Ravensburg State Park
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| Ravensburg State Park, Pennsylvania, USA | |
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| IUCN Category III (Natural Monument) | |
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| Location: | Crawford Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Nearest city: | Williamsport, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates: | |
| Area: | 78 acres (0.32 km²) |
| Established: | 1930s |
| Governing body: | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |
Ravensburg State Park is a Pennsylvania State Park in Clinton County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is in a gorge carved by Rauchtown Run through the side of Nippenose Mountain. Ravensburg State Park is 78 acres (0.32 km²) of wooded land that is almost entirely surrounded by Tiadaghton State Forest. This state park is on Pennsylvania Route 880, 8 miles (13 km) north of Carroll and 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Jersey Shore. The nearest city is Williamsport.
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[edit] History
Ravensburg State Park gets its name from the ravens that were known for roosting on the rock ledges at the southern end of the park (near the south entrance). Ravens can be seen in the vicinity of this park to this day, making the name logical despite that fact that there is no community nearby that goes by the name Ravensburg. The nearest community to Ravensburg State Park is the unincorporated village of Rauchtown.
The forest surrounding and within Ravensburg State Park has not changed much in the past 100 years. It is also unlikey that much timber has even been harvested in this area due to the extremely rocky surroundings and the narrow gorge in which Ravensburg State Park lies.
Ravensburg State Park was constructed during the Great Depression in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps founded by American President Franklin Roosevelt. The CCC created many jobs for the out of work industrial workers of Williamsport, Jersey Shore and Lock Haven. Ravensburg State Park is just one of many examples of the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps throughout North Central Pennsylavania. The CCC built a small dam on Rauchtown Run that is still being used as a swimming hole by the visitors to Ravensburg State Park. The CCC also built pavilions, latrines, bridges, trails, waterlines and fountains at Ravensburg, some of which are still being used as of 2006.
The Emergency Conservation Work architecture in the 1933-1942 time period has earned the park a listing on the National Register of Historic Places, along with other Pennsylvania state parks developed in this time period.
[edit] Geology
Over the years Rauchtown Run has made its way through the mountains on its way to the West Branch Susquehanna River near Jersey Shore, via Antes Creek. The years of water flow have created the gorge in which the park is located. Tall erosional spires of sandstone have created an formation known as Castle Rocks. The rocks can be seen from the Mid State Trail and are said to resemble the towers of an ancient castle. The frost action, brought on by the cold winters of Pennsylvania, has lead to the creation of this rock formation.
[edit] Recreation
[edit] Camping
Bring your tents to Ravensburg because that is the only type of camping available. The campground is downstream from the dam. Each campground has a fire ring as well as a picnic table.
[edit] Picnics
Ravensburg is popular for picnicking by families and church groups. There are three picnic areas on the grounds of Ravensburg State Park. Each area has picnic tables and pavilions and charcoal grills. There is a centrally located playfield with a playground for the kids and several horseshoe pits for the grown-ups.
[edit] Hunting
Because Ravensburg State Park is just 78 acres in size, hunting is prohibited with the confines of the park. However, there are 215,000 acres of hunting area available in the surrounding Tiadaghton State Forest.
[edit] Hiking
There is one mile of hiking trail available. Raven Trail, on the banks of Rauchtown Run, provides easy access to the creek for fishing. There are several side trails that lead to scenic rocky outcrops or to other hiking trails on state forest land. The 269 mile Mid State backpacking trail is accessible from Ravensburg State Park.
[edit] Fishing
Avid fishermen will find native brook trout and brown trout living in Rauchtown Run. This provides for cold water fishing in Rauchtown Run as well as its tributaries.
[edit] Nearby state parks
- Little Pine State Park (Lycoming County)
- McCalls Dam State Park (Centre County)
- R. B. Winter State Park (Union County)
- Sand Bridge State Park (Union County)
- Shikellamy State Park (Union and Northumberland Counties)
- Susquehanna State Park (Lycoming County)
- Upper Pine Bottom State Park (Lycoming County)
[edit] References
- Pennsylvania State Parks: The CCC Years. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
- Ravensburg State Park. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2006-10-11.
- State Parks near the Tiadaghton State Forest. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2006-10-11.
- Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. "2006 General Highway Map of Clinton County". Retrieved on 2006-10-11.Note: shows Ravensburg State Park
- Pennsylvania State Parks - Historic Places. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved on 2006-10-11.
- TopoZone - Ravensburg State Park, USGS Carroll (PA) Topo Map (Topographic Map). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2006-11-03. Note: source of latitude and longitude
