Greenwood Furnace State Park
Encyclopedia
Greenwood Furnace State Park is a 423 acres (171.2 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Jackson Township
, Huntingdon County
, Pennsylvania
in the United States. The park is near the historic iron
making center of Greenwood Furnace. The park includes the ghost town of Greenwood that grew up around the ironworks, old roads and charcoal hearths. Greenwood Furnace State Park is adjacent to Rothrock State Forest
and on the western edge of an area of Central Pennsylvania known as the Seven Mountains. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 305
, 20 miles (32.2 km) south of State College
.
Within the park is Greenwood Lake, a 6 acres (2.4 ha) lake that is stocked with trout
and which allows ice fishing during the winter. The dam that forms the lake is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Greenwood Furnace State Park was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
(DCNR) and its Bureau of Parks as one of "Twenty Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks".
that once stood in their village near present day Huntingdon
. The Juniata had moved away by the time that Pennsylvania was colonized by William Penn
. Penn bought the land from the Iroquois
and the Tuscarora
and Shawnee
that had resettled throughout central Pennsylvania were soon forced to move on once again. Many different groups of European settlers migrated to the area by the late 18th century. They were mostly farmer
s of Scots-Irish
descent with large numbers of Amish
and Mennonite
Germans who had fled religious persecution
in Germany
, Austria
, and Switzerland
. Later settlers built a tavern
and a sawmill
in the present location of Greenwood Furnace State Park.
that was once the center of industry in northern Huntingdon County. Greenwood Furnace was open for operation on June 5, 1834. The parent company, Norris, Rawle and Co., selected the site because of the ease in access to the needed natural resources
, iron ore, limestone
, trees for charcoal
and a steady water supply. Greenwood Furnace was able to produce up to five tons of pig iron
ingot
s per day at the height of its production.
Soon a small village sprung up around Greenwood Furnace to support the needs of the workers and the furnace. The village included 20 houses, a company store, company offices, stables and a blacksmith
shop. A deposit of high quality iron ore was discovered in the area leading to further growth in the Greenwood Furnace area. A gristmill
was constructed in 1842. Greenwood Lake was built at this time to create a water supply to power the mill. Greenwood Lake is currently used as a recreation lake by visitors to Greenwood Furnace State Park.
Ownership of Greenwood Furnace Iron Works was transferred to John A. Wright
in 1847. Wright was one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Railroad
in nearby Altoona
. The ironworks at Greenwood and nearby Freedom Iron Works were supervised in part by Andrew Carnegie
. Under the leadership of Wright and Carnegie Greenwood and Freedom became vitally important centers of iron production for the booming railroad industry. The company expanded its iron output by building a Bessemer furnace
at Freedom Iron Works and building a second stack at Greenwood Furnace.
The community surrounding Greenwood Furnace Iron Works reached its zenith in the 1870s. At that time it included the two furnaces, the ironmaster's mansion, a church and school, a company store and blacksmith and wagon shop, there were seventeen stables, ninety tenant houses in the mill village
and the gristmill. Greenwood Furnace was the home to about 300 families and included its own baseball
team known at the "Energetics" and a fifteen piece brass band
.
Greenwood Furnace became a ghost town
in the early 20th century. Changes in the iron industry lead to the closing of the now obsolete furnaces. When the furnaces were shut down, the jobs were gone and the people of Greenwood left their homes for jobs elsewhere. The land of the former furnace and village was soon reclaimed for nature through the efforts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
after the years of use as an iron furnace. The remnants of fly ash and charcoal dust enriched the earth with minerals that were needed for the growing of trees. The nursery began operation in 1906 and closed in 1993. During the 1970s and 1980s the nursery produced an average of three million seedling
s per year. The seedlings were replanted in forests throughout Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry recently re-established the tree nursery on a limited basis to provide seedlings for use at its other nurseries and for sale to private nurseries.
The state park was formally established by 1924 by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry (although it was then known as "Greenwood Public Camp"). Former residents of Greenwood village had begun to visit their old homes earlier and in 1921 began an annual reunion known as "Old Home Day." Although the Bureau of Forestry made some improvements to the park, most of the facilities at the park were built during the Great Depression
by the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps
, established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
. The boys of the CCC worked to restore a furnace stack and also repaired six original buildings that had not been dismantled when the village was abandoned. In the 1930s the name became "Greenwood Furnace State Forest Park". Greenwood Furnace State Park became an official part of the Pennsylvania state park system in 1966.
