The colonial Fort Loudoun was built in 1756 during the French and Indian War as a supply depot. A replica of the fort, built in 1993, stands at the corner of US 30 and Brooklyn Road North, at the southeastern corner of the CDP. There are events anb workshops held at the site, although hours for tours can be variable. The exterior of the property and access to Conococheague Creek for fishing is available from sunup to sundown. Please check the fort’s website for more informaiton.
Cowans Gap State Park has 201 campsites in two loops. The camping area is open from mid-April until mid-December. The campsites can accommodate campers from a small tent to a large motor home, with seven walk-in tent sites are adjacent to Camping Area B. There is also a rutic cabin colony, built by the CCC. Here is a look at one of the cabins I stayed in.
The fireplace, mantel, some of the chairs, benches and bunks seem to be original, in addition to the outer structure of the cabin. Forgive the sight of my stuff strewn around, I forgot to take photos first.
This cabin had an interior wall separating the sleeping area into two rooms.
Cowans Gap State Park is a 1,085-acre (439 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Fulton County. The park is largely surrounded by Buchanan State Forest in Allens Valley just off Pennsylvania Route 75 near Fort Loudon. The park is lovely, and although I have visited before, I was happy to be back.
The Civilian Conservation Corps provided work for the unemployed from throughout the United States. A CCC camp, Richmond Furnace Camp PA-SP-54, was built at the site of Cowans Gap State Park. At first the young men lived in tents, but they soon built cabins (which are still in use at the park). The young men of the CCC also planted thousands of acres of new trees, built four bridges, 30 miles (48 km) of state roads, 32 miles (51 km) of fire trails, and 11 miles (18 km) of telephone lines. In addition, the CCC also cleared the forests and streams of brush, built pavilions, and constructed the dam that created Cowans Gap Lake. The park opened to the public in 1937.
More of the day use area.
Big Mountain Overlook sits near the border of Franklin and Fulton counties. It makes for a nice, quick side trip from Route 30. It has spectacular views in the Autumn but is lovely an time of year. The Tuscarora Trail passes nearby,
I first needed to make a quick pitstop for lunch and groceries in Spring Run after exting the turnpike at Willow Hill. This partial log cabin home was an interesting site nearby. I wonder if the log section is old.
The overlook was the first official stop on my trip. I had been on the access road before but managed to miss the overlook. This overlook it not to far from the parking area at the end of the cul de sac on Tower Road.
The Spring birding season led to another trip to Marsh Creek State Park in Chester County. The park was active with boaters getting ready for the season in relatively nice weather for May.
Kuster Mill, also known as Custer’s Fulling Mill and Skippack Creek Farm, is a historic fulling mill in Evansburg State Park on Skippack Creek in Montgomery County. The complex includes three contributing buildings and one contributing structure. They are the original mill, mill race, a stone house, and a Dutch bank barn. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
Today, the area is popular with fishermen and walkers in Evansburg State Park. I visited on a day in April when trout season was underway. The weather was grim, but that was not much of a deterrent to those enjoying the park.
The great blue heron is one of my favorite birds, due in no small part to the fact there is a rookery near where I live. Here is a shot of one in action at the Octoraro Lake in Chester County. Note the bonus great blues in the background, as well as a faint great egret.
The great blue heron (Ardea herodias) is a large wading bird in the heron family (Ardeidae), common near shores of open water and wetlands over most of North and Central America, as well as Northwestern South America, the Caribbean, and the Galápagos Islands. It is occasionally found in the Azores and is a rare vagrant to Europe.
They are fairly easy to find in Pennsylvania if you know where to look. Coupled with their majestic, but positively prehistoric looks, the great blues are a favorite.
The Bermuda trip ends with a look around the ship, Virgin Voyage’s Valiant Lady. We return to Pennsylvania next week.
The cruise departed from the Brooklyn cruise terminal, in Red Hook, New York City.
Continuing our series from Bermuda in April, the following photos provide a look around the Royal Naval Dockyard, which now functions as a cruise port and location for dining, shopping and museums.
The following post (and two more to follow) are from a recent cruise to Bermuda which I took in mid April. The first entry is from a trolley tour around the West End of Bermuda near the Royal Naval Dockyard and Somerset Parish. Even though the weather was overcast, there were still some lovely coastal views.
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