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.
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