Summer Fun Pages

TrekkingthetrailsofupperCambriaCounty

Ifyouaresearchingforplacestoenjoyoutdoorrecreation,authorities,liketheCambriaCountyConservation andRecreationAuthority(CCCRA),boastmilesupon milesoftrailsacrossthecountyforresidentsandvisitors touseforhikingandbiking.IntheMainlinearea,the CCCRAmaintainstheGhostTownTrailandthePathof theFloodTrail.

GhostTownTrail

TheGhostTownTrail,whichspansbothIndianaand Cambriacounties,is46mileslong.Almost30milesof theGhostTownTrailisinCambriaCounty.

AlongthetrailinVintondaleBorough,trail-goerscan seetheElizaFurnace,whichisoneoftheonlyonesleft inthecountrythatretainsitsoriginalheatexchanger pipe.Alittlefartherawayfromthefurnace,you’llseean oldjailcellthatwasuseddecadesagoinVintondale Boroughaswellasanoldcoalcart.Headingtoward NantyGloBorough,onecanfindaGreatMapof VintondaleandaCoalMiner’sMemorialonthesidesof thetrail.

OtherspursofthemaintrailinCambriaCounty includetheCandIExtension,whichconnectstoDuman LakeCountyPark,andStritty’sWay.

TrailHeads

Vintondale-1069MainStreet,Vintondale,PA15961

TwinRocks-1395,NantyGlo,PA15943

NantyGlo-1097FirstStreet,NantyGlo,PA15943

Ebensburg-424PraveStreet,Ebensburg,PA15931

Belsano-200VicMillerRoad,Strongstown,PA15957

Cardiff-670ExpediteRoad,NantyGlo,PA15943

NorthStreet-152NorthStreet,NantyGlo,PA15943

DumanLakeCountyPark-157CountyParkRoad, Ebensburg,PA15931

PathoftheFloodTrail

The13.86-milePathoftheFloodTrailfollowsthepath ofthecatastrophicfloodof1889,whichdamagedeverythinginitsway.

Thefinalsectionofthetrail,whichleadsuptothe breastofthedamattheSouthAbutment,wasrecently completed.Thisfinalsectionnowallowsvisitorstosafelyexperience,bytrail,theentirepathoftheJohnstown Floodof1889.

AhighlightofthetrailisinMineralPointwherethe StapleBendTunnelcanbewalkedthrough.ThistwomileportionofthetrailistakencareofbytheNational ParkServiceattheAlleghenyPortageRailroad.

Thetunnelwascompletedin1831andwasadvertised asthefirstrailroadtunnelintheUnitedStates.Itwas onlythethirdtunnelbuiltinthecountrywiththeother twobeingforcanalsinPennsylvania.

Thetrailalsofeatureseducationaltrailsidemarkers showingthehistoryofthepathandrecentlyreclaimed coalrefusepiles.

Trailheads

SouthAbutment,S.AbutmentRoad,SouthFork

129RagersHillRoad,SouthFork

312MapleStreet,SouthFork

31Mt.CarmelDrive,SouthFork

5242ndStreet,SouthFork

602PortageStreet,SouthFork

1156BeechHillRoad,Johnstown

Othertrails

WarMemorialParkTrailinLilly

Thiswalkingtrailsurroundsbaseballfieldsanda memorialhonoringveterans.Nearthestartofthetrailis

theMemorialCommunityCenter,whichishometothe Lilly-WashingtonPublicLibraryandamuseumhighlightingLillyandthesurroundingarea’shistory.

CressonTownshipVeteransParkTrailinCresson Thetrailloopsusersaroundthebaseballfieldsand parkinVeteransPark.Plus,thetrailalsoincludesa 1,000-footsectionthatmakesthenearbyAllegheny PortageRailroadNationalHistoricSitemoreaccessible byfoot.Inthefuture,thetrailwillbeincludedinthe 1,300-mileSeptember11thNationalMemorialTrailnetwork. APuppetTheaterArtCampwillbeheldfrom June19-23andJune26-30from10a.m.to2:30 p.m.attheLilly-WashingtonPublicLibrary.This two-weekcampisfreeandisopenforchildren age9-15. Participantswilldesignandcreatepuppetsand astageandperformaplayattheendofcamp. Spaceislimited.Formoreinformationorto registerforthecamp,callthelibraryat814-8867543.

