Sometimes, if you travel a little farther than you are used to, you might find something new and worthwhile. For many Centre County residents looking for some outdoor adventure, a trip over Pine Grove Mountain often leads them to Whipple Dam State Park, certainly a fun place for swimming, hiking, and more.
But, if you travel a little farther, about four miles past the turnoff to Whipple Dam on Route 26, you will see another sign that leads you to Greenwood Furnace State Park. About five miles after a left turn onto PA Route 305 and you are there, at another state park to explore, with a lake, a great trail system, and a lot of history.
It is worth the extra drive, but like so many other people, I had kind of forgotten about it. Over the years I have spent some time exploring the park, mostly while participating in the Greenwood Furnace Trail Challenge, an annual springtime trail race that starts and ends at the state park and takes runners on trails through Rothrock State Forest and nearby Alan Seeger Natural Area. It is a fun race that offers both a 10K and half marathon option, but it has been a while since I participated.
Looking for something to do on a beautiful fall Saturday morning, I decided to go back out to the park and hike on some of the trails I used to race on. So, I loaded my pup, Peggy, into the car and we set out to explore.
After the beautiful drive, we arrived at Greenwood Furnace and parked near the old blacksmith shop. I noticed a group gathered near the rear door. It turns out we arrived just as park volunteer Don Maurer was giving a talk and demonstration about the art and history of American blacksmithing.
You see, beyond being a gateway to outdoor adventure, Greenwood Furnace also boasts strong historical programming relating to the area’s history as home to the Greenwood Ironworks and a bustling ironmaking community that flourished from 1834 to 1904.
After the iron operation ceased to exist, the area was home to the Greenwood Furnace Tree Nursery from 1906 to1993. During the Great Depression, Civilian Conservation Corps crews made improvements to the public lands and surrounding state forest.
Along with the blacksmith and wagon shop, six other historical buildings still stand, including a mansion and church. The old cemetery also adds to the historical feeling of the area, and Greenwood Furnace No. 2 is a restored monument to the area’s past.
It is all pretty awesome to see, but while most of the crowd was pleased to watch Don’s blacksmith demonstration (as was I), Peggy dog was less enthused (loud noises aren’t her thing). She reminded me that we were here to hike and she was ready to go.
In that regard, we had a lot of options. There are 13.5 miles of trails in the park proper. Beyond that, many of the trails connect outside the park’s borders to the larger trail system of surrounding Rothrock State Forest.
The seventy-nine-mile Standing Stone Trail comes right through the park. It is part of the Great Eastern Trail System, and it connects to the Mid State Trail in the north and to the Tuscarora Trail and Appalachian Trail to the south.
Going in either direction from the park on the Standing Stone Trail will take you to interesting points for a day hike—to the south is the Stone Valley Vista, which offers a view of the valley below, and 2.9 miles to the north is the old Greenwood Fire Tower.
Because I remembered climbing up to the fire tower back when I ran that trail race all those years ago, I decided to retrace my steps on the Standing Stone Trail to the top of Broad Mountain. At the very top is the fire tower.
After finding a map in the visitor center and gift shop (lots of cool stuff in there), we started off just past Greenwood Furnace No. 2 along the Greenwood Spur of the Standing Stone Trail and began our long climb up to the fire tower.
It is a long slow climb to be sure, rising roughly 1,300 feet (about 130 flights of stairs) over 2.9 miles. While the almost-three-mile distance keeps the trail at a manageable grade, it can feel a little like a slog at times. Peggy and I were undaunted. The forest is beautiful and about halfway up, a sign alerts hikers that they are walking through a charcoal hearth from the Greenwood Furnace operation that goes back to 1850. At one point we also walked up some old stone steps that were likely from the same time. It is kind of neat to think about those who worked on the land all those years ago. Must have been difficult physical labor.
Eventually we made it to the fire tower on top of Broad Mountain. It stands at 2,376 feet (according to the sign) of elevation, which is not too shabby for central Pennsylvania. It is the highest point in Mifflin County.
The first few flights of stairs have been removed to keep vandals from damaging the tower, which is kind of sad. I suppose a daring person could maneuver their way up the structure, but I was not going to break the rules (and I suggest you don’t, either). Peggy certainly wasn’t going to climb up there anyway. Still, it is always neat to see old fire towers.
You can make a twelve-mile loop out from this point by connecting a few trails, but Peggy decided we should make our way back down the way we came. Because of the mostly easy grade, we made good speed. It was fun.
By the time we got back to the main park area, Peggy was happy to take a swim in the lake and I was glad to get a drink of water.
Next time I am out, I plan to hike the other way on the Standing Stone Trail to see the view from the vista. Sounds like a good idea for a winter hike. Then maybe we can go ice skating on the lake instead of swimming.
I am glad I remembered this wonderful state park that is just a stone’s throw from some of my usual outdoor bases. It makes me remember how lucky we are to live in an area with so much opportunity for outdoor adventure, and a little history to boot. T&G
Vincent Corso loves exploring the outdoors in central Pennsylvania and beyond.
