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Penn Roosevelt SP
Penn Roosevelt State Park Penn Roosevelt State Park offers quiet solitude plus amenities. It is the smallest campground and picnic area in Rothrock State Forest which makes it an ideal place for an overnight family adventure. The park covers 41 acres and is considered a primitive campground. I find that misleading because Penn Roosevelt provides many comforts. The drive-in campsites have flat areas designed for tents. Each site has cooking grills, fire rings and picnic tables. Drinking fountains and clean restrooms offer the comforts of home. A covered pavilion provides shelter if rain showers arrive. There are two remote walk-in sites that are well hidden if you want more privacy. You can find the trail to these between site Nos. 6 and 9. Payment is expected on the honor system for any of the 15 sites. This is a tent-only campground; trailers and campers are not allowed. A small lake provides entertainment for children. The shallow banks make a safe place for exploring the murky lake bottom. Wading is permitted but swimming is not. Rock spillways form small waterfalls which are delightful to stand under on hazy afternoons. For those who enjoy fishing, the stream is stocked with native brook trout. You'll find a quiet path along its banks with plenty of shade. Some historical trivia: This used to be a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) work camp during the Depression. In 1933 the CCC was segregated and this was a black camp. There were only a dozen in Pennsylvania. It was called Camp No. S-62 Stone Creek Kettle. If you look around the CCC monument you can find remnants of the old buildings and camp structures. The Mid-State Trail runs through Penn Roosevelt. Several dirt roads intersect here, making it a convenient hub to access other parts of the forest. Here's a suggestion: Walk up Crowfield Road to the Boal Gap Road intersection. Hike the McKinney Trail (left) to the top of the mountain. This is a challenging hike. You'll meet the intersection of Detweiler Run Road and Thickhead Mountain Road. Return by hiking down Thickhead Mountain Road back to Penn Roosevelt. If you get tired, take the Mid-State Trail (also called Shingle Path) as a shortcut. Another interesting hike will take you to the top of Grass Mountain where the gas line cut traverses the ridge. The gas line cut is a wide swath of open, treeless land. It offers unobstructed views of the surrounding ridges and valleys. To find these viewpoints, walk up Thickhead Mountain Road along the big, sweeping turn. Look for a trailhead on the left. It is not posted but it is a well-used path. Follow it up the side of the mountain and across the top. You'll reach the gas line cut soon. Explore this open area in both directions and you'll discover two amazing vistas. Return to Penn Roosevelt the same way. Several abandoned railroad grades look like trails, but often dead-end if you choose to explore them. I have found several trails that were too overgrown to hike or ended abruptly. You can always count on the Mid-State Trail to be relatively clear and well marked with orange blazes. Remember this is a footpath only. If you enjoy mountain biking, Penn Roosevelt is a central hub for many rides. A good orientation ride is to pedal the 2.5 mile climb on Thickhead Mountain Road. Turn left at the gate on Detweiler Run Road. Both of these roads are closed to cars. It's all downhill to Bear Meadows Road and on to Alan Seeger, about a 6-mile descent. Return to Penn Roosevelt along Stone Creek Road, which is paved and generally flat. You'll cover about 13 miles. It's best to stay on the roads in this area because most of the trails are too rocky for mountain bikes. State College is surrounded by vast amounts of public use lands which offer limitless adventure and recreation. Please remember your actions affect all user groups. Pick up trash others leave behind. Be smart, be safe and leave no trace. Directions From State College: Take U.S. Route 322 East to Tussey Mountain Ski Area. Follow Bear Meadows Road to a T-intersection with Stone Creek Road (paved). Follow signs to Alan Seeger and continue on Stone Creek Road for five miles to Penn Roosevelt State Park. Or, take Stone Creek Road from Rt. 322, however, this option is only available coming DOWN Seven Mountains.
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