PuppetTheater ArtCamp

Fundingforthecampisprovidedbythe PennsylvaniaRuralArtsAlliancefromthe1889 Foundation’sCreativeHealthImpactGrantand theMemorialCommunityCenterofLillyWashington.

Tipsforcomfortablecamping

Thebeautyofthegreatoutdoors beckonsmillionsofnature-loving individualseachyear.Campingis agreatwaytofullyimmerseoneselfinnature.However,there’s oftenalearningcurvewithtent camping,especiallyinregardto sleepingcomfortably.

Atentisdesignedtokeep campersoutoftheelementsand topreventbugsfrombothering camperswhiletheysleep.Tents comeinavarietyofshapesand sizes—withsomelargertents evencapableofsleepingsixor morepeople.Oneofthemost importantcomponentstoconsider whenplanningacampingtripis sleepingandbedding.Agood night’ssleepisworthitsweightin gold,andcanmeanthedifference betweenanenjoyableexperience andcranky,out-of-sortscampers. Thefollowingaresomeguidelinestomaximizetentcomfort whilecamping.

Tentsizeandlocation

Calculatehowmanypeoplewill beonthecampingtripandhow muchspacetheywillneedtorest comfortably.Purchaseorrenta

tentthatwillprovideenough space.Multipletentsalsocanbe usedifthegoalistoseparatefamilymembers.

Thenextconsiderationiswhere tosetupcamp.Lookforalevel areathatisrelativelyfreefrom debris.Clearawayanyrocksand twigs,asdebrisunderthetentcan damageitandmakeitharderto fallasleep.

Familiesmaywanttocampa shortdistancefromrestroom facilitiesiftheyareavailable, whichwillmakeiteasierforthe midnightbathroombreaksthat inevitablycropup.

Investinqualitygear

Inadditiontothetent,campers willneedatarp/groundcoverto placeunderthetent.Thishelps preventmoistureseepagefrom thesoil.

Next,determinehoweveryone willsleep,whetherontheground orincots.Cotscanbethemost comfortableoptions,buttheytake upalotofspaceandcanbeheavy totransport—whichislessthan idealwhenbackpackingtoa campsite.Inflatablemattressesor

sleepingpadscanbeusedinconjunctionwithsleepingbagsto provideasoft,cushionedsurface. Someareaffordableat$40while othersmaycostasmuchas$300. Costlieroptionsmaybebestfor frequentcampers.

Accountforthetemperature

Temperaturewillgoalongway towardimprovingorcompromisingcomfort.Choosesleeping bagsratedforthetemperature.If you’llbedoingplentyoffallor wintercamping,you’llhavea placetosleepthat’sdesignedto beusedatthetimeofyearyou’re camping.

Whensleepinginwarmtemperatures,dresssoyoucanaddor removelayersasneeded.A portable,battery-operatedfan alsocanbeagame-changerifitis hotandstuffyinthetent.

Adjustsoundaccordingly

Somepeoplelovedriftingoffto sleeptothesoundofcrickets, whileothersarekeptawakeby thenighttimesoundsofnature. Foamearplugscanmutesomeof thosesoundsandeventhesnoring ofatentpartner.Campersalso cansetupachargedsmartphone withawhitenoiseappanduse thattoblockoutunwantednoises.

Additionaltips

Whentravelingwithkids,bring afewcreaturecomfortsalong, suchasafavoritepairofpajamas orstuffedanimals.Thiscanmake theunfamiliarsoundsandsights ofsleepingoutdoorsalittleless scary.Also,ifpossible,doatrial runcampingintheyardtogauge howkidsreactinadvanceand planaccordinglytomake improvements.

