Pine Grove Furnace State Park - Gardners, PA.

Nestled in Cumberland County is Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Like all state parks it has trails, trees, and lakes. But it also has some more unique features to it as well. We started off our day by eating lunch next to Fuller Lake. The water was kind of on the green side but it is late in summer so that is to be expected. There is also an area roped off for swimming, which is nice, considering you can't swim in the lakes at many state parks! There was also a nice (read as "new") facilities building with bathrooms & changing rooms.

After our lunch we set out to climb Pole Steeple Trail. It leads about half a mile up a 400 ft incline to... well, Pole Steeple. Pole Steeple is a set of rocks (for the geologists, it is made of dolomite, rhyolite, & quartzite) which offers incredible views of the surrounding Michaux State Forest. There are 2 overlook areas adjacent to each other that each offer their own unique view. Beware that if you set out to try this hike, the trail is relatively difficult. It is also very rocky & steep so strollers are not feasible. Also, for those of you who geocache, Pole Steeple is an Earthcache! [EDIT: 3/31/12: This earthcache has been archived, but you should still visit anyways. Life is about the journey!] ... Why is it called Pole Steeple? Well, I had to do some research to find out! After reading Falcon Guide's Hiking Pennsylvania, I now know why it is called Pole Steeple! Way back, Boy Scouts hiked up to the steeple (definition: a pile of rocks) to mount a flag pole on the cliffs. The flag is long gone but the name stuck & the view is still great!

After climbing we went down to check out Laurel Lake which also has a swim area sectioned off for day use. Both Fuller & Laurel Lakes were used in earlier times as iron ore quarry which have now filled up with spring (cold) fed water. It's a welcome site on a hot day.

Other local attractions include the Appalachian Trail. The park actually marks the midpoint of the AT for those attempting to thru-hike it. Rumor has it that it is tradition for thru-hikers to eat an entire half-gallon of ice cream when they reach the halfway mark. The AT can be accessed from several places throughout the park. Maps can be found at the park information center. There is also an A.Y.H. Hostel in the park which is mainly used by AT hikers.

Another local attraction is the Appalachian Trail Museum. It is the only one of its kind! It opened June 5, 2010 and is seeking to preserve the AT Heritage. They are looking for item donations from people who have hiked the trail & laypeople who just want to help out. They are closed Nov. 1 to Mar. 31 so now is the time to go if you don't want to wait until Spring! The museum is located near the AT midpoint.

So if you ever find yourself in Cumberland County, PA needing a peaceful retreat (although most of the county is pretty peaceful to begin with) head on over to Pine Grove Furnace State Park for a picnic, a swim, a hike, or a history lesson.


For more information on the places mentioned in this post:
* Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Gardners, PA.
* Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
* Appalachian Trail Museum.
* Appalachian Trail Conservancy.



The view of Laurel Lake from Pole Steeple (~400 ft higher).