Where Do Locals Go for Fall Color? Lake Redman and Lake Williams

For fall color close to home, York County locals go to Lake Redman and Lake Williams in William H. Kain County Park, 1,637 acres of woods and water just south of York City off Interstate 83 at Jacobus. The state forestry service puts York County's peak at mid to late October, and the two lakes give you the color twice, once on the hills and once in the reflection.

The photos are from a late-October morning. The lakes are York Water Company drinking-water reservoirs, so the shorelines have stayed wooded, which is why the color is so complete.

What is William H. Kain County Park?

It is a 1,637-acre York County park established in 1977 around two reservoirs: Lake Williams, 220 acres, and Lake Redman, 290 acres. The York Water Company owns the lakes and leases the land to the county under a 50-year agreement. The park office is at 274 Hess Farm Road, York, PA 17403. Lake Redman lies in York and Springfield townships with Interstate 83 running along it; Lake Williams is downstream to the west. Both are reached from Main Street in Jacobus: Church Street east for Lake Redman, Water Street west for Lake Williams.

What can you do there?

• Hike, ride or bike: more than 12 miles of marked trails open to hikers, horseback riders and mountain bikers.
• Paddle: Lake Redman has two boat launches and Lake Williams one, with limited trailer parking. Kayaks and canoes need no county permit. Boat rentals on Lake Redman (rowboats, paddle boats, canoes, kayaks) run Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day; the 2026 rental season has ended and the county lists May 29 through September 6 for 2027.
• Fish: Lake Redman is managed under the Fish and Boat Commission's Big Bass regulations, a 15-inch minimum and four-fish daily limit, and the commission's survey put its largemouth catch rates in the top five percent of similar lakes. Anyone 16 or older needs a Pennsylvania fishing license.

Two rules come from the drinking-water status. Under state boating regulations, gas motors are prohibited on both lakes; electric motors and paddle craft are fine, and boats must stay 100 feet from the dams. Swimming is not allowed.

What happened to Lake Williams?

It was drained for a dam rebuild and is full again. York Water began building a new Lake Williams dam in 2021. Refilling took 91 days; the company declared the lake full on May 8, 2024, reopened it to recreation on May 25, 2024, and rededicated the dam on June 3, 2024. If you last visited during construction, the west end of the park is a different place now.

When is the best week for color?

Plan on the second half of October. Explore York, quoting the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, says York County peaks from mid to late October, and DCNR's October 23, 2025 report listed York County at peak. Go early on a weekday morning; the water is flat and the reflection is the photo.

Who does this park matter to?

Buyers in York Township, Jacobus and Loganville, who get this as their neighborhood park with an I-83 on-ramp next to it. Dallastown Area School District, which covers most of that area, had a median sale price of $320,000 for January through August 2026, and the park is one of the reasons those homes hold their value.

If you want a home within a bike ride of these trails, I can show you what is available in York Township and Jacobus right now. Call or text me at 717-356-9413.