If indeed it's important to get out, exercise and enjoy the great outdoors, then there are few better places to recreate locally than Speedwell Forge County Park.

Situated at 480 Speedwell Forge Road, Lititz, just outside of Brickerville, Speedwell Forge Park is 415 acres of undisturbed natural beauty. Its scenic setting provides visitors the perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of the everyday rat race.

"First and foremost, it's about the welfare of our citizens," said Bob Devonshire, director of general services of Lancaster County, which oversees the operation and maintenance of the park. "People need to get out from behind their TVs or from behind their computers, go outside and enjoy the outdoors. It's really about getting out there and being part of nature."

Bordered by the Pennsylvania State Game Lands of Furnace Hills and encompassing the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission's Speedwell Forge Lake, the park and surrounding areas allow hunting and fishing. But Speedwell Forge Park also offers visitors opportunities for hiking, bird watching and general nature appreciation.

Visitors should also be willing to peacefully coexist with deer, several species of birds, assorted wildlife and a wide variety of plants and woodland wildflowers.

"There's trails. There's nature. There's plants," said Devonshire. "There's a tremendous amount of things to do there. The fishing is fantastic and you can hunt in the park."

Speedwell Forge is one of nine parks - some 2,000 acres of park land - operated by Lancaster County. It is one of Lancaster County's most northern parks and second only in size to Lancaster County Central Park.

"I would consider it more of a passive park," said Devonshire. "It's more like undisturbed woodlands. It's pretty much been kept as it's always been. It's remained in its natural state."

Lancaster County has good reason to take pride in its park system. So, it follows that the county also has a great desire for residents to utilize and experience its recreational areas.

"The goal is to try and have a park within close proximity of every resident in the county," said Devonshire. "Speedwell Forge fills that gap in the northern corridor."

"I think the message is 'We're here. We're open,'" concluded Devonshire. "We'd love to have people come out and enjoy our parks and programs. I cannot speak highly enough of our naturalists and their programs. There are tremendous opportunities within our parks."

For more information on Speedwell Forge Park, go to http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us.