Blue Knob State Park

           Late summer comes like an October breeze in the mountains near Bedford, PA.  I came to the hills mostly seeking beauty, as always.  Solitude and silence usually take second and third place in my quest.  But this was a family camping trip, wife and kids in tow.  Summer's last hurrah.  And Blue Knob State Park made the perfect spot to celebrate the last few days of the season.  At 3,100 feet, there was already a hint of winter in the air.  Some trees were already changing.  Here is the lowest mountainside vista at a place known as Chappell's Field, near the campground.  

           This photo--and the one just beneath--were taken a little further up the mountainside at a spot called Pavia Overlook.  There's very solitary, rugged hiking on this side of the mountain, and these southward views are worth the trek.  It was gray and chilly up on the heights, with a wistful feeling in the air.  It reminded me of "Boys of Summer," that old 80s song that crooned, "Feel it in the air, the summer's out of reach."  In terms of beauty, this place isn't Vermont...but it's comparable.  And it's only two hours from Pittsburgh.

           This, too, is a view from the Pavia Overlook.  The map showed another scenic lookout known as "Queen Overlook" in this part of the park, but I wasn't able to find it.  I think I will have to come back to Blue Knob because I left a lot of hiking business unfinished.  The two-night camping trip was very nearly perfect, despite several mountain rain showers, but it wasn't nearly enough time to explore the park's 18 miles of wilderness trails.  

           Here is the view looking west from the summit of Blue Knob Mountain, which is the second highest point of land in the state...and much more appealing than our high point.  The parkland at the peak is leased to a ski resort.  That explains the many lifts.  The place looked a little decrepit to me, but ski resorts always have a forlorn air in the off-seasons.

           Again, looking west from the summit.  I like the way the clouds gather near the crest.  It reminds me of a mountain city in Africa that I will probably never see again.  I had a vacation home there consisting of a single rented room in a student ghetto.  I called it my "mountain condo."

          This is the summit of Blue Knob itself from halfway up the mountainside, at Chappell's Field.  It's possible to get better photos of the whole mountain from PA869, near the interesting hamlet of Osterburg.  As state parks go, this is one of the best I've discovered.  It's got a wild, solitary feel...which is really all I need for happiness.  The swimming pool and surrounding areas are a little shabby--at the lowest end of the park.  But the higher you go up the mountainside, the woodsier and lovelier it gets.  The campground was well maintained, quiet, nicely laid out, with a variety of shaded and sunny lots.  And since I'm trying to drum up business for this little-known state park, I'll let you in on a little secret: the best campsite is # 22.  Hands down.  I did some research on Google Earth before our trip, then reserved the site.  When we pulled in, a neighbor commented that she hoped we wouldn't show up.  She wanted to take the "reserved" sign off the post and steal our spot.  Site # 22 is deeply wooded, semi-secluded with neighbors on only one side, and dog-friendly.  It has electricity, if that matters to you (as it does to my wife), and several trailheads begin about 20 feet away (which matters to me).  I really love this place.