Archaeological
work began at the park in 1976 to uncover the remains of the village. Greenwood Furnace was designated a Historical Landmark in 1995 by ASM International in recognition of the superior quality iron that was produced by Greenwood Iron and was vitally important to the westward expansion of the railroads.
shop has historical demonstrations of the craft of blacksmithing.
, ice fishing
, and swimming. Beginning in 2008 lifeguards will not be posted at the beach.
area in a spruce
and pine
grove
. There are several picnic table
s and seven pavilion
s that can be rented up to eleven months in advance. The picnic area has easy access to a playground
, a horseshoe pit
, volleyball
courts, a snack bar and a softball
field.
. The common game species are ruffed grouse
, squirrels, White-tailed deer
, and turkeys
. The hunting of groundhog
s is prohibited. Hunters may access the adjoining Rothrock State Forest
by using the parking lots at Greenwood Furnace State Park and hiking in on the trails.
, cross-country skiing
, and in some locations recreational snowmobiling
.
Greenwood Furnace State Park is also a trail head for two much longer backpacking trails that pass through the Appalachian Mountains
of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Mid State Trail
is a 304 miles (489.2 km) trail that runs from the Maryland
state line to Cowanesque Lake near Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania
and connects to the park via the Greenwood Spur. The Standing Stone Trail
is a 72 miles (115.9 km) backpacking trail that connects the park to the Tuscarora Trail
, which in turn connects with the Appalachian Trail
.
Jackson Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Jackson Township is a township in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 882 at the 2000 census. Greenwood Furnace State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Jackson Township.-Geography:...
, Huntingdon County
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. In 2010, its population was 45,913.Huntingdon County was created on September 20, 1787, from part of Bedford County. Its county seat is Huntingdon.-Geography:According to the U.S...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in the United States. The park is near the historic iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
making center of Greenwood Furnace. The park includes the ghost town of Greenwood that grew up around the ironworks, old roads and charcoal hearths. Greenwood Furnace State Park is adjacent to Rothrock State Forest
Rothrock State Forest
Rothrock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #5. The main offices are located in Huntingdon in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
and on the western edge of an area of Central Pennsylvania known as the Seven Mountains. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 305
Pennsylvania Route 305
Pennsylvania Route 305 is an long state highway located in Huntingdon and Mifflin counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at US 22 in Alexandria. The eastern terminus is at PA 655 in Belleville...
, 20 miles (32.2 km) south of State College
State College, Pennsylvania
State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is the principal city of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Centre County. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 42,034, and roughly double...
.
Within the park is Greenwood Lake, a 6 acres (2.4 ha) lake that is stocked with trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
and which allows ice fishing during the winter. The dam that forms the lake is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Greenwood Furnace State Park was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , established on July 1, 1995, is the agency in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania responsible for maintaining and preserving the state's 117 state parks and 20 state forests; providing information on the state's natural resources; and...
(DCNR) and its Bureau of Parks as one of "Twenty Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks".
Early settlement
The northern Huntingdon County area was once inhabited by the Ona Jutta Hage or Juniata tribe. Their name meant "The People of the Standing Stone", an obeliskObelisk
An obelisk is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top, and is said to resemble a petrified ray of the sun-disk. A pair of obelisks usually stood in front of a pylon...
that once stood in their village near present day Huntingdon
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
Huntingdon is a borough in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Huntingdon County. It is located along the Juniata River, west of Harrisburg, about halfway between Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, in an agricultural and fruit-growing region, with valuable forests and deposits of...
