There were three Canada geese on this quiet pond when I returned here Sunday afternoon. Otherwise, all was still and bright. At the upper pond, seen in an earlier post, there were at least five cars parked. It was strange to see so many people at Hillman. Must be a Sunday thing. I was there both Saturday and Sunday, and the park was nearly empty on Saturday.
I'm glad I ventured back here several days ago and discovered a whole quadrant of this park that I never knew existed. It's got beautiful, grassy meadows, like this, and piney ridges overlooking the ponds. I sat on one of those shady ridgetops and allowed the silence of the place to speak its peace to my spirit.
These green hills stretch on for miles, and I saw people strolling through the springy grass with their dogs. So maybe the despicable, haunted forest has captured my heart. But remember that it's not a maintained park with facilities and an office. There are no restrooms, or campsites, or picnic areas. Just 3,000 plus acres of scrappy countryside. Hillman is the only state park in the PA park system that doesn't even have a website. It's just a neglected annex to Raccoon Creek State Park, but a very different hiking experience. Of course, I'm not promoting any illegal behavior, but I bet you could take a backpack out into Hillman and spend a few nights--if it weren't so damned spooky.
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