Friday, May 3, 2019

Hiking To Ticklish Rock

Ticklish Rock just across the Lycoming County line, in Sullivan County Pa

Noted as a sight to see in newspapers for more than 100 years, you can still visit today - as long as it's not during hunting season.

Mansfield Advertiser
Mansfield, Pennsylvania
19 May 1897, Wed  •  Page 3

Quick Facts:
  • Location - N 41.3506351 W 076.6480085
  • (Just a few miles outside of Tivoli Pa - about 35 minutes from Watsontown PA)
  • Sullivan County - But just across the Lycoming county line
  • Private Property, but visitors are welcome, as long as they limit their visits to Sundays during hunting season.  (All days are fine  from Jan 16- Sept 14th)

Getting There:
From Tivoli - Deer Lake Rd to SR2005, Take the first right onto T300 (dirt road).  In a very short distance you will see a house on the left, before that is a gate, and before the gate is a small parking area.  GPS Coords - 41.35063, -76.648

Once parked, cross the road to the trail head, which is clearly marked with these signs - 
No Atvs on the trail.
ATTENTION!  
Due to hunting season
 from September  15th To Jan 15th 
Please limit "Rock Visits" to
 SUNDAYS ONLY.  
Owner/Lesee not liable
 Enter At Your Own Risk
 Thank You.
Hike straight up the hill.  It's probably less than 1/4 of a mile, straight uphill.  It's a fairly well worn trail. 
A Salamander on the trail.


 At the top it levels off.  
Walk straight out to the edge and look down - you will see the top of Ticklish Rock.

A Porcupine at the top of the trail


Ticklish Rock sits down over the edge of the mountain - you will not spot it from the top unless you walk to the edge and look down.  This is the view from the top .  You can climb down from either the left or the right to get to the base of this formation.



Why is it called Ticklish Rock?
North Hills News Record
North Hills, Pennsylvania
01 Jul 1964, Wed  •  Page 17

The views up here are amazing.

"Sullivan County boasts many scenic beauties and not a few of Nature's curiosities. Ticklish Rock, atop Pocono Knob in the western part of the county close to the Lycoming line, is regarded as one of the greatest freaks of Nature in this entire region. The rock is a large sandstone formation shaped somewhat like a goose egg, and is estimated to weigh fifty or sixty tons. It stands on the very edge of a precipice, supported by a slim, natural column about ten feet high. By pushing against the rock with one's hands it can be made to tremble perceptibly--but that's a "ticklish" job when standing underneath. The view from the rock is a superb panorama, and the sight is one well worth the effort to climb to the lofty pinnacle."


And the entire section of rocks here is really interesting.

This was a beautiful, fairly easy (wide trail, but straight uphill) trail with beautiful views and neat things to see.  

And just a few miles out the road is the Tivoli Tavern - a great place to stop for dinner!
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2018/05/the-tivoli-tavern.html


How to Get There - as described in the newspaper in 1939
Harrisburg Sunday Courier
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
17 Sep 1939, Sun  •  Page 11


The Cincinnati Enquirer
Cincinnati, Ohio
12 Dec 1914, Sat  •  Page 15

The Mountain Echo
Shickshinny, Pennsylvania
31 May 1940, Fri  •  Page 6

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5 comments:

  1. This was amazing; Would be easier to find with mile distances; do not have gps nor a smart phone; so I logged the miles from Tivoli to Deer Lake Rd (on the left) (1.5 mile) and it is 4 mile to first right (T300/no road signs)

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  2. Are you interested in hunting mushrooms as you hike.

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  3. The story from the Mansfield Advertiser 19 May 1897, Wed • Page 3 talks of a summer hotel to be built near Highland Lake. I have seen the remaining building (casino), but the hotel is gone, of course. This is all just west of Ticklish Rock along the cliff face. Do you have any other information on the hotel? I heard that the casino was built to be a church, but the church ran out of money.

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  4. Graffiti artists stay home, unscarred for eons, but several people have left there marks. Idiots.

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  5. Great articles and info., but now that it is on social media, you can bet idiots will work at it until it finally falls. Sad but true today.

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I'll read the comments and approve them to post as soon as I can! Thanks for stopping by!