The (Not so) Rural Pennsylvanian

  • The Old Forest

    The Clarion River area is one of the most scenic in Pennsylvania. One of its jewels is a 13-mile stretch of the the river that flows through Cook Forest State Park and is popular for canoeing, kayaking, and tubing.

    The 8,500-acre Cook Forest State Park and 3,136-acre Clarion River Lands lie in Clarion, Forest and Jefferson Counties. The Cook Forest Association was formed in the 1920s to save the few areas of surviving old growth timber. Endorsed by national natural resource groups and Governor Gifford Pinchot, the association raised $200,000, which helped the commonwealth purchase 6,055 acres from A. Cook Sons Company in 1927 for $640,000. Cook Forest became the first Pennsylvania state park acquired to preserve a natural area. It was later designated a National Natural Landmark.

    This area is known for some of the tallest trees in the state and old growth forest.
    Some camping cottages.
    The surrounding area was surprisingly touristy.

    I also visited Clear Creek State Park which is 11 miles from Cook Forest. The park encompasses 1,901 acres in Jefferson County and occupies a scenic portion of the Clear Creek Valley from PA 949 to the Clarion River. It has camping, rustic cabins, and Clarion River access for fishing and boating.

  • One of the Stars of Our Show

    One of Pennsylvania’s iconic state parks is Kinzua Bridge. There is a large visitor center and an opportunity to walk out onto the old railroad viaduct with impressive views of the valley below.

    The Viaduct was once the longest and tallest railroad structure at 2,053 feet long and 301 feet high. It was partially destroyed by a tornado during 2003. Reinvented as a pedestrian walkway in 2011, visitors can stroll 600 feet out on the remaining support towers, peer miles out into the Kinzua Gorge, and gaze down through the partial glass platform at the end of the walkway. The Kinzua Bridge State Park Visitor Center features great views, self-guiding exhibits, and information about the surrounding area.

    A view to the valley below. This photo really doesn’t do it justice.
    Some exhibits in the Visitor’s Center.
    A unexpected photo op – the Swedish Viking Ship sculpture in nearby Mt. Jewett.

  • Finally Heading North

    After an overnight stay in the Dubois area, I headed north to Bendigo and Elk State Park. The small Bendigo has a swimming pool and fishing and kayaking in the east branch of the Clarion River. Here are a couple of looks at the pool.

    A bit further north is Elk State Park which boasts a large reservoir and a campground. The lake is large enough for unlimited horsepower boating. I have included a few shots of the lake, dam and a cabin the camping area.

  • Two Great Places for Overnight Stays

    Simon B. Elliott State Park and Parker Dam State Park are two parks that offer great access to the area of the “Pennsylvania Wilds” and the Elk Visitor Center. I wanted to check them out to for potential future trips to the area. The first stop was S.B. Elliott. It was gray and raining when I arrived. This park features a lot of interesting CCC built structures surrounded by the Moshannon State Forest, including rustic cabins.

    Parker Dam is not far away from S.B. Elliott. As the DCNR website says “a scenic lake, rustic cabins, quaint campground, and unbounded forest make Parker Dam an ideal spot for a relaxing vacation.” This park is great for access to hiking and mountain biking, including a walk through tornado ravaged woods. The lake offers swimming, boating and fishing. Stay overnight in a cabin or in the campgrounds. You may even see some elk.

    The beach.
    The Parker Dam dam.
    The unique octagonal Tyler Log Cabin is available for rent.

  • A Few Quick Stops

    I had previously travelled through this area in Union and Clinton Counties but did not have the opportunity to visit all of the state parks. I routed myself through this area on my way to western Pennsylvania. My first stop was Sand Bridge State Park, the smallest state park, which occupies three acres. It is used for picnicking and fishing.

    I next made a quick stop at the lake and dam overlook at Raymond B. Winter State Park on my way to McCalls Dam State Park. I had previously been to RB Winter and hope to return to do some camping. This park has a wide variety of activities including hiking, fishing, swimming, camping and mountain biking.

