The Bedford County area has some interesting rural scenes, such as this barn with an unusual star made from repurposed farm equipment.
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From Bedord to Somerset
Travelling from Bedford to Somerset, one encounters a string of covered bridges. First up is the Herline Covered Bridge, which is a wooden covered bridge which is located in Bedford County. It crosses the Juniata River, and is one of fifteen historic covered bridges which are located in Bedford County. Built in 1902, this historic structure is a 136-foot-long (41 m), Burr Truss bridge with a medium pitched gable roof. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Turners Covered Bridge is found off Route 31 in Bedford County. It is an 89 foot Burr Truss bridge, with low side panels and open sides. Construction date is believed to be approximately 1892. It spans the Raystown branch of the Juniata River. This half height style seems to have been popular in the area, as you will see in this post. The bridge is County owned and rests on stone abutments, reinforced with concrete.
I heard several killdeer calling from this field. They sounded like shorebirds, which makes sense since they are related to plovers. The Colvin Covered Bridge has recently been refurbished. It is a multiple king-post bridge rather than the familiar Burr arch truss, resting on concrete abutments. Built in 1894, it crosses Shawnee Creek. The bridge is county owned and is 66 feet long. It was built in 1880.
Our trip now takes us into Somerset County. The New Baltimore Bridge is a covered bridge which crosses the Raystown Branch of the Juniata Rive. The Queen Post truss bridge was built in 1879 and is 86 feet 6 inches (26.37 m) in length and 12 feet (3.7 m) wide. It is one of 10 covered bridges in Somerset County.
I found these markers at covered bridges in Somerset County. 
The Glessner Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Somerset County near Shanksville. It was built in 1881, and is a 90-foot-long (27 m), multiple Kingpost truss bridge, with half-height plank siding and a tin covered gable roof. The bridge crosses Stonycreek River and is an interesting side trip if you are visiting the Flight 93 National Memorial. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980
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In and Around Bedford
The town of Bedford contains some interesting sights for the traveler. The Bedford Village Archeological Site is an archaeological site was once occupied by a Monongahela culture village. Today, the site is the location of Old Bedford Village, an open-air museum, containing a variety of historic structures transported to the site from the surrounding towns of Bedford, Everett, and Rainsburg.
Some of the structures at Old Bedford Village. 
It was a nice surprise to see this lovely horse and pony. 
Adjacent to Old Bedford Village is the Claycomb Covered Bridge. It was was built in 1880 in Reynoldsdale and was moved to its present location in 1975. It is a burr truss design, 126 feet long, which has been reinforced with steel to support bus traffic that frequents Old Bedford Village. The structure is unpainted and the roof is constructed of Cedar shakes. The deck consists of crossboard planks and the sides are totally enclosed. It sits on poured concrete abutments.
Near the entrance to Old Bedford Village, I couldn’t resist a stop at the Penguin, which has a large menu of hard and soft ice cream and other treats.
Finally, one of Bedford’s iconic sites is the Coffee Pot. -
It’s a Breeze
Get ready – the upcoming posts contains a lot of covered bridges. We will also continue the two-per-week schedule of new posts.
I used the extended July Fourth holiday to take another trip to the Laurel Highlands. The trip started with an exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Breezewood to see some covered bridges. The first stop of the trip was Jacksons Mill Covered Bridge, a wooden covered bridge located in Bedford County. It crosses Brush Creek and is a 91-foot-long (28 m), Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1889. It is one of 15 historic covered bridges in Bedford County. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
There is also a very nice old mill building at this site. 
Nearby is Feltons Mill Covered Bridge, which is another wooden covered bridge located in Bedford County. It is a 105-foot-long (32 m), Burr Truss bridge with a medium pitched gable roof, constructed in 1892. It also crosses Brush Creek. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
I was not able to get a good photo of this bridge, as the entrance appears to be on private property. The access road had a rope across it and appears to terminate a short distance from the main road. The bridge might be viewable from the nearby main road bridge when the trees are not leafed out, However, this random haybale was sitting nearby, and you know I can’t resist a good haybale.
My drive around the Breezewood area also produced some other interesting sights, such as this interesting looking Church, with a very minimalist style.
More haybales of course. 
This old silo looked like a castle tower, if you squint. 
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Bedford County Beauties
Heading south from Blue Knob, I visited several covered bridges in Bedford County. First up is the Osterburg Bowser Covered Bridge, a wooden covered bridge at East St. Clair Township. It is a 90-foot-long (27 m), Burr Truss bridge with a shallow gable roof. It crosses Bobs Creek, and it is one of 15 historic covered bridges in Bedford County. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is an example of the bridges in this area that do not have complete sides.
The Osterburg Bowser Covered Bridge 
I next made my way to Snooks Covered Bridge, a historic wooden covered bridge also located in East St. Clair Township Township. Built in 1883, it is a 75-foot-long (23 m), Burr Truss bridge with a shallow gable roof. It crosses Dunning Creek. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in (you guessed) 1980.
Snooks Covered Bridge 
The Ryot Covered Bridge is wooden covered bridge that is located in West St. Clair Township. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This bridge is a low to medium Burr Truss bridge with a shallow gable roof. It was damaged by fire in 2002, and reconstructed. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
A request to remove the bridge from the National Register was submitted after it was badly damaged by a fire in 2002. The bridge was set on fire by teenage arsonists in 2002. Most of the wooden parts of the bridge were badly damaged. The Ryot Bridge was rehabilitated only seven years earlier, so most of the added steel supports remained intact, along with the stone abutments. The bridge was restored by P. Joseph Lehman, Inc., at a total cost of $300,000.