MoretotheAlleghenyPortage Railroadthanmeetstheeye

TheAlleghenyPortageRailroadNationalHistoricsiteismorethan justhistory.LocatedoffStateRoute22nearGallitzin,theNational ParkServiceestablishedthesitein1964on1,296acresinBlairand Cambriacounties.

TheAlleghenyPortageRailroadwasthefirstrailroadconstructed throughtheAlleghenyMountainsincentralPennsylvania.Therailroadoperatedfrom1834to1854.ItwasthefirstinfrastructureconnectionthroughthegapsoftheAllegheniesthatconnectedthemidwesttotheeasternseaboardacrossthebarrierrangeofthe AlleghenyFront.Approximately36mileslong,therailroadconnectedtothePennsylvaniaCanal.Thesystemwasprimarilyusedas aportagerailway,haulingriverboatsandbargesoverthedivide betweentheOhioandSusquehannarivers.

Severalhistoricalremainsstilldotthearea.Theparkserviceoperatesavisitorcenterwithinterpretiveexhibits.TheSamuelLemon House,atavernlocatedalongsidetherailroadnearCressonthata popularstopforrailroadpassengers,isashortwalkfromthevisitors center.Thehousehasbeenconvertedintoahistoricalmuseumby theNationalParkService.TheNPSalsomaintainsalengthof reconstructedtrack,anenginehousewithexhibits,apicnicareaand hikingandbikingtrails.

Askewarchbridge,amasterworkofcutstoneconstruction,is anotherfeaturedownthehillalongtherailroadbedfromtheLemon House.Thebridgeis60feettallononesideand55feetontheoppositeside.Itwastheonlybridgebuilttocarryaroadovertherailline. ButhistoryisnottheonlythingtheAlleghenyPortageRailroad NationalHistoricSiteoffers.Apicnicareaissetawayfromthevisitorcentertoenjoyaquietmealandtimewithlovedones.Thenaturalbeautyoftheareaisinfullviewanywhereyoulook.Forestsand meadowsthatprovidearelaxingatmosphereandthequietneedto rechargefromthefastpaceoflife.TheNPSandlocalorganizations alsohavemaintainedtrailsconnectedthroughthesitedownthe mountain’seasternsidetowardsHollidaysburgforthosewhoenjoy theexercise.

Formorehistory,adrivealongRoute53betweenLillyand Summerhillfollowsthepathoftherailbedforthemostpart.Several remainsoftheinclineplanesarestillvisibleinPortageandLilly. FurtherdowntowardJohnstownistheStapleBendTunnelin MineralPoint,whichcarriedtheAlleghenyPortageRailroadto Johnstown’scanalbasin.TheStapleBendTunnelwasthefirstrailroadtunnelconstructedintheUnitedStates.

Thereisnothingbetterandeasierthanspendingadayenjoyingthe spectacularnaturalbeautyoftheareaandpickingupalittleoflocal historyonthewaythanattheAlleghenyPortageRailroadNational HistoricSite.

Funwaystoenjoythe greatoutdoorswithkids

Thegreatoutdoorscanbeaninvitingplacewithplentyofopportunitiesforadventure.It’salsoatreasuretroveofsightsandsounds thatcanserveasaspringboardforalifelongyearningfor knowledge.

Childrenofthe1980sandbeforemayrememberlongdaysspent outsidewithrequirementsto“comebackinwhenthestreetlights turnon.”Today’schildrenmaynothaveasmuchfreedom,butthey stillcanbenefitfrombothunstructuredandstructuredplayoutside. Thefollowingaresomeoutdooractivitiesfamiliescanenjoy together.

•Fossilhunting:Whetherthereisanaturalfossilbednearbyor not,childrencanuseplasticcolandersandshovelstodiginthedirt orsandtoseeifanytreasurescanbefound.

•Collectandpaintrocks:Collectstonesandthenpaintthemwith vividdesignsorsayings.Oncepainted,familiescanplacethem backintotheirnaturalsurroundingsforotherstodiscover.

