Rothrock State Forest
Encyclopedia
Rothrock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #5. The main offices are located in Huntingdon
in Huntingdon County
, Pennsylvania
in the United States
.
Rothrock State Forest is located in Centre
, Huntingdon, and Mifflin
Counties.
State College
, home of Penn State University is only a few miles from many of the entrances of Rothrock, leading to high utilization of the forest by students and staff of the university. Rothrock shares a common border on its eastern portion with Bald Eagle State Forest
and is just north of areas of Tuscarora State Forest
.
became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. Lumber and iron companies had harvested the old-growth forests for various reasons. They clear cut
the forests and left behind nothing but dried tree tops and rotting stumps. The sparks of passing steam locomotives ignited wildfire
s that prevented the formation of second growth forest
s. The conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. They called for the state to purchase land from the lumber and iron companies and the lumber and iron companies were more than willing to sell their land since they had depleted the natural resources of the forests. The changes began to take place in 1895 when Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, the forerunner of today's Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
. The Pennsylvania General Assembly
passed a piece of legislation in 1897 that authorized the purchase of "unseated lands for forest reservations." This was the beginning of the State Forest system.
The name Rothrock comes from Dr. Joseph Trimbel Rothrock
. He is recognized as the Father of Forestry in Pennsylvania. In 1895, Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first forestry commissioner to lead the newly-formed Division of Forestry in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Two of his major accomplishments as commissioner were his land acquisition program and the creation of a forest academy to train foresters for state service.
Dr. Rothrock led the effort in central Pennsylvania to acquire land that had once belonged to the Greenwood Iron Works. The iron company had left behind approximately 35000 acres (14,164 ha) of land that had been stripped of its old growth forest to provide fuel in the form of charcoal
for the iron furnaces in northern Huntingdon County
. Additional land was purchased soon after until nearly all of the Seven Mountain area had become state property. The lands acquired in the early 20th century were divided into three separate state forest reserves. Logan State Forest comprised the land in northern Huntingdon County and Ferguson
and Harris Townships in Centre County
. Penn State Forest was located in Potter Township
, Centre County and Armagh Township and Brown Township
Townships in Mifflin County
. Rothrock State Forest was near Mount Union
and Entriken in Huntingdon County. The three forests were merged in 1953 with parts of Penn and Logan being added to Bald Eagle State Forest
and the rest combined to make what is now Rothrock State Forest.
Some of the first firetowers built in Pennsylvania were constructed in Rothrock State Forest in the 1920s. Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot
, former chief of the U.S. Forest Service upgraded the Pennsylvania Forestry Division to full department status and gave the new Department of Forest and Waters the funds needed to build steel observation towers in the state forests. The construction of the observation towers combined with changes in forest management lead to a dramatic decrease in the number and size of forest fires throughout the state forests of Pennsylvania.
Much of the land that is now Rothrock State Forest was cleared of dried underbrush during the Great Depression
by the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps
created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
. In addition to clearing the forests and streams of brush the CCC also built roads and trails in the state forests and parks and many of the recreational facilities still in use at the state parks in the Rothrock State Forest area.
By the 1950s the second growth forest
s of oak
and hickory
had grown to a size that the wood was ready to be harvested for lumber
. A scientific forestry management plan was put into place in 1955. The timber management plan was expanded to a natural resource
management plan in 1985. The new management plan covers the management of water, wildlife, timber, fire protection and recreation. Recreational use of the Rothrock State Forest has grown in the last several decades. All visitors are asked to learn and comply with all state forest regulations while using and respecting the forest and its facilities.
, a 101 miles (163 km) mountain bike race, and the Tussey MountainBack 50 Mile Relay, a 50 miles (80.5 km) race and Ultramarathon, and the Stoopid 50 mountain bike race. In 2005 the Single Speed World Championship
race was held in Rothrock. In 2010, the first Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic
7-day Stage Race was held in Rothrock and Bald Eagle State Forests.
Local newspaper coverage The Tussey Mountain Trail transects this burn, which is now quite beautiful in spring with wildflowers and grasses among the charred trees. This trail has become a regional favorite among mountain bikers and hikers. The 2010 Purple Lizard Map shows the extent of the burn zone.
