Sheeprock Trek and Thanksgiving Sunrise service

The 95th annual Sheeprock Trek and Thanksgiving Sunrise Service begins at 5:45 a.m. Nov. 23. The hike will depart from the Macungie Fire Company, 31 S. Walnut St., Macungie. Joining them with a special Thanksgiving Message will be Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, 187th Legislative District.

The event is sponsored by Macungie Boy Scout Troop 71 and coordinated by the Macungie Historical Society. Free and open to the general public. No registration required. However, properties surrounding Sheeprock are privately owned and participants are asked to respect their privacy and begin and end the hike with the group originating from the Macungie Fire Department, using the designated hiking trail for access to and from Sheeprock.

Thanksgiving Day 2023 marks the 95th year of the Sheeprock Trek, an annual observance first described in a 1929 Allentown Morning Call article as “a novel undertaking.” William Shoemaker, a local civic leader, state legislator, and founder of the first Macungie Boy Scout Troop, organized the Trek in 1929 as an activity sponsored by the Young People’s Council of Solomon’s Reformed Church. Sheeprock was chosen for this annual pilgrimage because from that point on the mountain “there is presented a grand panoramic view of two thirds of Lehigh County and parts of Berks and Northampton counties.”

The name Sheeprock, or Sheep Stable, was derived from local folklore when a farmer, caught in an unexpected storm, led his sheep to shelter in a cave below the rocky pinnacle. The cave thus served as a stable, or shelter, from the cold north wind. Local historian O. P. Knauss chronicled the trek in newspaper articles during the early years, writing; “Few scenes anywhere are as glorious and inspiring, and at early sunrise the view is particularly beautiful.” That fact is as true today as it was in 1929, and is the main reason that this unique Thanksgiving tradition has survived over the past 95 years.

Hot chocolate and doughnuts will be served at the Macungie Fire Company after the service. In the event of inclement weather conditions, the program will be held inside the Fire Department garages at 5:45 a.m. For information, contact the Macungie Historical Society, 610-965-0372.