My most recent hike took me to a ghost town in Pennsylvania. It was a town named Peale, and owned and run by a mining company. There’s still a cemetery and a couple buildings, so a neat place to explore.

Seriously! Who knew Pennsylvania had ghost towns?!?

We followed the road up the hill to Peale Station where we found the old USGS benchmark medallion.  The railroad used to run right through here, and this was the stop for the town of Peale

brass benchmark

Our next stop was the old railroad tunnel.  The cool thing about this rail line is that it has been converted into a multi-use trail and ATV’s run through all the time. While it makes for a noisy hike, it also means that the tunnel has been preserved, and is still safe to travel through.  It was awesome to see the ice formations of water coming through the drain pipes and wall seams.

Looking towards the light at the end of the tunnel

a cathedral of ice

Our final destination was the old railroad bridge, about two miles away.  While the bridge is no longer maintained, and they discourage travelling across it ( as you can see by the blocked trail, end sign and torn up rails and ties).  It’s still a super place to stop and have a cup of coffee (which we did!).

A nice place to stop for coffee (BYO!)

One Last Stop on the Way Home

Our last stop was a “Purple Lizard” (a notable site for historic, cultural, natural or other reasons).  It was the Old Log St. Severin’s Church.  I’m not sure if they still hold services there, but it was a way cool old church to explore.

Old Log St. Severin’s Catholic Church

Interior of church

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