Appalachian Odyssey

Trough Creek State Park

Entriken, PA

We decided to stop at Copperas Rock, it gets its name from the coppery color of the rocks. The color comes from a small amount of acid seepage due to a small pocket of coal buried within the mountain.

Being unfamiliar with an area can lead to hairy situations - which is what

happened when we decided to take Rhododendron Trail from Copperas Rock. Most of the trails in the park are graded to be fairly easy walking in nothing more than comfortable walking shoes. The Rhododendron is the exception although we didn't find this out until we were well on our way.

The State Park is usually good at keeping the map box filled, but we went late in the season and the map box was empty. After getting a map later, it was found that the map doesn't show elevation, just the layout of the park.

To get to the Rhododendron Trail you must first climb a steep incline on the Copperas Rock Trail. Once you get to the trail it starts as a very nice walk where you can enjoy the day where the sunlight mottles the lush green undergrowth of

rhododendron and ferns, the wonderful earthy smell and the sounds of nature.

About 1/3 of the way along the trail it doubles back and starts to drop rather fast and eventually seems to drop straight down the side of the cliff. While there are steps to assist in the ascent and/or descent, for people with fairly weak legs or children it could pose a slight problem as it did for us (one of us was fairly out of shape and my young son was along). If you take your time and give a hand to those who need it, it shouldn't pose much of a problem. This section of trail is probably the roughest section of trail in the entire park.