    The nearby McCalls Dam State Park is also one of the state’s smallest, consisting of a picnic area along with access to hiking, hunting and fishing in Bald Eagle State Forest. I first stopped at a scenic overlook on McCalls Dam Road on my way to the park. Note that even the state can’t decide if there is an “s” in the name of this park or not.

    The last stop in this cluster of parks was Ravensburg State Park. It lies in a narrow gorge carved by Rauchtown Run. It was a popular spot with local Amish couples out for a drive on this Sunday afternoon. This lovely spot provides camping, picnicking, hiking, hunting and fishing opportunities. I managed to miss the entrance into a section of the park, but this is a location which will be easy for me to get back to.

  • Evansburg in Black and White

    As part of my recent experimentation of getting back into film photography, I took out my Canon A2E for the first time to shoot some black and white at Evansburg State Park. Here are some of the results.

  • A Two-fer (In More Ways Than One)

    Shikellamy State Park is an unusual park in that it contains two distinctly different sections. It also affords great views of the two branches of the Susquehanna River (the West Branch and the North Branch ). The Park is in both Union and Northumberland counties. The 54-acre Shikellamy Marina is on the southern tip of Packers Island at the confluence of the West Branch and North Branch Susquehanna River, and offers hiking and biking trails, a marina, and boat launch. The 78-acre Shikellamy Overlook is on the western shore of the Susquehanna River. A 360-foot cliff overlooks the confluence of the two branches of the river.

    Although the marina area seemed more popular with Labor Day party goers, I was more impressed with the views on the overlook side.

    A look toward the Marina.
    A look down over the edge.
    The West Branch on the left.
    The town of Northumberland.

    The Marina Section provides great access to the water as well as picnicking opportunities.

    A butterfly garden

  • Susquehanna River State Parks

    Heading south from Tioga County to find a couple of the more urban state parks, I first went in search of a covered bridge in Lycoming County that I had missed on a previous trip. This bridge was on private property, so only a distant shot was possible. The James S. Fink covered bridge was built in 1986 utilizing a Stringer truss design. It crosses Larry’s creek in Anthony Township. The structure is 62 feet long and is open to vehicle traffic, but it is on a private road.

    Susquehanna State Park is a 20-acre riverfront recreational area is in the city of Williamsport. The Williamsport Chamber of Commerce operates this park in cooperation with the state. It is primarily a location for river access for boating and fishing. There are also opportunities for picnicking, wildlife watching, and gongoozling (google it). It is next to the boarding point for the riverboat Hiawatha.

    Labor Day chill by the river.
    The boat ramp
    The Lance Corporal Abram Howard Memorial Bridge

    Milton State Park is an 82-acre island on the West Branch Susquehanna River, between the boroughs of Milton and West Milton. The northern half of the park has day use facilities and the southern half remains in a wooded state for hiking and nature study. It also has a boat launch, playground and extensive soccer fields.

  • Say Hay to Hills Creek

    The 407-acre Hills Creek State Park, located in scenic Tioga County, contains abundant wildlife such as osprey, loon, and waterfowl which visit the lake that contains a variety of warmwater fish species. Camping, cabins, swimming, and picnicking make this an ideal spot for a day trip or family vacation. Hiking, fishing and hunting are also available.

    It was a hazy day at the lake.
    I love the yurts in Pennsylvania state parks.
    People were camping in everything from large RVs to tents.
    Because you know I can’t resist hay bales.
    There was quite an impressive group in this field near the park.
    The view from above.
    They’re still there. Can you see them?

  • Some Folks Love this Park

    Mt. Pisgah State Park lies in Bradford County not very far west of Towanda. The 1,302-acre park is along Mill Creek, at the base of Mt. Pisgah, with an elevation 2,260 feet. A dam on Mill Creek forms Stephen Foster Lake, named after the famous composer and onetime local resident. The 75-acre lake provides fishing, boating, and skating. The park is also well developed with a swimming pool and snack bar, playground and picnic facilities, and the usual hiking, hunting and winter sports activities.

    A nice chat
    The dam end of Stephen Foster lake.
    A demonstration garden, an atypical offering at a state park.
    Nice use of repurposed farm equipment and plants.
    More on the Stephen Foster theme.
    And not far from the park, we have this charming scene. They’re not your average bears (with bonus barn star).
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