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Blueberry Trail: Family Adventure at Black Moshannon Bog Natural Area
Blueberry Trail, Black Moshannon State Park
Enjoy this 1.0 mile, easiest rated hiking loop with your family anytime of year! Access the trail by parking at the Mid State Airport terminal building on Airport Road, which is just west of Black Moshannon State Park Boundary along Route 504. The trail begins on a mowed path between a picnic table and a trail sign.
There are so many family friendly hikes and places to explore on the Moshannon-Quehanna Lizard Map, but one our our favorite spots is Black Moshannon Bog Natural Area. Many trails lead from the state park cabin area and Black Moshannon Lake to the bog. Blueberry Trail is a great option especially for young explorers. This short walk is a wonderful opportunity for young minds to explore and experience rare plant and bird species on the Allegheny Plateau.
The Blueberry Trail is a flat 1-mile loop idea for a leisurely summer hike. It is yellow blazed and includes signage at junctions along the way.
Shortly after beginning the hike, leave the fenced-in airport through a fun red door. This fence keeps deer and other animals off of the runway, so please be sure to close the door after you go through. After a few yards, you come across the next highlight: a small pond that has many frogs and birds, and is often covered with duckweed in the summer. Duckweed is the green plant that covers the pond surface. It is an important food source for aquatic species and fowl. Duckweed are the smallest flowering plants that grow floating in still or slow-moving fresh water around the world.
Duckweed looks like a bunch of baby lima beans when you zoom in really close with a camera. You can't see this level of detail with your eyes alone.
The trail continues on past many tasty raspberry and blueberry bushes, grassy meadows, and a few sections of foot bridges and boardwalks that keep both little and big hikers feet dry. This section of trail is also on a part of the Moss-Hanne Trail, so be sure to follow the signs at trail junctions.
Many songbirds travel through this bog throughout the year. Take binoculars for a better view (and maybe a bird book!). Also, keep a lookout for carnivorous plant species like pitcher plant and sundew below.
After walking through a meadow, the trail reaches Airport Road again. Turn left and carefully walk along the road for a short stretch back to your car.
Note: Blueberries are typically ripe early-to-mid July. The photo below shows blueberries coming close to ripe - about one week before they are ready to enjoy!
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