritage and their future.

And in South Mountain, all those things are tightly bound together.

On this episode, I speak with Katie Hess and Julia Chain. Katie is the director and Julia is the program manager at the South Mountain Partnership.

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association
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Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
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Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis

When you stand at the edge of Hyner View State Park, it feels like Pennsylvania has stretched itself out just for you. Rolling mountains covered in endless green, the West Branch of the Susquehanna winding far below, and a sky so wide it makes you want to take flight.

In fact, people do—Hyner View is one of the state’s most famous hang-gliding spots, where the bold launch themselves into the open air. I’ve been fortunate enough to see gliders taking off from the park’s summit and it is a sight to behold.

While the Hyner View is beautiful no matter the time of year, in autumn it becomes a colorful masterpiece. The endless ridges fade into the horizon and are set ablaze with fiery reds, glowing oranges and warm golds, as if the mountains themselves are smoldering. From the overlook, you can watch the Susquehanna carve its way through the valley below.

Hyner View provides my favorite view in all of the Commonwealth. If I’m within an hour of the park, I must stop just to take in the breathtaking view of the Pennsylvania Wilds.

But Hyner isn’t just about the view. Just a few miles down the road, Hyner Run State Park offers a quieter, more grounded escape. The park feels like one of those secret spots you stumble upon and instantly want to keep to yourself. Tucked in a narrow valley, the park wrapped in trees make you feel protected from the world outside its boundaries.

A cool mountain stream winds through the valley, drawing families to its swimming pool in summer and anglers to its trout-filled waters in spring. Trails climb from the valley floor into the surrounding forest, offering quiet paths where deer slip through the underbrush and birdsong replaces the hum of traffic.

Hyner Run is a place where camping, hiking, and simple stillness come together. Together, these two parks tell a story of contrast—one that lifts you into the sky, and another that brings you back to the forest.

On this episode, I speak with Ian Loewen. Ian is the environmental education specialist for Hyner Run and Hyner View State Parks.

Be sure to support our 2025 sponsors:
Keystone Trails Association
Purple Lizard Maps
Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation
Sisters' Sunflowers

Support the show

Visit our website to learn more about the podcast, to purchase merch and to find out about our incredible sponsors. Follow us on Instagram and Meta to stay connected.

Hosting, production and editing: Christian Alexandersen
Music: Jon Sauer
Graphics: Matt Davis