Pine Grove Furnace State Park PA, Gettysburg and Harrisburg

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Pine Grove Furnace State Park PA, Gettysburg and Harrisburg

Postby Tom&Shelly » Sun Aug 15, 2021 9:16 am

Several weeks ago, we wanted to visit the Gettysburg battlefield and Harrisburg, and Pine Grove Furnace State Park--in South-Central Pennsylvania--is less than an hour from each. It's in the Michaux State Forest, and is a worthy camping destination in its own right.

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Plenty of trees between campsites, and a nice climate for early August. Shelly says she liked the campsites at Letchworth State Park in New York slightly better, as they are spaced slightly further apart, but the two parks are far enough apart that they really aren't in competition. My one complaint against Pine Grove Furnace camping are the showers. No need to conserve water in that area, but the showers are push button, with practically no delay, so you have to hold a hand on there. Makes washing your back an interesting exercise!

The park has two lakes, and folks were boating in one (paddle, and I think trolling motor). You do have to navigate the lily pads. Also "beaches" for swimming, and plenty of trails for hiking both in the park and surrounding forest.

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We hiked up a hill, but were disappointed that when we got to the overlook we couldn't see a single man made object, just green mountains! (Just kidding about the disappointment part!) :lol: Also, the sign is fully compliant with any truth in advertising laws in PA, or anywhere else.

The park is near the half-way point on the Appalachian Trail and there is a small museum dedicated to the trail there. The buildings supporting the iron furnace, from the early 1800's, are there and there is a camp store mostly with drinks and ice cream for trail hikers.

Gettysburg is about 45 minutes away. I was last there about 45 years ago. There is a "new" visitor center which (for a fee) plays a movie and then directs guests to the Cyclorama, a 360 degree mural painting of the battle. My memory was that there used to be a map in the center of the painting, with a lecture describing the progress of the 3 day battle, but now the map is standing against a wall in the visitor center museum forlorn and unused. IMO, the movie doesn't present the battle as well, which is unfortunate.

On the other hand, the museum at the visitor center probably makes up for that, showing the progress of the battle, as well as many objects picked up from the battlefield, as well as other civil war relics.

There are bus tours, self driving tours, and lectures by rangers. On our first day there, between the movie and museum, we chose the (free) lectures. The first led us up to the Union lines opposite Pickett's charge. The second was a lecture on battlefield medicine. Our second day there, we toured the soldier's cemetery, where I located the graves of several men who served in my Grandfather's grandfather's unit, and found that unit's monument, where they were--100 yards behind the front--when a Confederate overshot found them. Wounded my ancestor (not too seriously, evidently) and killed three of his comrades

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We also toured Culp's hill and Little Roundtop, the two ends of the Union lines

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The first picture shows the Pennsylvania Monument, which has the names of all of the Pennsylvania troops who fought in the battle, and is located near the center of the Union lines, from a lookout tower on Culp's Hill. The second picture shows the view from Little Roundtop towards the direction of Pickett's Charge. It's clear that artillery on Little Roundtop would have a good field of fire on those poor brave men. The last picture shows a path from Little Roundtop down towards the Devil's Den where, about 45 years ago, some Boy Scouts, using stones against rock, scraped some unauthorized monuments of their own. :oops: (Maybe that's why the path may be closed by the Park Service.)

In two days, I feel we covered the Union lines well. We did not view the Confederate Monuments at all this trip. When my friends and I did the Boy Scout hike (about 10 miles, IIRC), we camped at a youth campsite near the Confederate lines and began hiking the path of Pickett's charge. For those with an interest and ancestors who fought (on either side) in the battle locating their unit's monument can be a moving experience.

We also found a doll house store in Mechanicsburg, which delighted Shelly and was my penance for dragging her to a few rail-road museums in various states. We rounded out the trip with a tour of the state capitol, in Harrisburg, and a visit to the museum dedicated to state history, next door.

Tom
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