• I Missed a Few

    On my way to Sullivan County, I took the opportunity to visit a few covered bridges that I had not visited before or failed to photograph for the blog. Outside of Allentown, I took a look at the Bogert Covered Bridge. This area was busy on a sunny Monday holiday, so I took a few photos and got the neck out of there. Bogert Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge is a 145-foot-long (44 m), Burr Truss bridge, that was constructed in 1841. It has vertical plank siding and a gable roof. It was restored by the Allentown Parks Department

    Moving on to Columbia County, the Sam Eckman Covered Bridge was the first of three that I know that I have seen before. The bridge is a wooden covered bridge located at Greenwood Township and Pine Township. It is a 65.1-foot-long (19.8 m), Warren Truss bridge constructed in 1876. It crosses Little Fishing Creek. It is one of the 28 historic covered bridges in Columbia and Montour Counties. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

    This distinctive farm is nearby.
    A barn I saw on my travels. It has some notable stars, which look like they are for sale.

    Next was the Jud Christian Covered Bridge, a wooden covered bridge located at Jackson Township and Pine Township. It is a 63-foot-long (19 m), Queen post truss bridge constructed in 1876. It crosses the Little Fishing Creek. It was also listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. I remember some interesting cattle near this bridge when I visited before, but, sadly, they were no here on this day.

    Little Fishing Creek.
    An adjacent farm with some really neat buildings.

    The diminutive Shoemaker Covered Bridge is another wooden covered bridge located at Pine Township. It was the lone new-to-me bridge in this bunch. is a 49-foot-long (15 m), Queen Post Truss bridge constructed in 1881. It crosses West Branch Run and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is all decked out for a picnic. It might be privately owned but is not posted.

    Finally, the Wagner Covered Bridge is one of the relocated covered bridges in Pennsylvania. It currently sits near the entrance to a housing development. The Wagner Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that was originally built in Locust Township. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The bridge was dismantled on March 23, 1981, and the pieces stored at Knoebels Amusement Resort until it was rebuilt at its current location in Hemlock Township. When built in 1856, this historic structure was a 56.5-foot-long (17.2 m), Queen Post Truss bridge with a tarred metal roof. It originally crossed the North Branch of Roaring Creek. When I first saw it years ago, it was covered in graffiti. It is looking much better today.

  • Forksville and Hillsgrove

    The town of Forksville is not far from World’s End State Park. It features the Forksville Covered Bridge, a Burr arch truss covered bridge over Loyalsock Creek. It was built in 1850 and is 152 feet 11 inches (46.61 m) in length. The bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The Forksville bridge is obviously named for the borough it is in, which in turn is named for its location at the confluence or “forks” of the Little Loyalsock and Loyalsock Creeks. The Forksville bridge is a Burr arch truss type, with a load-bearing arch sandwiching multiple vertical king posts, for strength and rigidity. The building of the Forksville bridge was supervised by the 18-year-old Sadler Rogers, who used his hand-carved model of the structure. It served as the site of a stream gauge from 1908 to 1913 and is still an official Pennsylvania state highway bridge. The bridge was restored in 1970 and 2004 and is still in use.

    The post office and a look around the town.
    Eating lunch at the Forskville Inn and Tavern.
    Plenty of taxidermy to see here.

    Also in Sullivan County is the Hillsgrove Covered Bridge, a Burr arch truss covered bridge over Loyalsock Creek in Hillsgrove Township. It was built circa 1850 and is 186 feet (56.7 m) long. In 1973, it became the first covered bridge in the county to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bridge is named for the township and nearby village of Hillsgrove, and is also known as Rinkers Covered Bridge for an adjoining farm. It was built by Sadler Rodgers, who also constructed the nearby Forksville Covered Bridge in the same year, with a similar design. The bridge is the longest of three covered bridges remaining in Sullivan County, and served as a landing site for lumber rafts on the creek between 1870 and 1890. Restoration work was carried out in 1963, 1968, 2010, and again in 2012 after serious flood damage.

  • Around the Loyalsock Forest and Laporte

    Travelling east over Route 154, turn north on Rock Run Road. You will soon come down to the Loyalsock Creek where you can cross via this interesting bridge.

    I had to sneak the Sonestown covered bridge in here as it was on my route that day. The Sonestown Covered Bridge is a covered bridge over Muncy Creek in Davidson Township, Sullivan County built around 1850. It is 110 ft (34 m) long and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1980. It is also known as the Davidson Covered Bridge. It was built to provide access to a grist mill which operated until the early 20th century.

    The Sonestown bridge is a Burr arch truss type with a load-bearing arch sandwiching multiple vertical king posts for strength and rigidity. The bridge construction is cruder than the other two surviving covered bridges in Sullivan County, with each Burr arch formed from six straight beams set at angles instead of a smooth curve. The bridge was repaired in 1969 and after flood damage in 1996, 2005, 2013, and 2020. It was also restored in 2001.

