Stone Valley Recreation Area

Stone Valley Recreation Area
By Michael Hermann; Lizard Tracks, Centre Daily Times, 8-98

Taking your family into the woods can be a tremendously rewarding experience for all. Or it can be a disaster if everyone is crying "Are we having fun yet?". The key to a successful family outing is keeping it simple, safe and within everyones physical limitations. This means catering to the youngest, which isn't a new concept to most families. You also need to make it interesting for the oldest and reasonably enjoyable for yourself. This is not an impossible criteria to meet.

The Stone Valley Recreation Area offers the perfect environment for a diverse family outing. This 72 acre lake has a well maintained walking path around it complete with boardwalks over the marsh areas. The Shavers Creek Nature Center offers a hands-on museum filled with plant and animal displays. The lake sits within 700 acres of experimental woodlands managed by Penn State foresters.
The Raptor Aviary features injured birds that are cared for by local sponsors. This is an outdoor facility with owls, kestrels, hawks and even a Bald Eagle. A two dollar donation is requested.

Picnic tables and grills are available for afternoon lunches. There are paved and dirt roads suitable for family bike rides. Maps are available at the Nature Center.

The lakeside trail is relatively flat, although there is a short climb to the Nature Center and another at the spillway base. Sections of the trail are narrow which make it difficult to push a Baby Jogger or off road stroller. This trail is best suited for energetic youngsters who can handle the decisions found along a dirt trail.

However, the primary access part of the lake (South side) offers wide open lawns and dirt roads suitable for strollers. Models designed with larger, bicycle style wheels work better on the uneven surfaces.

This diversity lets the family enjoy two separate adventures. The bigger kids can tackle the lakeside trail and the younger ones can enjoy the Nature Center and picnic areas. A paved road connects the two areas if you don't feel comfortable walking.

After the 1.5 mile hike around the lake you can rent a canoe and explore the lake itself. Turtles and fish are visible in their natural environment as you float silently above Lake Perez. If you are feeling adventurous you can also rent a sailboat.
Stone Valley offers cabin rentals for overnight and extended stays if you want to make a vacation out of it.

Remember to bring nets and plastic cups for catching and examining things. Bug spray will keep away the ones you don't want to attract. Bring an insect or amphibian identification book and you'll turn it into a research session.

Dogs are not allowed at Stone Valley and there are no swimming beaches. There are no concession stands either-you'll want to be self sufficient in the picnic basket department. The Nature Center does have a gift shop filled with a variety of educational materials.
Be sure to allocate more time than you expect to Stone Valley. The lake has a charm that will cast a spell on you and keep you there through sunset. During my last visit we rescued a wayward turtle and watched some curious deer browse through the woods. This is a place nobody wants to leave and it's only minutes from State College.

Directions: Rt. 26 South to Pine Grove Mills. Continue on Rt. 26 over the mountain and turn right on Charter Oak Road (State Road 1029). Take the first entrance (left) to Stone Valley.

Michael Hermann is the creator of the Purple Lizard Recreational Map of State College and has been exploring local trails since 1979. He can be reached at www.purplelizard.com.