. The Juniata had moved away by the time that Pennsylvania was colonized by William Penn
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
. Penn bought the land from the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
and the Tuscarora
Tuscarora (tribe)
The Tuscarora are a Native American people of the Iroquoian-language family, with members in New York, Canada, and North Carolina...
and Shawnee
Shawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
that had resettled throughout central Pennsylvania were soon forced to move on once again. Many different groups of European settlers migrated to the area by the late 18th century. They were mostly farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
s of Scots-Irish
Scots-Irish American
Scotch-Irish Americans are an estimated 250,000 Presbyterian and other Protestant dissenters from the Irish province of Ulster who immigrated to North America primarily during the colonial era and their descendants. Some scholars also include the 150,000 Ulster Protestants who immigrated to...
descent with large numbers of Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
and Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
Germans who had fled religious persecution
Religious persecution
Religious persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group of individuals as a response to their religious beliefs or affiliations or lack thereof....
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. Later settlers built a tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
and a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
in the present location of Greenwood Furnace State Park.
Greenwood Iron Works
Greenwood Furnace State Park is named for the iron furnaceBlast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
that was once the center of industry in northern Huntingdon County. Greenwood Furnace was open for operation on June 5, 1834. The parent company, Norris, Rawle and Co., selected the site because of the ease in access to the needed natural resources
Natural Resources
Natural Resources is a soul album released by Motown girl group Martha Reeves and the Vandellas in 1970 on the Gordy label. The album is significant for the Vietnam War ballad "I Should Be Proud" and the slow jam, "Love Guess Who"...
, iron ore, limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, trees for charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
and a steady water supply. Greenwood Furnace was able to produce up to five tons of pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
ingot
Ingot
An ingot is a material, usually metal, that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Non-metallic and semiconductor materials prepared in bulk form may also be referred to as ingots, particularly when cast by mold based methods.-Uses:...
s per day at the height of its production.
Soon a small village sprung up around Greenwood Furnace to support the needs of the workers and the furnace. The village included 20 houses, a company store, company offices, stables and a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop. A deposit of high quality iron ore was discovered in the area leading to further growth in the Greenwood Furnace area. A gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
was constructed in 1842. Greenwood Lake was built at this time to create a water supply to power the mill. Greenwood Lake is currently used as a recreation lake by visitors to Greenwood Furnace State Park.
Ownership of Greenwood Furnace Iron Works was transferred to John A. Wright
John A. Wright
John A. Wright is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Wright was the Majority Caucus Chairman in the Oklahoma House of Representatives before he was soundly defeated in the Republican Party's 2010 Primary for Lt. Governor by the eventual winner, Todd Lamb.-Personal:Wright was...
in 1847. Wright was one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in nearby Altoona
Altoona, Pennsylvania
-History:A major railroad town, Altoona was founded by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1849 as the site for a shop complex. Altoona was incorporated as a borough on February 6, 1854, and as a city under legislation approved on April 3, 1867, and February 8, 1868...
. The ironworks at Greenwood and nearby Freedom Iron Works were supervised in part by Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
. Under the leadership of Wright and Carnegie Greenwood and Freedom became vitally important centers of iron production for the booming railroad industry. The company expanded its iron output by building a Bessemer furnace
Bessemer process
The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass-production of steel from molten pig iron. The process is named after its inventor, Henry Bessemer, who took out a patent on the process in 1855. The process was independently discovered in 1851 by William Kelly...
at Freedom Iron Works and building a second stack at Greenwood Furnace.
The community surrounding Greenwood Furnace Iron Works reached its zenith in the 1870s. At that time it included the two furnaces, the ironmaster's mansion, a church and school, a company store and blacksmith and wagon shop, there were seventeen stables, ninety tenant houses in the mill village
Mill Village
Mill Village may refer to:* Mill village, a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories* Mill Village, Nova Scotia, Canada* Mill Village, Pennsylvania, United States-See also:* Mooresville Mill Village* Pepper Mill Village...
and the gristmill. Greenwood Furnace was the home to about 300 families and included its own baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
team known at the "Energetics" and a fifteen piece brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
.