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Huntingdon County. It is located along the Juniata River, west of Harrisburg, about halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, in an agricultural and fruit-growing region, with valuable forests and deposits of...
in Huntingdon County
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 45,913.Huntingdon County was created on September 20, 1787, from part of Bedford County. Its county seat is Huntingdon.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Rothrock State Forest is located in Centre
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
, Huntingdon, and Mifflin
Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Mifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 46,682. Its county seat is Lewistown. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
Counties.
State College
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
, home of Penn State University is only a few miles from many of the entrances of Rothrock, leading to high utilization of the forest by students and staff of the university. Rothrock shares a common border on its eastern portion with Bald Eagle State Forest
Bald Eagle State Forest
Bald Eagle State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #7. The main office is located in Laurelton in Union County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The forest is found in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union Counties...
and is just north of areas of Tuscarora State Forest
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....
.
History
Rothrock State Forest was formed as a direct result of the depletion of the forests of Pennsylvania that took place during the mid-to-late 19th century. Conservationists like Dr. Joseph RothrockJoseph Rothrock
Joseph Trimbel Rothrock was an American environmentalist, recognized as the "Father of Forestry" in Pennsylvania. In 1895, Rothrock was appointed the first forestry commissioner to lead the newly formed Division of Forestry in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture...
became concerned that the forests would not regrow if they were not managed properly. Lumber and iron companies had harvested the old-growth forests for various reasons. They clear cut
Clearcutting
Clearcutting, or clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, along with shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is used by foresters to create certain types of forest ecosystems and to promote select species that...
the forests and left behind nothing but dried tree tops and rotting stumps. The sparks of passing steam locomotives ignited wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
s that prevented the formation of second growth forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
s. The conservationists feared that the forest would never regrow if there was not a change in the philosophy of forest management. They called for the state to purchase land from the lumber and iron companies and the lumber and iron companies were more than willing to sell their land since they had depleted the natural resources of the forests. The changes began to take place in 1895 when Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, the forerunner of today's Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 117 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and...
. The Pennsylvania General Assembly
Pennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
passed a piece of legislation in 1897 that authorized the purchase of "unseated lands for forest reservations." This was the beginning of the State Forest system.
The name Rothrock comes from Dr. Joseph Trimbel Rothrock
Joseph Rothrock
Joseph Trimbel Rothrock was an American environmentalist, recognized as the "Father of Forestry" in Pennsylvania. In 1895, Rothrock was appointed the first forestry commissioner to lead the newly formed Division of Forestry in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture...
. He is recognized as the Father of Forestry in Pennsylvania. In 1895, Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first forestry commissioner to lead the newly-formed Division of Forestry in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Two of his major accomplishments as commissioner were his land acquisition program and the creation of a forest academy to train foresters for state service.
Dr. Rothrock led the effort in central Pennsylvania to acquire land that had once belonged to the Greenwood Iron Works. The iron company had left behind approximately 35000 acres (14,164 ha) of land that had been stripped of its old growth forest to provide fuel in the form of charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
for the iron furnaces in northern Huntingdon County
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 45,913.Huntingdon County was created on September 20, 1787, from part of Bedford County. Its county seat is Huntingdon.-Geography:According to the U.S...
. Additional land was purchased soon after until nearly all of the Seven Mountain area had become state property. The lands acquired in the early 20th century were divided into three separate state forest reserves. Logan State Forest comprised the land in northern Huntingdon County and Ferguson
Ferguson Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Ferguson Township is a township in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 17,690 at the 2010 census, which is a 25.8% increase from the 2000 census. Most of the agricultual research for the Penn...
and Harris Townships in Centre County
Centre County, Pennsylvania
Centre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
. Penn State Forest was located in Potter Township
Potter Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania
Potter Township is a township in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,339 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Centre County and Armagh Township and Brown Township
Brown Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Brown Township is a township in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,852 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:...
Townships in Mifflin County
Mifflin County, Pennsylvania
Mifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 46,682. Its county seat is Lewistown. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
. Rothrock State Forest was near Mount Union
Mount Union, Pennsylvania
Mount Union is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, 45 miles southeast of Altoona, on the Juniata River. In the vicinity are found bituminous coal, ganister rock, fire clay, and some timber. A major Easter grass factory is located in the northern quadrant of the borough limits; until May...
and Entriken in Huntingdon County. The three forests were merged in 1953 with parts of Penn and Logan being added to Bald Eagle State Forest
Bald Eagle State Forest
Bald Eagle State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #7. The main office is located in Laurelton in Union County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The forest is found in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union Counties...
and the rest combined to make what is now Rothrock State Forest.
