Miller Esker Natural Area

This is one for the geology buffs out there. Miller (Jacksville) Esker was formed during the last glacial period, by a process best explained HERE.

The portion pictured here is owned and protected by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and is open to the public. To get there, turn left onto West Liberty Road from Rt. 528, about a mile north of the big bridge that crosses Lake Arthur. Stay on West Liberty Rd. no matter what it does (there are some turns), and you'll eventually see the esker on your right (after Swope Road). Park on the side of the road. The natural area runs behind a privately-owned farm, so the WPC recommends hugging the wooded area to the right of it to reach it. You are free to roam on top of the esker between the woods and the tree pictured above.

Like Slippery Rock Creek Natural Area, this is admittedly not an all-day adventure. You go up, you look around, and that's about it. Miller Esker is right around the corner from the Glacier Wetlands Natural Area, a 100 acre plot on Swope Road owned by the Wild Waterways Conservancy. The Relict Prairie at Jennings Environmental Education Center is also not far away. Its amazing wildflowers usually are on full display in late July and early August.

Hell's Hollow at Slippery Rock Gorge

Hell Run flows south into Slippery Rock Creek, and its last two miles or so are protected as part of McConnells Mill State Park (and it is considered to be part of the Slippery Rock Gorge Natural Area). To get to its parking area, go over the covered bridge by the mill, up the hill, and then follow the (small) signs for a couple of miles. Expect to make a number of turns along some skinny, hilly, winding back roads.

At the parking lot, you'll be faced with two trails - the 0.5 mile (easy) Hell's Hollow Trail and the 6.2 mile (moderate to difficult) Slippery Rock Gorge trail. I usually just plod along the easy trail, along which you'll find a number of geologic sites and wildflowers and scenic views of Hell Run. Some interesting points are the flume and (or course) the falls, which mark the end of the trail. The best time to see the falls is in the springtime during snowmelt, when they are at their fullest. By the end of the summer, especially a dry one, the falls will be down to a couple of trickling flows.

Slippery Rock Gorge Natural Area

Slippery Rock Gorge makes up the bulk of McConnells Mill State Park up in Lawrence County. To get to the park, head up I-79 to either the Portersville/Prospect or Butler/New Castle exits and follow the signs. Once you get there, all you need to do is head down the hill from the main parking lot and you are in the natural area. There area number of trails along Slippery Rock Creek that range from paved (but still not the easiest to walk on) to rough back-country. There are lots of rocks and lots of slippery areas, so wear sturdy boots and bring a walking stick.

The gorge was created back at the end of the last glacial period. When temperatures warmed the glacier receded, ice blocks that had created a number of lakes disappeared, allowing the water to rush out. Over time (but not that much time, geologically speaking), the rushing water carved out the gorge and left massive boulders behind.

The rocks are what many people come for (along with the creek, which is a challenging white water corridor), but the abundance of wild flowers, trees, waterfalls and other scenic niceties are certainly worth the trip. My favorite time to visit is after a large rain storm when the creek overflows, creating lots of new channels, rapids, etc. A good rain will also bring out the waterfalls, some of which are hardly noticeable without extra precipitation (or snow melt). Autumn colors are also quite spectacular, as are the trees' herculean efforts to grow on, around, and in the large rocks.

All-in-all, this is one of Southwestern Pennsylvania's most scenic natural areas, and certainly worth the trip in nearly any season.

Hemlock Trail Natural Area

Hemlock Trail is a part of Laurel Hill State Park over in Somerset County - take the turnpike to the Donegal exit and follow the signs. If you enter via to the main park road from S.R. 3037, the trailhead is just past a small parking lot that is just before the bridge over Laurel Hill Creek. It's in kind of a trough, so watch the winter visits (I thought I was going to have to call a tow truck...).

The Natural Area itself is only about six acres, but is certainly worth the mile or so walk, as it is just about the only major stand of pre-European, old growth Eastern Hemlock in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Its existance is one of those great accidents of history - the rest of the original trees in what has become the park were clearcut, but the six acres in question were just too difficult for the loggers to access. Now the 400 year old trees are huge, and there's always something special about old growth areas. Of course, this is the Laurel Highlands, so mountain laurel and rhododendron thickets are abundant, and Laurel Hill Creek itself is quite a site to behold.

Slippery Rock Creek Natural Area

Slippery Rock Creek Natural Area is officially part of Moraine State Park, but is located a few miles away from the contiguous areas around Lake Arthur and is NOT on the park map.

The easiest way to get there is to go north on I-79 to the Slippery Rock exit, go towards Slippery Rock, then turn right onto West Park Road (maybe a mile or so from the exit). Follow the road to a bridge over Slippery Rock Creek - the Natural Area and its parking lots are on your immediate left after you cross the bridge.

It's a relatively small property - around 90-100 acres - and really only has one hiking path that cuts straight back through the woods. There are some offshoots that take you down to the creek, and when the water is low it's kind of fun to splash around down there.

The state's official description is: "Floodplain forest of northern hardwoods and adjacent palustrine and shrub-scrub wetlands containing diverse and rare plants." In other words, see it in the spring for wildflowers and in the fall for pretty leaves. For the photographers out there, morning light is great and the property is low-lying enough that the fog nestles down into it quite nicely. Here are some more photos from the same July morning.

All-in-all, Slippery Rock Creek Natural Area is not an all-day excursion, but it is a nice stop if you're planning to tackle the rapids at nearby McConnell's Mill S.P. or take a sail at Moraine S.P.