Greenwood Furnace became a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in the early 20th century. Changes in the iron industry lead to the closing of the now obsolete furnaces. When the furnaces were shut down, the jobs were gone and the people of Greenwood left their homes for jobs elsewhere. The land of the former furnace and village was soon reclaimed for nature through the efforts of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Tree Nursery and State Park
On February 1, 1906 the state of Pennsylvania purchased the former lands of the ironworks and village from the Logan Iron and Steel Company. The State Forest Reserve Commission established the Greenwood Forest Tree Nursery (which later became the state park) on part of the land, while the rest was made part of the "Greenwood Reserves" and eventually became part of Rothrock State Forest. The soil was ideally suited for use as a tree nurseryNursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
after the years of use as an iron furnace. The remnants of fly ash and charcoal dust enriched the earth with minerals that were needed for the growing of trees. The nursery began operation in 1906 and closed in 1993. During the 1970s and 1980s the nursery produced an average of three million seedling
Seedling
thumb|Monocot and dicot seedlingsA seedling is a young plant sporophyte developing out of a plant embryo from a seed. Seedling development starts with germination of the seed. A typical young seedling consists of three main parts: the radicle , the hypocotyl , and the cotyledons...
s per year. The seedlings were replanted in forests throughout Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry recently re-established the tree nursery on a limited basis to provide seedlings for use at its other nurseries and for sale to private nurseries.
The state park was formally established by 1924 by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry (although it was then known as "Greenwood Public Camp"). Former residents of Greenwood village had begun to visit their old homes earlier and in 1921 began an annual reunion known as "Old Home Day." Although the Bureau of Forestry made some improvements to the park, most of the facilities at the park were built during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
by the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
, established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. The boys of the CCC worked to restore a furnace stack and also repaired six original buildings that had not been dismantled when the village was abandoned. In the 1930s the name became "Greenwood Furnace State Forest Park". Greenwood Furnace State Park became an official part of the Pennsylvania state park system in 1966.
Archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
work began at the park in 1976 to uncover the remains of the village. Greenwood Furnace was designated a Historical Landmark in 1995 by ASM International in recognition of the superior quality iron that was produced by Greenwood Iron and was vitally important to the westward expansion of the railroads.
Recreation
Greenwood Furnace State Park provides a look into historic industrial past of north Huntingdon county as well as recreational opportunities similar that of other Pennsylvania State Parks. A walking tour passes through the remains of Greenwood Furnace, providing park visitors with a lesson about the history of the town that once surrounded the ironworks. A working blacksmithBlacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop has historical demonstrations of the craft of blacksmithing.
Greenwood Lake
Greenwood Lake was first built to provide water for a gristmill. It stands today as a reminder of the small town that once thrived there. The lake is used for recreational fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
, and swimming. Beginning in 2008 lifeguards will not be posted at the beach.
Picnics
Greenwood Furnace State Park has a centrally located picnicPicnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
area in a spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
grove
Grove (nature)
A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...
. There are several picnic table
Picnic table
A picnic table is a modified table with attached benches, designed for eating a meal outdoors .-Uses:...
s and seven pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
s that can be rented up to eleven months in advance. The picnic area has easy access to a playground
Playground
A playground or play area is a place with a specific design for children be able to play there. It may be indoors but is typically outdoors...
, a horseshoe pit
Horseshoes
Horseshoes is an outdoor game played between two people using four horseshoes and two throwing targets set in a sandbox area. The game is played by the players alternating turns tossing horseshoes at stakes in the ground, which are traditionally placed 40 feet apart...
, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
courts, a snack bar and a softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
field.
Camping
There is a 51 site campground at Greenwood Furnace State Park. It opens at the beginning of trout season in mid-April and closes with the conclusion of deer season in late December. Forty-six of the camp sites have an electric hook-up. A showerhouse with flush toilets and laundry tubs is nearby.Hunting
There are about 320 acres (129.5 ha) acres of woods open to hunting at Greenwood Furnace State Park. Hunters are expected to follow the rules and regulations of the Pennsylvania Game CommissionPennsylvania Game Commission
The Pennsylvania Game Commission is the state agency responsible for wildlife conservation and management in Pennsylvania in the United States...
. The common game species are ruffed grouse
Ruffed Grouse
The Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is non-migratory.The Ruffed Grouse is frequently referred to as a "partridge"...
, squirrels, White-tailed deer
White-tailed Deer
The white-tailed deer , also known as the Virginia deer or simply as the whitetail, is a medium-sized deer native to the United States , Canada, Mexico, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru...
