The Orchard Hill Arboretum is the City of Lancaster’s first arboretum. Located in gorgeous Rising Park, the arboretum features a variety of native species, as well as rare and imported trees from around the world. The new saplings are situated amongst the beautiful legacy trees that already adorn the hillside. The arboretum will continually evolve as accessible paths, informational kiosks, art, seating, signage, additional plantings, and more amenities are added through the years.

What’s the Story Behind the Orchard Hill Arboretum?
Rising Park is one of the crown jewels of the Lancaster Parks & Recreation system. Beloved by all, this park is the place almost everyone turns to for family fun, exercise, friendly competitions, gatherings, appreciating nature – and to tackle Lancaster’s iconic symbol, Mt. Pleasant.

But the Parks Department realized that Rising Park was in trouble. Almost 200 dead trees and tree stumps had recently been removed from the park. They turned to the community to ask for support through the “100 Trees, Please!” program, which was a year-long initiative requesting that the community sponsor 100 trees to help replenish the park they love so much. Amazingly, generous community members donated 200 trees within the first two months of the campaign. With so many trees available at once, the Parks decided to take advantage of this rare opportunity and develop an arboretum.

The Parks Department consulted with arboretum experts, artisans, arborists, and many others to develop plans for the arboretum. This ever-evolving project is sure to be both a source of pride for residents and a unique destination for visitors.