TROUGH CREEK STATE PARK
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| TROUGH CREEK STATE PARK in James Creek, PA. |
Tucked away in the mountains of central Pennsylvania...and often overlooked because of it's proximity to Lake Raystown...is one of the jewels of Pennsylvania's state parks, Trough Creek. As a child mom and dad would bring my brother and I on day trips to the park for picnics and I thought it would be great to share these memories with my wife.
On our way home from Altoona today we took a side trip to hike a small portion of Trough Creek State Park. I told my wife, Robin, that I remember that there was a rope bridge, a waterfall, and a "balancing" rock at the park. My memory served me correctly. As I drove through the park that is exactly what I found and it was extremely well marked. The first thing we found was the swinging rope bridge. Very fun to cross...but don't run. It would be easy to lose your footing in some of the old planks.
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| The Swinging Bridge at Trough Creek State Park |
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| David Raymond on the Swinging Bridge at Trough Creek State Park 8-8-15 |
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| Parts of the Swinging Bridge are in disarray...use caution. |
Almost exactly a quarter of a mile down the trail we came to Rainbow Falls. Not only was it breathtaking, but the the falls provided a naturally cool spot on a warm summer day.
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| Robin and David Raymond at Rainbow Falls in Trough Creek State Park 8-8-15 |
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| Rainbow Falls at Trough Creek State Park |
The last part that Robin and I saw today was the balancing rock on top of the hill side. Climbing on it is prohibited...leaning on is not. If it hasn't fallen in thousands of years it's a pretty safe bet that it won't fall while you are visiting.
I think the most upsetting thing about the Balancing Rock is the graffiti that is sprayed all over it. The most annoying thing about my visit today was the two maroons who chose to ignore the "NO GRAFFITI" signs and proceeded to write their names on the rock with a sharpie.
Respect the rock...
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| David Raymond next to the Balancing Rock at Trough Creek State Park 8-8-15 |
When all was said and done our hike from the trail head, across the bridge, past the waterfall, up to the balancing rock and back was only three quarters of a mile and only about 200 feet of climbing. A very worthwhile detour on our way home.
As for the ice cream....check out the ICE BOX in Saxton, PA. The chocolate milkshake was more than acceptable.
David A. Raymond//August 8, 2015
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