Some of the first firetowers built in Pennsylvania were constructed in Rothrock State Forest in the 1920s. Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot
Gifford Pinchot was the first Chief of the United States Forest Service and the 28th Governor of Pennsylvania...
, former chief of the U.S. Forest Service upgraded the Pennsylvania Forestry Division to full department status and gave the new Department of Forest and Waters the funds needed to build steel observation towers in the state forests. The construction of the observation towers combined with changes in forest management lead to a dramatic decrease in the number and size of forest fires throughout the state forests of Pennsylvania.
Much of the land that is now Rothrock State Forest was cleared of dried underbrush during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
by the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. In addition to clearing the forests and streams of brush the CCC also built roads and trails in the state forests and parks and many of the recreational facilities still in use at the state parks in the Rothrock State Forest area.
By the 1950s the second growth forest
Secondary forest
A secondary forest is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a major disturbance such as fire, insect infestation, timber harvest or windthrow, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident...
s of oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
and hickory
Hickory
Trees in the genus Carya are commonly known as hickory, derived from the Powhatan language of Virginia. The genus includes 17–19 species of deciduous trees with pinnately compound leaves and big nuts...
had grown to a size that the wood was ready to be harvested for lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
. A scientific forestry management plan was put into place in 1955. The timber management plan was expanded to a natural resource
Natural resource
Natural resources occur naturally within environments that exist relatively undisturbed by mankind, in a natural form. A natural resource is often characterized by amounts of biodiversity and geodiversity existent in various ecosystems....
management plan in 1985. The new management plan covers the management of water, wildlife, timber, fire protection and recreation. Recreational use of the Rothrock State Forest has grown in the last several decades. All visitors are asked to learn and comply with all state forest regulations while using and respecting the forest and its facilities.
Neighboring state forest districts
- Sproul State ForestSproul State ForestSproul State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #10. The main offices are located in Renovo, Pennsylvania in Clinton County in the United States....
(north) - Bald Eagle State ForestBald Eagle State ForestBald Eagle State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #7. The main office is located in Laurelton in Union County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The forest is found in Centre, Clinton, Mifflin, Snyder, and Union Counties...
(northeast) - Tuscarora State ForestTuscarora State ForestTuscarora 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....
(east) - Buchanan State ForestBuchanan State ForestBuchanan State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #2. The main office is located in McConnellsburg in Fulton County, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
(south) - Gallitzin State ForestGallitzin State ForestGallitzin State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #6. The main offices are located in Ebensburg in Cambria County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
(west) - Moshannon State ForestMoshannon State ForestMoshannon State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #9. The main offices are located in the unincorporated village of Penfield in Huston Township, Clearfield County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
(northwest)
Nearby state parks
Four PA State Parks are located within Rothrock State Forest:- Greenwood Furnace State ParkGreenwood Furnace State ParkGreenwood Furnace State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Jackson Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is near the historic iron making center of Greenwood Furnace. The park includes the ghost town of Greenwood that grew up around the ironworks, old roads and...
- Penn-Roosevelt State ParkPenn-Roosevelt State ParkPenn-Roosevelt State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Rothrock State Forest. Penn-Roosevelt State Park is miles from U.S...
- Trough Creek State ParkTrough Creek State ParkTrough 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 unincorporated village of Entriken. Huntingdon is the nearest...
- Whipple Dam State ParkWhipple Dam State ParkWhipple Dam State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Jackson Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Whipple Lake is a man-made lake on that was originally built during the height of the lumber era that swept through Pennsylvania in the late 19th and early 20th...
Events
Various events are held in Rothrock each year including the Wilderness 101Wilderness 101 Mountain Bicycle Race
The Wilderness 101 Mountain Bicycle Race is an ultra-endurance 101 mile mountain bike race held annually in late July. The race starts and ends in Coburn, Pennsylvania. The course is a single loop covering roads, forest roads and trails...
