This is one of the smaller old-growth areas on the tour, but it is right on the Mid-State Trail, not far south of the Pine Creek Gorge, allowing visitors to more easily see what the giant eastern hemlocks in the Gorge would have looked like if they had been left in place. Surrounding the hemlocks is a 73-acre patch of hardwoods of impressive size and variety, including hickories, red oaks, white ash and even bigtooth aspen. White pine stumps remain to remind us of what had been here before the British Navy had its way with our forests, using the best of these fine trees for masts and other spars. In the log-rafting days, white pines were the premier first crop. They were followed by the hardwoods, leaving the hemlock for last. Often only the bark was taken from the felled hemlocks and used for wood alcohol and tannic acid, leaving the trunks to rot in the devastated forests that have regrown as our lovely state forests of today.

Access Details

Take PA Rt 414 north from Jersey Shore, along the bank of Pine Creek. About 3.5 miles north of Jersey Mills, turn right (northeast) on Truman Run Rd. Go to Okome Rd and turn right (southeast). After about two miles, it takes a hard right, but Schoolhouse Rd goes straight. Stay with Schoolhouse for a short distance to the dirt road to the left (north), Hackett's Road. Go about 1 mile north to the crossing of the Mid State Trail. Take it about 1.5 miles north north west to the Bark Cabin Natural Area. A power line marks the northern extent of the Natural Area.

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