Thursday, April 15, 2021

Shawnee State Park, PA

ABOUT THE PARK: 
Shawnee State Park - Penssylvania DCNR 

DIRECTIONS: 
GPS Coordinates 40.03057, -78.63547
Picnic Area #1 Parking

TRAIL MAP: 
Shawnee State Park Trail Map - Pennsylvania DCNR

HIKE DISTANCE:  3.5 miles

THE HIKE: 
Drive 'n hike New Jersey to Missouri to help my mother who recently had hip replacement surgery.  This is hike 1 of 2 on the day 1.  Where I usually would drive 4 hours, hike 8-10 miles, then drive another 4 hours, I broke this down into shorter drives with two shorter hikes because of where I am  with working my way back to full speed after my hip replacement surgery.
I chose this park because it was supposed to be partly cloudy.  It was until the moment I arrived.  I waited about half an hour and the rain stopped.
The hike around Shawnee Lake on the Lake Shore Trail starts with a road walk from the parking lot.
Crossing two bridges ...
... then a right towards the beach.
The first sign confirming this is the way.
Shawnee Lake
Just beyond the beach the pavement ends and it is crushed gravel multi-use trail the rest of the way around.
A proper trail sign.
After a short stretch on a maintenance road ...
... the trail turns right ...
... and crosses the dam.
View from the dam.
Didn't know that common mergansers napped while floating in water.
In the distance, one of the bridges we crossed at the beginning of the hike.
Back at the parking lot.

2 comments:

  1. not a bad alternative to a rest stop. did you go in honor of Shawnee?

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    1. I kind of did go in honor of Shawnee. On so many trips to St. Louis over the past 20+ years I have driven under the bridge over the PA Turnpike where the sign said "Shawnee State Park" and I would always say, "Shawnee, someday we have to go to your park" and I never made it with her. But in a way I did because I still carry a vial of her ashes in my backpack.

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