Big Spring State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Toboyne Township,

Perry County Perry County may refer to: United States *Perry County, Alabama *Perry County, Arkansas *Perry County, Illinois *Perry County, Indiana *Perry County, Kentucky *Perry County, Mississippi *Perry County, Missouri *Perry County, Ohio * Perry Cou ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

in the United States. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 274, southwest of New Germantown. Big Spring State Park is a hiking and picnic area. A partially completed

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

tunnel in

Conococheague Mountain Conococheague Mountain is a long and narrow mountain located in the far western corner of Perry County, Pennsylvania. The highest point on the mountain is a summit known as Round Top; it rises to an elevation of and is located at the very sout ...

is a feature of the park.

History

The area surrounding Big Spring State Park 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 Tanning, or hide tanning, is the process of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather. A tannery is the place where the skins are processed. Historically, vegetable based tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound derived fr ...

. This tannery was in operation from the early 19th century until 1860. The tannery was converted into an

axe An axe (; sometimes spelled ax in American English; American and British English spelling differences#Miscellaneous spelling differences, see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for thousands of years to shape, split, a ...

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. The abandoned railroad tunnel is a remnant of the lumber era that dominated the economy of much of

in the 19th century. The

Newport and Shermans Valley Railroad The Newport and Shermans Valley Railroad was a nineteenth-century, American, narrow gauge railroad that was located in Pennsylvania. It ran from Newport, Pennsylvania to New Germantown, Pennsylvania. History The railroad's founder David Gring, ...

extended its line into the Big Spring area in an attempt to connect with the

Path Valley Railroad The Path Valley Railroad was a proposed narrow gauge railroad in Perry and Franklin Counties, Pennsylvania, USA. Intended as an extension of the Newport and Shermans Valley Railroad, it was to begin at that railroad's terminus in New Germanto ...

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. 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 Park were built during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

in the 1930s by the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

. It was formally opened in 1936.

Recreation

Big Spring State Park 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 Tuscarora State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #3. The main office is located in Blain in Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Tuscarora State Forest contains in several tracts a ...

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within of Big Spring State Park:''Note: shows Big Spring State Park'' *

Caledonia State Park Caledonia State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Greene Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County and Franklin Township, Adams County, Pennsylva ...

(

Adams Adams may refer to: * For persons, see Adams (surname) Places United States *Adams, California *Adams, California, former name of Corte Madera, California * Adams, Decatur County, Indiana *Adams, Kentucky *Adams, Massachusetts, a New England to ...

and Franklin Counties) * Colonel Denning State Park (

Cumberland County Cumberland County may refer to: Australia * Cumberland County, New South Wales * the former name of Cumberland Land District, Tasmania, Australia Canada *Cumberland County, Nova Scotia United Kingdom * Cumberland, historic county *Cumberl ...

) * Cowans Gap State Park ( Fulton County) * Fowlers Hollow State Park (Perry County) * Greenwood Furnace State Park (

Huntingdon County Huntingdon is a market town in the Huntingdonshire district of Cambridgeshire, England. The town was given its town charter by King John in 1205. It was the county town of the historic county of Huntingdonshire. Oliver Cromwell was born there ...

) *

Kings Gap Environmental Education and Training Center Kings Gap Environmental Education Center is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park in Cooke Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Cooke, Dickinson Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Dickinson, and Penn Townshi ...

(Cumberland County) *

Little Buffalo State Park Little Buffalo State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Centre and Juniata Townships, Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is a historical destination as well as a recreational destination. Visitors to the park can c ...

(Perry County) *

Mont Alto State Park Mont Alto State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, Pennsylvania state park on in Quincy Township, Pennsylvania, Quincy Township, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, Franklin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Pennsylva ...

(Franklin County) *

Pine Grove Furnace State Park Pine Grove Furnace State Park is a List of Pennsylvania state parks, protected Pennsylvania area that includes Laurel Lake (Cumberland County, Pennsylvania), Laurel and Pine Grove Iron Works#Fuller Lake, Fuller Lakes in Cooke Township, Cumberl ...

(Cumberland County) *

Trough Creek State Park Trough Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Cass, Penn and Todd Townships, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The majority of the park is in Todd Township along Pennsylvania Route 994, east of the unincorporat ...

(Huntingdon County)

References

External links

* {{authority control Big Spring State Park Protected areas established in 1936 Civilian Conservation Corps in Pennsylvania Parks in Perry County, Pennsylvania 1936 establishments in Pennsylvania Protected areas of Perry County, Pennsylvania