•Makeanaturecollage:Takeahikeorastrollthroughanearby parkandcollectlittletreasuresalongtheway.Gluetheseitemstoa pieceofcardstockorcardboardtocreateacollagethatwillserveas amementooftheday.

•Runthroughasprinkler:Poolscanbegreatfun,butsomething assimpleasagardensprinklercankeepeveryoneoccupiedfora fewhours.

•Visitabotanicalgarden:Touranearbybotanicalgardentoget anopportunitytoseeflowersandplantsthatmaynotbenativeto thearea.Bringsketchpadsanddrawyourfavoriteplants.

•Gocamping:Whetheryoucampinthebackyard,inthewoods oratacampsite,spendinganightimmersedinnaturecanbean unforgettableexperience.Campingequipmentcanberentedorborrowed,ifnecessary.

•Enjoyapicnic:Bringamealoutdoorstoaquietspot,likeapark orgarden.

•Takeaboatride:Enjoyingthegreatoutdoorsfromthewater bringsanentirelynewperspective.Purchaseticketsforafishing charterortakeatourofalocalwaterway.

•Feedducksorotherbirds:Childrencanseewildlifeinitsnaturalenvironment,andprovidesomesupplementalnutritioninthe process.Bringalongwildbirdseed(breadisnotahealthyoption) andsprinklesomealongshorelinesorinthewatertowatchthe birdsarrive.

•Doascavengerhuntinnature:Whileonanyexcursion,youcan engageinascavengerhunt.Havealistoffiveto10itemstofind, suchasapinkflower,aleafwithastemandablackrock.Seewho canfindthemallthefastest.

Spendingtimeoutdoorsprovidesplentyofopportunitiesforfamily-friendlyexcitementandfun.

UpcomingeventsatPrince GallitzinStatePark

Red,White&BlueWeekend

Saturday,May27

JoinusforaRed,whiteand bluethemedweekendinthe campground!

AMemorialDayservicewill beheld10a.m.atthe amphitheater.Wewillhavea 21-gunsaluteandtheplaying ofTapsfollowedbyaspeaker.

Children’sDecoratedBike Paradefollowstheeventat1 p.m.Childrenareinvitedto decoratetheirbicyclesandgo onabikeparadethroughthe campground.

Thiseventissponsoredby theFriendsofPrinceGallitzin StatePark.

NationalGetOutdoorsDay

Saturday,June10

PrinceGallitzinStatePark willbecelebratingNational GetOutdoorsDayonSaturday, June10,from1-5p.m.,followedbyourfirstMusicat Muskratconcertseriesonthe beachstartingat5p.m.at MuskratBeachArea#2.

Thiseventisafreeoutdoor recreationfairforpeopleofall agesandskilllevels.Therewill beavarietyofboothsandstationssetupforeveryoneto visitattheirownpace,andwill includediscgolf,geocaching, fishing,archery,kayakinstruction(USCoastGuard Auxiliary),guidedhikes,pontoonboattoursofthelake, campingandmore!Moststationswillgivevisitorsthe

opportunitytotryoutanew activity,whileotherswillprovideinformation(sailing, camping,volunteering).

Registrationisnotrequired, butlimitedspotsareavailable foron-the-waterkayakinstruction. Allequipmentfortheseactivitieswillbeprovided,andfishinglicensesarenotrequiredif fishingunderaninstructor’s direction.

HawaiianDayontheBeach

Saturday,June17—11a.m. Comehavesomefunatthe

CrookedRunCampground Beach-Hawaiian-style.We’ll havegamesforchildrenofall ages.Don’tforgetyour Hawaiianshirt!Sponsoredby theFriendsofPrinceGallitzin

StatePark.

IndependenceDayWeekend Saturday,July1

Decorateyourcampsiteat CrookedRunCampgroundin red,whiteandbluetocelebrateournation’sbirthday. Decorateyourchild’sbicycle inpatrioticthemeforthebike parade.Children’sDecorated BicycleParadeassemblesat 10:45a.m.atthedumpstation nearthecampgroundstore. Paradestartspromptlyat11 a.m.andendsattheamphitheater.

