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Black Moshannon State Park

1937 establishments in PennsylvaniaAllegheny PlateauCampgrounds in PennsylvaniaCivilian Conservation Corps in PennsylvaniaIUCN Category III
Important Bird Areas of PennsylvaniaNational Register of Historic Places in Centre County, PennsylvaniaParks in Centre County, PennsylvaniaProtected areas established in 1937Protected areas of Centre County, PennsylvaniaState parks of PennsylvaniaUse mdy dates from August 2023
Black Moshannon State Park (Revisited)
Black Moshannon State Park (Revisited)

Black Moshannon State Park is a 3,480-acre (1,410 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Rush Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It surrounds Black Moshannon Lake, formed by a dam on Black Moshannon Creek, which has given its name to the lake and park. The park is just west of the Allegheny Front, 9 miles (14 km) east of Philipsburg on Pennsylvania Route 504, and is largely surrounded by Moshannon State Forest. A bog in the park provides a habitat for diverse wildlife not common in other areas of the state, such as carnivorous plants, orchids, and species normally found farther north. As home to the "largest reconstituted bog in Pennsylvania", it was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for its "25 Must-see Pennsylvania State Parks" list.Humans have long used the Black Moshannon area for recreational, industrial, and subsistence purposes. The Seneca tribe used it as hunting and fishing grounds. European settlers cleared some land for farming, then clear-cut the vast stands of old-growth white pine and eastern hemlock. Black Moshannon State Park rose from the ashes of a depleted forest which had been largely destroyed by wildfire in the years following the lumber era. The forests were rehabilitated by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression in the 1930s. Many of the buildings built by the Civilian Conservation Corps stand in the park today and are protected on the list of National Register of Historic Places in three historic districts. Black Moshannon State Park is open year-round for recreation and has an extensive network of trails which allow hiking, biking, and viewing the bog habitat at the Black Moshannon State Natural Area. The park is in a Pennsylvania Important Bird Area, where bird watchers have recorded 175 species. It is also home to many rare and unusual plants and animals due to its location atop the Allegheny Plateau; the lake is at an elevation of about 1,900 feet (580 m). Much of the park is open for hunting and the lake and creek are open for fishing, boating, and swimming. In winter it is a popular destination for cross-country skiing, and was home to a small downhill skiing area from 1965 to 1982. Picnics and camping are also popular, and the "Friends of Black Moshannon State Park" group promotes the park and all the recreational activities associated with it.

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Black Moshannon State Park
Bog Trail,

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Wikipedia: Black Moshannon State ParkContinue reading on Wikipedia

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N 40.898333333333 ° E -78.056388888889 °
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Bog Trail

Bog Trail

Pennsylvania, United States
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Black Moshannon State Park (Revisited)
Black Moshannon State Park (Revisited)
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Peale, Pennsylvania

Peale, Pennsylvania is a ghost town located in Cooper Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1883 and was named after S.R. Peale of Lock Haven.An excerpt from The Raftman's Journal, published on August 20, 1885, describes more in-depth what the town was like: The town of Peale is located on the line of the Beech Creek Railroad 75 miles west of Williamsport. It was named after S.R. Peale of Lock Haven and is owned, and everything in it too, by the coal company. Two years ago the ground was a wilderness; today there are nearly 300 buildings and a population of 2,500 souls in the place, every one of whom is employed or dependent upon those employed by the coal or railroad company.The town was built on a hill above Moravian Run. It is divided in two by a small tributary stream. The place is laid out with all the regularity of a city. Down in the ravine, at the foot of town are the slaughter houses, while all the stables drain into the little stream running through the center. A reservoir in back of town distributes pure water into every street and to every house in the place. The houses are 2 story frame buildings painted brick red; wainscoted to 4 ft. and plastered throughout; three rooms on the first floor, 2 or 3 on the second. They rent for $4.25 - $6.75 per month including water. Altogether they are the most comfortable miners' cabins seen throughout the county and the rent is not high for a man earning $9 – $12 per week.The site of the Oakwood Cemetery is one of the few distinguishable sites left in what was once a thriving coal mining town—and "distinguishable" is a very loose term. The cemetery only has one marked grave remaining, belonging to Martha Renfrew, aged 14yrs, 11mos at the time of her death.