Unami Hills
Home of vast forests and the Green Lane Reservoir.
Unami Hills Conservation Area within the Pennsylvania Highlands
The vast woodlands of the Unami Hills form the largest forest block in northeastern Montgomery and northwestern Bucks counties. The Unami Hills is covered by a wide swath of upland forest, about 15,000 acres, that helps maintain high water quality in the surrounding historic stream valleys.
Natural Resources
The Unami Hills conservation area has roughly 31 miles of perennial streams that support aquatic life such as redbelly turtle, northern red salamander, and pineland pimpernel. The Perkiomen Creek’s tributaries – the Deep, Macoby, Molasses, and West Branch of the Perkiomen Creeks – feed Green Lane Reservoir and provide a clean drinking water source for Green Lane, Perkiomenville, and Schwenksville.
The Unami Hills contains a mixed deciduous interior forest that provides a home for scarlet tanagers, Louisiana waterthrush, prothonotary warbler, a Pennsylvania Game Commission Species of Special Concern, and American redstart. Audobon Pennsylvania has designated the Unami Forest as an Important Bird Area for forest interior birds. Unusual animals are also found here – gray fox, mink, eastern coyote, and wood frog.
Historical / Cultural Resources
The Unami Hills area was originally inhabited by the Unami band or sub-tribe of the Lenni Lenape. In the early 18th century German immigrant farmers settled the area, calling it Goschenhoppen. Today, Goschenhoppen is one of the oldest continuously occupied German communities in America. Forests here provided fuel for iron furnaces and mills, including a powder mill owned by E. I. DuPont deNemour. German culture and its unique influences are still evident in this community. The Henry Antes House, a National Historic Landmark, is an outstanding example of Pennsylvania German architecture from the mid-18h century.
The Unami Hills is part of the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area , which focuses on the preservation and interpretation of the Schuylkill River’s industrial artifacts. Priorities of the Heritage Area include recreational amenities such as the Perkiomen Trail along Perkiomen Creek, connecting the Schuylkill River Trail to the 3400-acre Green Lane Park. The park has an 829-acre reservoir that provides recreation, drinking water, and scenic views. The Unami Hills area also contains the 1,200-acre Musser Boy Scout Campground. This area’s historic resources are plentiful, with several listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Recreational Resources
There are many recreational opportunities within the Unami Creek Valley landscape such as hiking, camping, bicycling. There are also many waterways that provide access for fishing, paddling, and boating activities.
Interactive Map
The Unami Hills conservation area is located in Bucks and Montgomery counties. It has a total acreage of roughly 22,777 acres with approximately 5,171 acres of protected open space that the public can access, plus 25 miles of hiking trails. This region is known for the Green Lane Park , Highlands Trail of Pennsylvania , Perkiomen Trail , and Green Lane Reservoir.
Unami Hills
Local Organizations
Follow the links below to learn more about some organizations in the region that focus on conservation and land protection.
Call to Action
Join us in advocating for the protection of the mountains, rivers, forests, and trails of our region.
Programs and people dedicated to conservation in Pennsylvania ensure the region’s outdoor resources are managed responsibly. Click below to speak up and urge your state legislators to increase conservation funding.
Increase State Conservation Funding
Return to The Pennsylvania Highlands Conservation Atlas main StoryMap where you can discover and continue to learn about the other Pennsylvania Highlands Conservation Areas in the Next Steps section.