Followingtheparade,prizes willbegivenoutatthe amphitheaterbytheFriends Groupforadult campers.Popsicleswillbeprovidedasatreatforeveryone.

Localspotsperfectforadayoutdoors

Ifyou’relookingforaplacetospendadayoutdoors, butdon’twanttotraveltoofar,thereareaquiteafew localspotsforindividualsandfamiliestospendan afternoontakinginsomeofnature’sbeauty.

DumanLakeCountyPark

DumanLakeCountyParkistheonlycounty-owned recreationparkinCambriaCounty.Theparkgrounds consistof71acresofwoodedandopenspace,complete withpicnicpavilions,campsites,modernrestrooms, horseshoecourts,volleyballcourts,abasketballcourt, ballfieldarea,anexercisetrailandplayground.

Theparkadjoins19acreDumanLake,whichis ownedbythePennsylvaniaFishandBoatCommission. Thelakehasahandicapfishingpierandisregularly stockedwithtroutandcontainsbassandotherspecies. DumanLakeCountyParkislocatedalongStateRoute 271betweenBelsanoandNicktown.

MountAssisiMonasterySunkenGardens

Thesebeautifulgardensfeatureacascadingwaterfall, fountains,rockgardens,shrinesandreflectionponds. Thisisapeacefulandrespectfulsiteonthepropertyof theFranciscanFriars,locatedontheformerpropertyof BethlehemSteelmagnateCharlesSchwabinLoretto.

Nathan’sDivide

Nathan’sDivideisanewrecreationalarealocatedat theEbensburgMunicipalAuthority’sreservoiralong NorthCenterStreetjustoutsideofEbensburg.

Nathan’sDivideispartofalargerprojecttocreatea destinationforwater-relatedenvironmentaleducation, andthegoalistocreateacommunityandresourcecentertoprovideeducationabouttheareaanditswater

system.

Whilethecenterhasnotyetbeenbuilt,theareaoffers plentyofoutdoorrecreationincludingfishing,kayakingandcanoeing.Nathan’sDividealsohasseveral walkingandhikingtrailsaroundtheperimeterofthe reservoir.

andfaunaofthearea.

Moreinformationabouttheprogramsaswellasadditionaleventsattheparkcanbefoundat events.dcnr.pa.gov.

WilmoreDam

OwnedbytheCambriaSomersetAuthority,the WilmoreDamprovidesaquiet,woodlandareaperfect forfishing,canoeing,kayakingandhiking.Thedamis stockedwithmultiplespeciesoffishincludingbass, panfish,crappieandcatfish.Pavilions,picnictables andplaygroundareashelpmaketheareaaspotfunfor thewholefamily.

WilmoreDamcanbeaccessedoffofRoute160North outsideofWilmore.

STEMcamp

PrinceGallitzinStatePark

Surroundingapicturesque1,600acrelake,Prince GallitzinStatePark,locatedat966MarinaRoadin Patton,offersswimming,boating,hikingonscenic naturetrails,fishing,hunting,campsitesandmodern cabinsavailableforrent.

Theparkishometonumeroustypesofwildlife,and thestaffattheparkoffereducationalprograms throughouttheyeartoteachpark-goersabouttheflora

ScienceCamp:DrivingSTEMForward!,presentedbytheYoungPeoplesCommunityCenter, CambriaCountyChildDevelopmentCorp.,PA CareerLinkofCambriaCountyandthe PennsylvaniaSocietyofBiomedicalResearch, willbeheldWednesday,Aug.2from8a.m.to3 p.m.attheYoungPeoplesCommunityCenterin Ebensburg.Thecampisfreeforstudentsinsixth andseventhgrade,pluslunchandsnacksareprovided.

Only33seatsareavailable.Toregister,contact PatriciaHarringtonat814-410-9254oremail pharrington@gogoodwill.org.