, and turkeys
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
. The hunting of groundhog
Groundhog
The groundhog , also known as a woodchuck, whistle-pig, or in some areas as a land-beaver, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Other marmots, such as the yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but...
s is prohibited. Hunters may access the adjoining Rothrock State Forest
Rothrock State Forest
Rothrock State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #5. The main offices are located in Huntingdon in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States....
by using the parking lots at Greenwood Furnace State Park and hiking in on the trails.
Trails
The trails of Greenwood Furnace State Park explore the forests in the park and venture out into Rothrock State Forest. They also pass by the historical remains of Greenwood Furnace Iron Works. The trails are open to hikingHiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, and in some locations recreational snowmobiling
Snowmobile
A snowmobile, also known in some places as a snowmachine, or sled,is a land vehicle for winter travel on snow. Designed to be operated on snow and ice, they require no road or trail. Design variations enable some machines to operate in deep snow or forests; most are used on open terrain, including...
.
- Chestnut Spring Trail is a 0.5 miles (804.7 m) "easy/moderate" trail marked with yellow blazes. It passes by several springs, a collier's hut, and a charcoal hearth as it winds its way up a hollow.
- Dogtown Trail is a 1 miles (1.6 km) "easy/moderate" trail marked with blue blazes. The trail is named for the former village of Dogtown, which in turn was named for the dogs that barked at the passing iron ore trains. Dogtown Trail is open for hiking and snowmobiling. The trail begins at the park campground and connects with Brush Ridge Trail.
- Fire Tower Loop is a 7 miles (11.3 km) "moderate/difficult" trail marked with blue blazes on the Greenwood Spur and red blazes on Ruff Gap and Snowmobile Road. This trail loops through the park and passes by the Greenwood Fire Tower on Broad Mountain, house foundations, and charcoal hearths. Greenwood Tower was built in the 1930s by the CCC and is still used by forest rangers to watch for forest fires.
- Greenwood Trail is a 0.5 miles (804.7 m) "easy/moderate" trail marked with red blazes. This short loop begins near the picnic area at pavilion six and passes through a diversity of trees, fernFernA fern is any one of a group of about 12,000 species of plants belonging to the botanical group known as Pteridophyta. Unlike mosses, they have xylem and phloem . They have stems, leaves, and roots like other vascular plants...
s and wildflowers.
- Lakeview Trail is a 0.25 miles (402.3 m) "easy/moderate" trail marked with white blazes. It runs along part of the edge of Greenwood Lake.
- Monsell Trail is a 1 miles (1.6 km) "moderate" trail marked with yellow blazes. The trail intersects with Greenwood Trail and links the campground to the Standing Stone TrailStanding Stone TrailThe Standing Stone Trail is a long main trail network with side trails located in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians of Central Pennsylvania. The SST was known as the Link Trail, commemorating its connection from the Mid State Trail to the Tuscarora Trail, until its name was changed in January 2007...
. Monsell Trail passes through a pine plantation left over from the days of the ironworks.
- Ore Banks Trail is a 1 miles (1.6 km) "moderate" trail marked with yellow and red blazes. It shares part of its trails with Chestnut Springs Trail (yellow blazes) and Brush Ridge Trail (red blazes). Ore Banks Trail passes over the top of a ridge with a view of the park and the remnants of Brush Ridge Ore Banks where iron ore was extracted from the ground and transferred to the furnace. The trail then follows the path used by the muleMuleA mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
-drawn railroad that transported the iron ore to the furnace.
- Stone Valley Vista Loop Trail is a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) "moderate" trail marked with blue (Turkey Trail) and orange (Standing Stone Trail) blazes. Part of the trail follows a logging slide used during the days of the iron furnace.
- Viantown Trail is a 0.25 miles (402.3 m) "moderate" trail marked with yellow blazes. It follows the old wagon road that connected Greenwood Furnace with Viantown and crosses Brush Ridge.
