Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area

For the Texas State Park, see Big Spring State Park (Texas).

Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area
Pennsylvania State Park
Natural Monument (IUCN III)
Pavilions in a wooded area at Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area
Named for: Big Spring Run
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Perry
Township	Toboyne
Location	^[1]
- coordinates	40°15′52″N 77°39′03″W / 40.26444°N 77.65083°W / 40.26444; -77.65083Coordinates: 40°15′52″N 77°39′03″W / 40.26444°N 77.65083°W / 40.26444; -77.65083
- elevation	1,375 ft (419.1 m) ^[1]
Area	45 acres (18 ha)
Founded	1936
Managed by	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Location of Big Spring State Park in Pennsylvania
Website : Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area

Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area is a 45-acre (18 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Toboyne Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 274, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) southwest of New Germantown. Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area is a hiking and picnic area. A partially completed railroad tunnel in Conococheague Mountain is a feature of the park.

History

The area surrounding Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area is now largely a wild area. This was not the case in the 19th century. One of the first businesses at the foot of Conococheague Mountain was a tannery. This tannery was in operation from the early 19th century until 1860. The tannery was converted into an axe handle factory in 1871. The Perry Lumber Railroad, a narrow gauge railway also operated in the area. It hauled lumber to tanneries, barrel manufacturers and charcoal furnaces.^[2]

The abandoned railroad tunnel is a remnant of the lumber era that dominated the economy of much of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. The Newport and Shermans Valley Railroad extended its line into the Big Spring area in an attempt to connect with the Path Valley Railroad on the other side of Conococheague Mountain in Franklin County. This tunnel was left incomplete and stands as a reminder of the lumber/railroad era.^[2]

Although the railroad may have failed in its effort to tunnel through the mountain, the tracks remained. These rails were used to transport picnickers into the area during the early 20th century. The current facilities at Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area were built during the Great Depression in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was formally opened in 1936.^[2]

Recreation

Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area offers recreational opportunities to those interested in picnicking and hiking. The pavilions built by the CCC and picnic tables are available in many areas of the park. A one mile trail leads to the abandoned railroad tunnel in Conococheague Mountain. The park also serves as a trailhead for the Iron Horse Trail in Tuscarora State Forest.^[2]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area:^[3]^[4]^[5]

Caledonia State Park (Adams and Franklin Counties)
Colonel Denning State Park (Cumberland County)
Cowans Gap State Park (Fulton County)
Fowlers Hollow State Park (Perry County)
Greenwood Furnace State Park (Huntingdon County)
Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center (Cumberland County)
Little Buffalo State Park (Perry County)
Mont Alto State Park (Franklin County)
Pine Grove Furnace State Park (Cumberland County)
Trough Creek State Park (Huntingdon County)

References

1 2 "Big Spring State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 30, 1990. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
1 2 3 4 "Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2006-11-08.
↑ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
↑ 2007 General Highway Map Perry County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved 2007-07-28. Note: shows Big Spring State Park
↑ Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Archived from the original on 11 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-20.

External links

"Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area official map" (PDF). (45 KB)

Protected areas of Pennsylvania

Federal

NPS National Historical Parks & National Historic Sites	Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS Edgar Allan Poe NHS Eisenhower NHS Friendship Hill NHS Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church NHS Hopewell Furnace NHS Independence NHP Steamtown NHS Valley Forge NHP

National Memorials	Benjamin Franklin Flight 93 Johnstown Flood Thaddeus Kosciuszko

National Battlefields and National Military Parks	Fort Necessity NB Gettysburg NMP

National Trails	Appalachian Trail

Other protected areas	Allegheny National Recreation Area Blue Marsh National Recreation Area Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area Middle Delaware National Scenic River Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River

National Forests	Allegheny

USFS National Historic Sites	Grey Towers

National Wildlife Refuges	Cherry Valley Erie John Heinz Ohio River Islands

State

State Parks	Allegheny Islands Archbald Pothole Bald Eagle Beltzville Bendigo Benjamin Rush Big Pocono Big Spring Black Moshannon Blue Knob Boyd Big Tree Buchanan's Birthplace Bucktail Caledonia Canoe Creek Chapman Cherry Springs Clear Creek Codorus Colonel Denning Colton Point Cook Forest Cowans Gap Delaware Canal Denton Hill Elk Erie Bluffs Evansburg Fort Washington Fowlers Hollow Frances Slocum French Creek Gifford Pinchot Gouldsboro Greenwood Furnace Hickory Run Hillman Hills Creek Hyner Run Hyner View Jacobsburg Jennings Joseph E. Ibberson Kettle Creek Keystone Kings Gap Kinzua Bridge Kooser Lackawanna Laurel Hill Laurel Mountain Laurel Ridge Laurel Summit Lehigh Gorge Leonard Harrison Linn Run Little Buffalo Little Pine Locust Lake Lyman Run Marsh Creek Maurice K. Goddard McCalls Dam McConnells Mill Memorial Lake Milton Mont Alto Moraine Mt. Pisgah Nescopeck Neshaminy Nockamixon Nolde Forest Norristown Farm Ohiopyle Oil Creek Ole Bull Parker Dam Patterson Penn-Roosevelt Pine Grove Furnace Poe Paddy Poe Valley Point Presque Isle Prince Gallitzin Promised Land Prompton Prouty Place Pymatuning R. B. Winter Raccoon Creek Ralph Stover Ravensburg Reeds Gap Ricketts Glen Ridley Creek Ryerson Station S. B. Elliott Salt Springs Samuel S. Lewis Sand Bridge Shawnee Shikellamy Sinnemahoning Sizerville Susquehanna Susquehannock Swatara Tobyhanna Trough Creek Tuscarora Tyler Upper Pine Bottom Varden Warriors Path Washington Crossing Whipple Dam White Clay Creek Worlds End Yellow Creek

State Forests	Bald Eagle Buchanan Clear Creek Cornplanter Delaware Elk Forbes Gallitzin Loyalsock Michaux Moshannon Pinchot Rothrock Sproul Susquehannock Tiadaghton Tioga Tuscarora Weiser William Penn (Wild areas)

Scenic Rivers	Bear Run French Creek Lehigh River LeTort Spring Run Lick Run Lower Brandywine Octoraro Creek Pine Creek Schuylkill River Stony Creek Tucquan Creek Tulpehocken Creek Yellow Breeches Creek

Other

Other	Anders Run Natural Area Forrest H. Duttlinger Natural Area Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Hoverter and Sholl Box Huckleberry Natural Area Johnson Run Natural Area Stone Valley Recreation Area Trexler Nature Preserve Wykoff Run Natural Area

Hiking trails	Appalachian Baker Black Forest Central Mountains Shared Use Darlington Eastern Continental Five Star Glacier Ridge Great Eastern Greene River Horse-Shoe Indian Creek Valley Loyalsock Mid State Standing Stone Mason-Dixon North Country Ohio River Old Loggers Path Pinchot Potomac Heritage Quehanna Rachel Carson Sheepskin Susquehannock Thunder Swamp Tuscarora Valley Forge Historical West Rim Wissahickon Youghiogheny River

Rail trails	Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike Beaver River East Coast Greenway Five Star Ghost Town Great Allegheny Passage Great Shamokin Path Greene River Indian Creek Valley Lebanon Valley Lehigh Gorge Liberty Bell Lower Montour Ohio River Palmer Bikeway Panhandle Perkiomen Pine Creek Plainfield Township Schuylkill River Sheepskin Struble Susquehanna Warrior Switchback Three Rivers Heritage York Country Heritage Youghiogheny River

Nature centers	List of nature centers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

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