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Pine Swamp Road
Pine Swamp Road Pine Swamp Road is a little known dirt road that connects popular Laurel Run Road with Rt. 26. It acts as a northern bypass around Whipple Dam State Park and provides passage through a small valley separating Tussey Mountain and Rudy Ridge. To find Pine Swamp Road begin at Whipple Dam State Park off Rt. 26. Drive past Whipple Dam (do not cross the water) and the paved roads will meet the dirt road: this is Laurel Run Road. Continue into Rothrock State Forest and Pine Swamp Road is on the left in four miles. Look for the wooden bridge over the stream and reset your odometer as you cross it. Pine Swamp Road climbs up through Hubler Gap as the Shingletown Branch of Laurel Run flows alongside. In one mile you’ll reach a cleared area on the left. This is new forest; the area was logged and what you see now offers prime habitats for birds and other animals. The road gradually winds through the valley and with the leaves down you can see quite a bit of the hillsides. A sharp eye will notice many trails disappearing into the woods. At 3.4 miles look for a small parking area on the left. A hundred yards away lies another of Rothrock’s jewels locally known as Pine Swamp or Beaver Pond. It is the headwaters of Shaver Creek which fills Lake Perez several miles west. The remnants of the old dam built in the 1930's still remain. What was once a lake is now a meandering stream and dense marshland. The trees are enjoying the rich soil and reclaiming the old lake shore. Many birds and rodents thrive in this unique environment which makes a great place to explore. There are no marked trails but you can follow deer paths or softly explore the marsh on your own. Beware the swamp-like nature; one step may be firm but the next may not. In the spring you'll find plenty of snakes, frogs and salamanders hiding along the shore. At dusk the deer come out for a drink and in summer the crickets make a loud chorus. During the winter months the marsh is a field of reds, yellows and golds. It is amazingly beautiful with a blanket of fresh snow - the stream flows crystal clear and the pines provide holiday images. You will quickly forget the city of State College is only a few miles away. On the 1972 USGS topographic map of Pine Grove Mills, PA, a small lake is shown along Pine Swamp Road named Beaver Pond, in an area labeled "PA State Univ. Rec Area". It is not marked at all on the 1997 Purple Lizard Recreational Map. Today Rothrock State Forest owns this parcel of land. The Purple Lizard map does not show it, at the request of the local foresters, because it was so abused in the last decade. As an island of PSU land within the State Forest it was not governed by the foresters and it became an ugly party zone littered with broken glass and burned lawn chairs. Today it is regularly patrolled by the foresters. It had become such a high impact site that we felt it was best if the area could quietly recover, which is why Purple Lizard chose to delete it from their map. Unfortunately this beautiful area still receives too much abuse from people. Please help the forest and pick up trash that was discarded by those who do not care. Pine Swamp is rich with geography. The changing landscape, the history, the old paths and remnant camps. I suggest you take a map and spend some time studying it - especially since this is National Geography Awareness Week. Your kids should be aware of this and it’s a good opportunity to read a map with them. When you go: From State College take Rt. 26 South to Whipple Dam State Park. Drive past Whipple Dam (do not cross the water) and the paved roads will meet the dirt road: this is Laurel Run Road. Continue and in four miles Pine Swamp Road is on the left. It will return you to Rt. 26, bear right to return to State College. Recommended Maps: Purple Lizard Recreational Map, USGS topographical maps; Pine Grove Mills and McAlevy’s Fort , DeLorme Pennsylvania Gazetteer. Michael Hermann is the creator of the Purple Lizard Recreational Map of State College and has been exploring local trails since 1979.
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