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4.16.2017

Clear Creek State Park: A Quiet and Beautiful Forest Preserve

Clear Creek is a close sibling to nearby Cook Forest State Park, but it often gets overlooked. It is located on a tract of nearly 1200 pristine acres, filled with babbling mountain streams, beautiful forests, and quiet beauty. It has a heart of CCC built cabins in its location within the Clarion Valley. There is no shortage of natural beauty here. The state park is surrounded by the Clear Creek State Forest, a 13,266 acre preserve located within three counties, Jefferson, Venango, and Forest Counties. The state park portion is located squarely in Jefferson County. Hiking trails, creeks, woods, picnic areas, camping, and more can be found at this secluded state park. 

One of the beautiful pine forests of the park.
The beach and swimming area.
There is a historic district of cabins that were built during the Great Depression as a part of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs to help pull our nation out of the Great Depression. Unemployed young men were put to work and their handiwork has endured for the better part of a century. Their work still comprises the backbone of Pennsylvania's State Parks, something we will be forever indebted to. The cabins here are a national historic landmark.

The Lumbering Museum and Interpretive Center
The park is situated upon the banks of the Clarion River. The setting is gorgeous.
The theater and movie screening area. There is a nice campground at this state park, surely an excellent place to spend some time.
I always love seeing these rows of CCC planted trees.

Babbling mountain streams criss cross through.


Heading up the Clarion from the state park leads you to the ghost town of Millstone in Elk County. While only a few houses remain in the area, the thing that really stuck out for me were the old bridge piers. I have not found photos or information about this bridge, and would love to see some. Let me know if you have any images of it.
Clear Creek State Park, and the surrounding area, are a ton of fun to explore and should be a stop for anyone visiting Cook Forest State Park and the general PA Great Outdoors Region. 

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