, a 101 miles (163 km) mountain bike race, and the Tussey MountainBack 50 Mile Relay, a 50 miles (80.5 km) race and Ultramarathon, and the Stoopid 50 mountain bike race. In 2005 the Single Speed World Championship
Single Speed World Championship
The Single Speed World Championship, or SSWC, is an annual event. It is only open to bicycles with a single gear ratio. Those bicycles can be either singlespeeds or fixed-gears...
race was held in Rothrock. In 2010, the first Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic
Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic
The Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic is a mountain bicycle stage race in Pennsylvania. The event is seven days in length and features the rocky, mountainous terrain of central Pennsylvania's multi-use trails.-Name:Also known as: TransSylvania Epic...
7-day Stage Race was held in Rothrock and Bald Eagle State Forests.
2006 Fire
On May 1, 2006, a large fire was started in Rothrock State Forest. more than 100 acres (40.5 ha) burned.Local newspaper coverage The Tussey Mountain Trail transects this burn, which is now quite beautiful in spring with wildflowers and grasses among the charred trees. This trail has become a regional favorite among mountain bikers and hikers. The 2010 Purple Lizard Map shows the extent of the burn zone.
Natural areas
- Alan Seeger Natural Area: Huntingdon County, 390 acres (157.8 ha) north of Greenwood Furnace State Park. Includes about 25 acres (10.1 ha) of old-growth Eastern White PineEastern White PinePinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
and Eastern HemlockEastern HemlockTsuga canadensis, also known as eastern or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as pruche du Canada, is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It ranges from northeastern Minnesota eastward through southern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and south in the Appalachian...
, with some trees 4.5 feet (1.4 m) in diameter and nearly 1,000 years old. - Bear Meadows Natural AreaBear Meadows Natural AreaBear Meadows Natural Area is located in Centre County, Pennsylvania, USA, four miles south of Boalsburg, within Rothrock State Forest in the Appalachian Mountains. The area contains a bog surrounded by steep mountains and hiking trails...
: Centre County, 890 acres (360.2 ha) four miles south of Boalsburg. Protects a 320 acres (129.5 ha) boreal bogBogA bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
with old-growth Black SpruceBlack SprucePicea mariana is a species of spruce native to northern North America, from Newfoundland west to Alaska, and south to northern New York, Minnesota and central British Columbia...
and Balsam FirBalsam FirThe balsam fir is a North American fir, native to most of eastern and central Canada and the northeastern United States .-Growth:It is a small to medium-size evergreen tree typically tall, rarely to tall, with a narrow conic crown...
forests. - Big Flat Laurel Natural Area: Huntingdon and Centre Counties, 184 acres (74.5 ha) four miles south of Boalsburg. Includes extensive stands of Mountain Laurel.
- Detweiler Run Natural Area: Huntingdon County, 463 acres (187.4 ha) southeast of Boalsburg. Includes 185 acres (74.9 ha) of old-growth Eastern White Pine and Eastern Hemlock forests above a RhododendronRhododendronRhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
understory. - Little Juniata Natural Area: Huntingdon County, 624 acres (252.5 ha) west of Barree. Includes a slope of Tuscarora sandstoneSandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
screeScreeScree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
and a horizontal thrust faultThrust faultA thrust fault is a type of fault, or break in the Earth's crust across which there has been relative movement, in which rocks of lower stratigraphic position are pushed up and over higher strata. They are often recognized because they place older rocks above younger...
. - Rocky Ridge Natural Area: Huntingdon County, 150 acres (60.7 ha) south of Martin Gap. Includes exposed sandstone and limestoneLimestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
beneath an oak woodland.
Wild Areas
- Thickhead Mountain Wild Area: Centre and Huntingdon counties, 4886 acres (1,977.3 ha). Forested ridges and mountains with over 50 acres (20.2 ha) of old-growth ridgetop Chestnut OakChestnut oakQuercus prinus , the chestnut oak, is a species of oak in the white oak group, Quercus sect. Quercus. It is native to the eastern United States, where it is one of the most important ridgetop trees from southern Maine southwest to central Mississippi, with an outlying northwestern population in...
forests including trees up to 350 years old. - Trough Creek Wild Area: Huntingdon County, 1703 acres (689.2 ha).