    The Sullivan County courthouse in Laporte, the county seat.
    I like the cardinal decor on this house in Laporte.
    Into the Loyalsock State Forest, we come to Dry Run Falls.
    There is a picnic area along Dry Run Road.
    As well as a Ranger Station.
    Best sign in the Forest. I’ve heard Shanerburg was a logging camp. If anyone knows anything about it, please comment.
  • At the World’s End

    Worlds End State Park is situated in a narrow S-shaped valley of the Loyalsock Creek, just south of Forksville, Sullivan County. Surrounded by the Loyalsock State Forest, the 780-acre park offers visitors diverse recreational opportunities, such as hiking, fishing, camping, wildlife viewing and hunting, within a pristine natural environment. As evidenced by the Loyalsock Canyon Vista below, the rugged natural beauty of the Endless Mountains landscape provides many photo opportunities.

    My cabin on this trip. It looks like another CCC creation.
    The neighbors.
    The other neighbors.
    I love this snack shop. It’s a great thing to have in Sullivan County.
    A sneak peak at the beach (which was closed) along the Loyalsock Creek. The water here is always “refreshing.”
    Another view from the Vista.
    A taxidermy paradise at the park office.
    A rare cinnamon black bear.
    This is what fisher actually looks like. If I had a dollar for every mink, weasel or whatever that someone thinks is a fisher …
    This bobcat looks surprised to be in his present condition,
  • Allentown Area Covered Bridges

    I used my trip to the Poconos to stop and visit some historic covered bridges in the Allentown area.

    My first stop was the Wehr Covered Bridge, a wooden covered bridge located in Lehigh County. It is a three span, 117-foot-long (36 m) Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1841. It has horizontal siding and gable roof. It crosses Jordan Creek. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. There is and adjacent park, appropriately named Covered Bridge Park and a dam across Jordan Creek forming a small waterfall.

    Another interesting bridge with a nice setting is Manasses Guth Covered Bridge. It is a wooden covered bridge near the Wehr Covered Bridge. It is a 108-foot-long (33 m) Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1858, and rebuilt in 1882. It has vertical siding. It also crosses Jordan Creek and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. There is some interesting architecture near the bridge.

    The Geiger Covered Bridge is a is a 112-foot-long (34 m) Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1860. It has vertical plank siding and an entry portal of stepped square planks. It also crosses Jordan Creek within the Trexler Nature Preserve. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

    Finally, the Schlicher Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that is 108-foot-long (33 m) Burr Truss bridge, constructed in 1882. It has vertical plank siding and a gable roof. It crosses Jordan Creek near the Lehigh Valley Zoo. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980

  • More Somerset Covered Bridges

    Somerset County is one of the places in Pennsylvania that has done an excellent job of preserving its covered bridges. They make nice side trips if you are visiting for skiing or other outdoor activity, Driving south in the county, one comes to Barronvale Covered Bridge. This bridge, also known as Barron’s Mill Bridge, is a covered bridge in Middlecreek Township crossing Laurel Hill Creek. At 162 feet 3 inches (49.45 m) it is the longest remaining covered bridge in Somerset County. It is 13 feet 10 inches (4.22 m) wide. The Burr truss bridge was built in 1902 by Cassimer Cramer.

    The King’s Covered Bridge is in Middlecreek Township. It was built in 1802, and is a 127-foot-4-inch-long (38.81 m) Burr truss bridge, with an asbestos covered gable roof. The bridge also crosses Laurel Hill Creek and is easy to visit if you are also going to the Barronvale Bridge. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. There is a nice picnic area adjacent to the bridge.

    The Lower Humbert Covered Bridge, or the Faidley Covered Bridge, is an 126-foot-6-inch (38.56 m) Burr Arch truss covered bridge that crosses Laurel Hill Creek, in Lower Turkeyfoot Township. It was built in 1891 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 10, 1980. It has a more wooded setting in the base of a gorge.

  • Vosburg Neck – The Most Compelling New State Park

    Vosburg Neck State Park lies five miles west of Tunkhannock in Wyoming County. The park’s 669 acres feature historic buildings from the 1700 and 1800s, a canal bed and rail bed,, and a 1700s-era cemetery. Recreational activities include eight miles of trails, non-motorized boating access, and picnic areas.

    The park is one of Pennsylvania’s three new state parks, and the most developed to date. The park was formerly the Howland Preserve. It is located in an oxbow on the north branch of the Susquehanna River known as the Vosburg Neck and features a diverse range of habitat.

    The park office.
    The Riverside Barn seemed to have been in use for a private function before I arrived.
    Private residences dot the area. I also lust after one of these trailers
    The boat launch.
    A lovely private home.
    The cemetery.
  • Color is Budding Out All Over

    Lancaster County on a lovely Spring day provides beautiful views of flowers and flowering trees. The tree buds in the local woodlands also create more color than one might expect.

    The local farms are also getting into the swing of things for the upcoming growing season.

  • Hibernia – There and Back, Part I

    On my way to visit Hibernia County Park in Chester County, I was finally able to photograph this barn and the adjacent house near Coatesville that I had long wanted to get a picture of.

    I also finally made a trip to the Coatesville Reservoir, another place I had never visited before.

    Here are some other interesting sights in the area of Wagontown, Chester County.

  • Late Winter Sets the Scene for Spring

    It now feels more like Spring in Chester County, although the calendar still says it’s Winter. The weather, however, can’t seem to make up its mind. We start with a few scenes around Kimberton.

    French Creek
    Further east, I’m not sure what these critters are. They may be llamas or alpacas.
    I loved the golden hour glow on this house.
    At this house, it is apparently still Christmas.
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