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Eagleton Mine Camp Trail opens in Sproul State Forest, Clinton County
Outdoor enthusiasts will now have one more reason to visit the Pennsylvania Wilds: the newly-renovated Eagleton Mine Camp Trail in Sproul State Forest in Clinton and Centre counties. The trail opened to the public at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 10, with a grand opening celebration, sponsored by DCNR, at the eastern trailhead. The celebration included an organized hike, bike and horseback ride along the trail. “Our two million acres of state forest lands offer great opportunities for people to enjoy nature, and in the case of the newly-developed Eagleton Mine Camp Trail in central Pennsylvania, that includes some very remote and wild areas where bears, turkey and a great variety of songbirds can be found,” DCNR Secretary Michael DiBerardinis said. “Many of our trail improvements have been finished to make sure mountain bikers can enjoy the challenge of the Eagleton Mine Camp Trail.” The Eagleton Mine Camp Trail, which gets its name from a former mining village in the area that disappeared after its hey day in the second half of the 1800s, is about 20 miles long, and varies in difficulty from easy to some areas with steep climbs and descents. Improvements include the construction of five bridges along the trail at stream crossings. The bridges can be crossed by horseback, on bicycle, or by foot. In addition to DCNR, sponsors of the celebration were the Clinton County Economic Partnership, Rock River and Trail Outfitters, and the Bike Gallery. The 280,000-acre Sproul State Forest was named for former Pennsylvania Governor William C. Sproul. The first purchase for the forest was made in 1898, which marked the beginning of the entire Pennsylvania state forest system. The trail work is part of ongoing efforts to improve recreational opportunities and increase nature tourism in the 12-county area know as the Pennsylvania Wilds, which covers Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Potter, Tioga, and Warren counties. It also includes 27 state parks, 1.5 million acres of state forest and game lands, the Allegheny National Forest, Pine Creek Gorge, the largest elk herd in the northeast U.S., and the darkest nighttime skies at Cherry Springs State Park. For more information on state forests or the Pennsylvania Wilds visit the DCNR web site at www.dcnr.state.pa.us.
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