Fall is in full swing: Trees are showing off their brightest colors before the permanent winter chill sets in, and the crisp air is the perfect temperature to enjoy the beauty of Pennsylvania’s outdoor paradise.

Leaning into the beauty of the autumn season, Refreshing Mountain Retreat and Adventure Center in Stevens has something for everyone to enjoy during the fall and holiday season while making life-changing memories through exhilarating adventures.

About Refreshing Mountain Retreat and Adventure Center

Refreshing Mountain Retreat and Adventure Center was founded in 1983 upon the vision of Marlin and Sharon Harnish to provide a place where families could be refreshed. What began with two bunk houses and a stable on the grounds of a run-down horse camp has now blossomed into a facility that hosts hundreds of groups and thousands of individuals on an annual basis.

The Center, located in Lancaster County and on the general track of the Appalachian Mountains, is touted for its excellent hospitality in a relaxing family-friendly environment. Whether you’re interested in a group event, family getaway, or solo expedition, you can find facilities and services tailored to your adventure.

Refreshing Mountain accommodates large group retreats and even rents cabins for overnight getaways; provides a variety of outdoor adventures, day field trips, and corporate team-building events with activities including zipline canopy tours, high ropes course, climbing tower, and problem-solving challenges. And for those looking to explore everything in the vicinity of this 100-acre Pennsylvania woodland, it is conveniently located just 25 minutes north of Lancaster, 30 minutes east of Hershey, and 90 minutes west of Philadelphia.

Discover New Ways To Have Fun at Refreshing Mountain

Always looking to add more exciting attractions and adventures for visitors, Phil True, “Fun Scheduler” at Refreshing Mountain, states that every year, the owners of Refreshing Mountain look to update the property.

“In 2023, we added two brand-new meeting rooms which has been a hit with our corporate groups,” True said. “In 2024, we updated the public restrooms located near the Activity Center. We also added more storage space for the activity maintenance team and even updated the Challenge Adventure Zipline Tour.”

In addition to facility updates, the team also strives to freshen up what it offers guests. To this notion, this year, the Center brought back a Family Pass to the pool that allowed families easy booking.

“This fall, we added a gamified option to all three of our zip lines — pumpkin smashing, rubber duckie toss, and cornhole toss,” stated True. “We’re always looking for ways where we can engage our guests in new and exciting ways to bring a more refreshing and meaningful experience.”

Fall into Adventure at Refreshing Mountain

Other ways to enjoy the fall season at Refreshing Mountain include Fall Fest Days (on the weekends from Sept. 7-Nov. 23), which offer families and groups a festive outdoor space to gather, adventure, and enjoy fall activities together.

“We have intentionally decorated our property with festive fall decor and included activities for the whole family,” stated True.

He adds that there is a Fall Family Scavenger Hunt, a Fall Fest Coloring Contest that happens each weekend, and yard games throughout the property such as Pumpkin Ring Toss and Corn Hole. For those older and looking for more of a challenge, there are guided activities (ages five and over) and gamified zipline courses. Each zipline course allows guests to toss fun things at targets with the opportunity to win a free t-shirt.

Guests can also enjoy the following fall adventures and challenges:

• Aerial Excursion Course: guests will have the opportunity to throw pumpkins at targets.
• Challenge Adventure Course: Guests will have the opportunity to throw rubber ducks at a target in the pond.
• Flying-V Zipline (included in the Ascent Package): Guests will have the opportunity to toss cornhole bags at giant cornhole boards.

Explore the “Let There Be Light” Christmas Zipline Adventure

Just because the temperatures drop and the days are shorter does not mean the adventure has to stop. Refreshing Mountain is lighting up the night sky this holiday season with its Christmas Lights display, and guests can either walk or zip line through the scenery.

True details that with the Christmas Light Walking Path, families can walk through a forest of over 500,000 Christmas lights, and if they are feeling a little adventurous, can choose one of the three zipline courses to zipline through the Christmas lights for an unforgettable aerial view.

Included in each ziplining adventure is access to the Elevated Obstacle course that is completely lit by Christmas Lights, and included with the Christmas Light Walking Path and Ziplines is special access to the Wildlife Center where families will see reptiles, amphibians, and birds of prey.

“The atmosphere welcomes families to enjoy a warm drink from our Cafe, sit by one of our campfire areas, and take in the beautiful Christmas scenery,” said True. “It’s the perfect way to celebrate the season and give the gift of memories.”

True also notes that while most might think the fall and winter seasons would be slow for outdoor activities, it has become quite the opposite at Refreshing Mountain — with the holiday season becoming almost as busy as the summer season. They have even seen an increase in Overnight Retreats and day guests during the winter months due to the Christmas Light Experience.

“Over the past few years we have developed a longer walking path to view the lights which now has become a year-round feature, allowing people to enjoy more spaces on our property,” shared True. “We have found people really get into the Christmas spirit with a festive atmosphere and unique winter activities! Many of our guests have made our Christmas experiences a staple in their family traditions.”

Outdoor Adventure with a Purpose: How Refreshing Mountain Remains True to Its Mission

With such a large expanse of property and activities for all ages, it’s logical to wonder how such a popular (and ever-growing and changing) destination remains true to its mission: to provide clean, comfortable, and safe facilities, where guests can be refreshed. As a facility steeped in Christ-centered faith, True believes this is the guiding light when the business looks to develop its space, steward its resources, and serve its guests.

“We believe our Statement of Faith enables us to better serve groups, whether or not they fully ascribe to it,” he stated. “Another benefit is our 100+ acre property helps us to maintain a refreshing atmosphere.”

While there may be large groups and smaller families frequently visiting Refreshing Mountain in tandem, True explains that meticulous scheduling, spatial awareness, and excellent staff all play into everyone enjoying their visit.

“Families rarely know we have larger groups on site due to how we schedule and the various spaces we have to accommodate different guests,” True said. “We would be remiss if we did not mention our staff; we are well aware of the importance of having great staff who are available to serve both individuals and groups which includes keeping our facilities looking top-notch and providing a level of service that is truly refreshing.”

With something for everyone and the excitement of an abundance of seasonal activities to enjoy, True noted that 2024 has been Refreshing Mountain’s busiest year on record and that he has seen an increase of people wanting to be outdoors and connecting with nature and each other. 

“Especially in our overnight retreats and getaways: We have seen larger groups and more people overall looking for a place to gather and connect on deeper levels.”

Explore all the ways to enjoy the great outdoors this fall and winter season at Refreshing Mountain.

Learn more at Discover Lancaster and find the best things to do, places to eat, and more in Lancaster County.