The Ryot Covered Bridge 
The Cuppett’s Covered Bridge, which was built by Cuppett brothers William & Philip on September 14, 1882, is a historic covered bridge that is located in Napier Township. Privately owned by the Cuppett family from the day it was built, the bridge took just five months to build for a total cost of $780. John Wayde did the masonry work, and Jeremiah Thompson completed the carpentry. Crossing Dunnings Creek, the 70-foot-long (21 m) bridge is a unique design with unusually low arches and low side walls which highlight the patented Burr Arch Truss system. The Cuppett’s Covered Bridge was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980 by the United States Department of the Interior. The bridge was quite a popular spot for family photos when I was there.
The Cuppetts Covered Bridge, decorated for the season. 
The Knisley Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge located at West St. Clair Township. It is an 80-foot-long (24 m), medium Burr Truss bridge with a shallow gable roof. It crosses Dunning Creek. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The Knisely Covered Bridge 
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A Park Better Known as a Ski Area
Blue Knob State Park offers year-round wilderness adventures on 6,128 acres of woodland. The park is best know for the ski area of the same name, which is on the tallest mountain used for skiing in the state. The park is in the northwestern tip of Bedford County, west of I-99. The elevation of the park can cause air temperatures to be several degrees cooler than the surrounding cities. The annual snowfall averages about 12 feet. One of the unique features of the park is the solitude it provides the visitor. There are many opportunities to enjoy the quiet and refreshing serenity of the mountains and streams. There is camping, hunting, and fishing here (along with the skiing). There is also a golf course at the base of the ski resort.
The park office. 
I wasn’t expecting to find a swimming pool here. 
An old barn that looks like it is now being used for storage. 
Blue Knob is actually a massif with subsidiary peaks. 
The ski lodge. 
More views of the ski area. 
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Another Westward Trip
Another westward trip in late fall gave me the opportunity to just about finish off my visits to Pennsylvania’s state parks. I headed north to Altoona from the Fort Littleton area and made a few stops along the way.
The first stop was actually a covered bridge – Hall’s Mill Covered Bridge. It is a wooden covered bridge which is located in Hopewell Township in Bedford County. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The structure is a 91-foot-long (28 m), Burr Truss bridge with a medium pitched gable roof, and was built in 1872. It crosses Yellow Creek, and is one of fifteen historic covered bridges in Bedford County. It is one of several bridges that I saw in this area with open sides, except for the support beams.
After viewing the bridge, I made my way to Warrior’s Path State Park. This park is one of two near Raystown Lake that I visited. The 349-acre park lies very near the famous path used by the Iroquois in raids and wars with the Cherokees and other American Indians in southern Pennsylvania.
The park is a seasonal, day-use area open from mid-April through the end of October that is fairly small and undeveloped. At other times of the year, visitors must park near the main gate and walk into the park. The park provided opportunities for hiking, boating, fishing and picnicking, wildlife viewing and volleyball. This finger of land is bounded on three sides by the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River, which empties into Raystown Lake approximately one mile downstream. The unique shape of the park was formed as a result of river meandering. This section of the river exhibits some of the best examples of natural stream meandering in the state.
The Raystown branch of the Juniata. 
Trough Creek State Park in one of the loveliest in the Commonwealth. The 541-acre park is a scenic gorge formed as Great Trough Creek cuts through Terrace Mountain before emptying into Raystown Lake. Rugged hiking trails lead to wonders like Balanced Rock and Rainbow Falls. Rothrock State Forest and Raystown Lake border the park, making a large, contiguous area of public land for recreation. The park has a lovely campground and the usual state park activities.
The Balanced Rock is one of Trough Creek’s best know sites. 
Trough Creek 
The Ice Mine 
This park is full of interesting rock formations. 
I finished my day with a brief visit to Raystown Lake, an Army Corp of Engineers facility. Raystown Lake is a reservoir in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is the largest lake that is entirely within Pennsylvania. The original lake was built by the Simpson family of Huntingdon as a hydroelectric project. The current 8,300-acre, 27 mile long Raystown Lake was completed in 1973 by the Army Corps of Engineers. The popular lake offers opportunities for boating, fishing, camping, hiking, swimming, and scenic beauty.
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Even More State Parks
Southwestern Pennsylvania is a great area for state parks. In my last post, I explored the state parks with “laurel” in their names (due to the fact they are on or around the long ridge line known as Laurel Mountain). Today we’ll add a few more in the area.
Starting in Bedford County, I exited the turnpike at Bedford and soon found myself a Shawnee State Park. This park has a large lake, campground, beach, disc golf, hiking, fishing and other amenities.
Boats at Shawnee State Park The following day I went to check out Kooser State Park. This one also has a lake with fishing, hiking and picnicking. There is also a very nice small cabin colony there.
A peek at Kooser State Park. On my way to Laurel Summit State Park, I passed through Linn Run State Park. This a beautiful, forested park follows along the course of Linn Run. It is adjacent to the Forbes State forest. It offers stream fishing, hiking, picnicking and has a beautiful cabin colony for overnight stays. Admas Falls on Linn Run is a favorite scenic spot and has a picnic table available.
Falls on Linn Run
