A trip into Bucks County led me to several covered bridges. Near the Cabin Run Covered Bridge is Tohickon Valley Park, a pleasnt spot with parking, picnic tables and fishing access to the Tohickon Creek. It is close to several other county parks. The 612-acre Tohickon park also has playgrounds,hiking, ball fields, and a swimming pool in season. Overnight stays include group and family camping and cabins on 22 campsites. It is deceptively large, which is why I missed a portion of it when I was there.
Views of Tohickon Creek.
Nockamixon State Park has been featured on this blog before.so I will not go into detail here. It is a large park in Bucks County with a lake, full service marina, hiking, picnicking, hunting and fishing. It is actually a decent location for astronomy close to the city of Philadelphia. The Tohickon boat launch area is used for astronomy and provides fairly open horizons and a 20.10 mag/arssec^2 sky.
The area around the Octoraro Reservoir and watershed in southern Lancaster and Chester Counties is particularly scenic. The buggies were out in force one Saturday in May.
I don’t have much to say about these photos, and I will let them speak for themeselves.
Lake Somerset is a 253-acre impoundment just north of Somerset (duh). It is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and managed by the Fish and Boat Commission for public fishing and boating. The Commission’s Southwest Region Office is located at the lake. I stopped on a previous trip and couldn’t resist a return visit. It was great spot for some more Spring birding.
We will start at the north end and work our way south.A very nice fishing pier.These geese had several youngsters.
I decided to celebrate a milestone birthday by taking a bucket list trip to stay at the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle State Park.
The 5,900-acre Bald Eagle State Park is in the broad Bald Eagle Valley in Centre County. The 1,730-acre lake laps the flanks of Bald Eagle Mountain, surrounded by forests, fields, and wetlands. With two campgrounds, boating, fishing, swimming, the Nature Inn, and diverse habitats that are excellent for wildlife watching, Bald Eagle State Park offers many diverse recreational opportunities.
I encountered some unusual early December snow on my trip. However, since I don’t get to photograph in these conditions very much, it made for some interesting pictures. The roads in the park were well-plowed, and I was able to reach even some of the more remote areas of the park.
A recent autumn drive towards Berks County led me into Birdsboro Preserve, a beautiful area just south of the town of the same name. It turned out to be a nice spot for fall color. The Birdsboro Preserve and Birdsboro Waters offer miles of hiking and biking trails and connect to the Schuylkill River Trail system.
I like the lawn decor here.
I decided to swing through French Creek State Park on my way home.
The boats were stilled line up at Scotts Run Lake.A little late season fishing.The boats created a similar scene at Hopewell Lake.
Tuscarora State Park sits in a valley north of Blue Mountain near coal mining regions of Pennsylvania. It is a lovely park, but one which has serious problems in terms of ADA access, especially to the lake and beach.
I passed this farm on my way to my next location.
It was then on to Beltzville State Park to view a covered bridge I only recently realized was there.
The Harrity Covered Bridge.The dam is run by the Army Corps of Engineers.
I made my way into Lycoming County back in September. Before we head there, here are some remaining shots of Sullivan County, featuring the town of Muncy Valley. This particular house, on a sharp turn on Route 42, is always decked out with lots of flowers, in season.
The view from the firehouse across the road.
I travelled into Lycoming County on this trip because I specifically wanted to see Rose Valley Lake, which is known as a birding area. The lake is a reservoir that covers 389 acres (1.57 km2) in Gamble Township. The three-hundred-and-sixty-acre artificial lake is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and was given its name, “Rose Valley Lake,” in May 1973 by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, following approval by the commonwealth’s Geographic Names Committee. Created by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, via the construction of a twenty-five-foot-high, four-hundred-and-ten-foot-long earthen dam on Mill Creek in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, Rose Valley Lake is a three-hundred-and-sixty-acre artificial body of water. The most common game species of fish in the lake are largemouth bass, bluegill, black crappie, muskellunge, yellow perch, chain pickerel, pumpkinseed and walleye.
The area around the lake is quite scenic.A small church in Lycoming County.A valley farm.Another interesting old church.Mt. Zion Lutheran Church. A lot of ancestors and relatives are buried here.Eating lunch at the Lairdsville Cornerstone Restaurant.An interesting player piano.And an old stove.
Finally, the Lairdsville Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge over Little Muncy Creek in Moreland Township, Lycoming County. It was built in 1888 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It is also known as the Frazier Covered Bridge. The window with the exposed beams is a unique feature.
Eagles Mere is a borough in Sullivan County with a population of 151 at the 2020 census (full time residents). Eagles Mere was laid out in 1877 and incorporated in 1899. The Eagles Mere Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Eagles Mere’s name literally means “the eagle’s lake”, the word “mere” being a poetic synonym of “lake”. The town has an extensive history of tourism, having been developed as a resort town and was once served by a narrow gauge railway. My family has visited the area since I was a child.
Some of the summer sailboat fleet.The clubhouse at the lake with a swimming beach.St. John of the Wilderness Episcopal Church.The Eagles Mere Inn.
The annual weekend trip to Lake Naomi in the Poconos was blessed with lovely weather – and I got to extend it by a day. Here are some views of the lake.
A panorama of the same area.This woman with three small dogs was quite the character.St. Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church in nearby Pocono Summit. I’ve always been fascinated by this Church and decided to take a closer look.
Located in Somerset County, Lake Somerset is a 253-acre impoundment owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and managed by the Fish and Boat Commission for public fishing and boating. The lake historically has stocked the lake with Channel Catfish, Muskellunge and Walleye fingerling. Fish habitat structures have been placed in the lake over the years a fish habitat improvement program. Boating is limited to boats powered by electric motors and un-powered boats. Two launch ramps are available along with associated parking facilities. Un-powered boats may be moored at the lake in accordance with Commission property regulations. The lake was extensively renovated beginning in 2017. The county has created a nature park around the lake. It seems like a lovely amenity for the region for birding and walking as well a boating and fishing.
There was a small boat concession operating at the lake.This fishing pier seemed quite popular.
