Hillman State Park Revisited

 The website of "The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources" has the gall to run the headline "Governor Corbett Issues Executive Order Protecting State Forests, Parks."  That's creative packaging of a far uglier truth.  He's striking down protections established by his predecessor's administration.  Corbett's latest attack on our public lands drew me out to Hillman State Park, the redheaded stepchild of the PADCNR.  Hillman makes a decent hiking destination if you don't mind unblazed trails, unmapped territory, and reclaimed stripmines.  All these factors actually add to this neglected park's strange appeal...not to mention the fact that the place just creeps some folks right the hell out.

 Over the holiday weekend, when he thought nobody was looking, Corbett lifted former Governor Ed Rendell's moratorium on fracking our state parks.  In other words, he's opened the parks themselves to fracking--as well as the remainder of our state forests.  A movement is afoot to oppose it, but there's not much hope of success.  Part of that push includes taking "selfies" in front of state park signs while holding up a small paper sign calling for an end to fracking on state forests and parks.  I almost can't believe I've been reduced to taking selfies, like some kind of 17-year old with narcissistic personality disorder.  But I'm passionate about the anti-fracking cause, and because I was sure nobody else would bother to do a selfie in front of the Hillman sign, I decided to make a run out there.

I wouldn't want Hillman to get left out, even though it has no park office, no restrooms, no camping, nor even any trail names.  This is the raging Raccoon Creek as it passes through the park, swollen by recent rains and highly navigable for a skilled kayaker...but no time for it today.  The trails of the park are abloom with honeysuckle, and the wet woods so inviting and green, leafy and deep.  We camped at Raccoon Creek State Park for Memorial Day weekend, and it was great.  But I need to make a serious effort to get back to Hillman soon when I can spend some time.