Greenwood Furnace State Park is also a trail head for two much longer backpacking trails that pass through the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Mid State Trail
Pennsylvania Mid State Trail
The Mid State Trail is a long main trail network with many side trails located in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians and Allegheny Plateau of Central Pennsylvania. It is known as "The Wildest Trail in Pennsylvania"...
is a 304 miles (489.2 km) trail that runs from the Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
state line to Cowanesque Lake near Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania
Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania
Lawrenceville is a borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 627 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lawrenceville is located at . It is at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 287 and Pennsylvania Route 49. The only traffic light in town can be found at this...
and connects to the park via the Greenwood Spur. The Standing Stone Trail
Standing Stone Trail
The Standing Stone Trail is a long main trail network with side trails located in the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians of Central Pennsylvania. The SST was known as the Link Trail, commemorating its connection from the Mid State Trail to the Tuscarora Trail, until its name was changed in January 2007...
is a 72 miles (115.9 km) backpacking trail that connects the park to the Tuscarora Trail
Tuscarora Trail
The Tuscarora Trail is a long-distance hiking trail that is under development. It splits off from the Appalachian Trail in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, passes through West Virginia and Maryland, then rejoins the Appalachian Trail near Marysville, Pennsylvania...
, which in turn connects with the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
.
Nearby state parks
The following state parks are within 30 miles (48.3 km) of Greenwood Furnace State Park:- Bald Eagle State ParkBald Eagle State ParkBald Eagle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Howard, Liberty, and Marion townships in Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park includes the Joseph Foster Sayers Reservoir, formed by damming Bald Eagle Creek and other smaller streams and covering . Bald Eagle State Park...
(Centre County) - Big Spring State ParkBig Spring State Park (Pennsylvania)Big Spring State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Toboyne Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is on Pennsylvania Route 274, southwest of New Germantown. Big Spring State Park is a hiking and picnic area...
(Perry CountyPerry County, PennsylvaniaAs of the census of 2000, there were 43,602 people, 16,695 households, and 12,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile . There were 18,941 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
) - Black Moshannon State ParkBlack Moshannon State ParkBlack Moshannon State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Rush Township in Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. It surrounds Black Moshannon Lake, formed by a dam on Black Moshannon Creek, which has given its name to the lake and park...
(Centre County) - Canoe Creek State ParkCanoe Creek State ParkCanoe Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Frankstown Township in Blair County, Pennsylvania. It is 12 miles east of Altoona, the nearest city. Canoe Lake, at , is the focus of recreation at the park and is open for fishing year round. Canoe Creek State Park is a half mile off U.S....
(Blair CountyBlair County, Pennsylvania-Significant Topographic Features:*Brush Mountain*Logan Valley*Morrison Cove*Tussey Mountain-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 129,144 people, 51,518 households, and 34,877 families residing in the county. The population density was 246 people per square mile . There were 55,061...
) - Fowlers Hollow State ParkFowlers Hollow State ParkFowlers Hollow State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Toboyne Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is from Blain just off Pennsylvania Route 274...
(Perry County) - Penn-Roosevelt State ParkPenn-Roosevelt State ParkPenn-Roosevelt State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Harris Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Rothrock State Forest. Penn-Roosevelt State Park is miles from U.S...
(Centre County) - Poe Paddy State ParkPoe Paddy State ParkPoe Paddy State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Haines Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Bald Eagle State Forest. Poe Valley State Park is to the east. The park is at the confluence of Big Poe Creek and Penns Creek. Poe Paddy State Park is...
(Centre CountyCentre County, PennsylvaniaCentre County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 153,990....
) - Poe Valley State ParkPoe Valley State ParkPoe Valley State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Penn Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is surrounded by Bald Eagle State Forest. Poe Paddy State Park is to the west. The forests of the park surround the Poe Lake. Poe Valley State Park is in isolated Poe...
(Centre County) - Reeds Gap State ParkReeds Gap State ParkReeds Gap State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Armagh Township, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is largely a wilderness area with large white pine and hemlock trees. Honey Creek flows through the park, providing a habitat for trout. Reeds Gap State Park is from U.S...
(Mifflin CountyMifflin County, PennsylvaniaMifflin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2010, the population was 46,682. Its county seat is Lewistown. It is named after Thomas Mifflin, the first Governor of Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
) - Whipple Dam State ParkWhipple Dam State ParkWhipple Dam State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Jackson Township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Whipple Lake is a man-made lake on that was originally built during the height of the lumber era that swept through Pennsylvania in the late 19th and early 20th...
(Huntingdon County)