Valley Girl Views: Frankfort Mineral Springs Fall & Trail

Located in Raccoon Creek State Park, this is less than 15 minutes from the Pittsburgh airport. It was a nice short hike, easily accessible, and gave me a chance to stretch my legs and breath after a 4 hour drive and rush hour city traffic, before picking my daughter up at the airport. I was here in August, but there was still water flowing here.

Across from the falls, water runs from holes in the rock to the right.
It had rained off and on all day - with the rain letting up long enough for me to walk this, but leaving it foggy and slightly muddy.

A group of women standing in this area around 1880.
This spot was a popular destination for many wealthy families who traveled from the city.

The continuing fall of water has worn a "bowl" into the rock below.

Getting There:

There is a large parking area at Approx 40.497839, -80.427754.
(It is located right off of 18. I navigated to Racoon Creek State Park and it brought me right here)

From the parking area, you cross a wide bridge and then you can either choose to go straight up the hill, and then down some steps, or you can go left and cross the creek a couple of times. The water was low when I was there, and there are stones placed across the creek, I was able to keep my feet completely dry. I was there in August of 2019, and the flood damage from spring was evident. A bridge is damaged, but was very stable and safe - just the side rail has come loose. I chose to go left, and then followed the loop past the falls and back down to the parking area. The trail is roughly 1 mile total, and although not completely flat, it's very easy to walk here.

Taking the loop trail to the left, this bridge is damaged, but was safe to cross when I was there.

Along the trail leading to the fall.

There is a sturdy metal bridge in front of the fall area to cross the creek one last time.

Once past the falls, there are steps up the hill.

At the top of the hill are some ruins.

From there it is a short walk down hill on what appears to be a very rutted old access road that leads back to the parking area.

More Of The History:

Frankfort Mineral Springs was a famous resort and health spa initiated in the late 1790's. The "Frankfort House" serviced patrons in the summer months for over a century and closed in 1912. The waters contained fifteen different minerals thought to have medicinal qualities.

The resort circa 1880

"While the mineral water was the original draw, soon the Frankfort Mineral Springs became the place to be for the debonair and sophisticated. They came from Sewickley, Pittsburgh, Steubenville and Wheeling in their buggies to spend vacations relaxing in the country. Newspapers across four states advertised the “elegant and exclusive” resort."
https://www.timesonline.com/4039a230-de34-11e5-a924-1f4e99e551f9.html

While many of the Springs guests were from Pittsburgh, visitors came from all over the United States and even Europe.

An artists rendering of the Frankfort Springs Resort

In addition to the hotel, there were two dirt tennis courts, horse stables and a dance hall. Franklin Kerr was a resident Physician on staff. Families often stayed for a month or more in the summer.

The popularity dwindled in the late 1880s. By 1912 it was no longer a destination spot, but the hotel was still used by travelers and long time renters, until it was lost in a fire around 1930. The dance hall continued to be used as a social hall and for concerts into the 1930s and 40s.

1in the 1960s, the area was purchased by Racoon Creek State Park. Patrick Adams, an environmental educator for the park, remembers a guest cottage as the last remaining building. It had been reduced to one story, and used as a museum, until the museum was broken into and all the artifacts were lost.

"The healing power of the waters was not simply folklore of the time. While the mythical powers of the springs were renowned and advertised, the curative powers were well documented by medical experts even prior to the resorts opening. One such expert, Dr. William Church of the Pittsburgh area, documented his study of the water in an article published in The Philadelphia Journal of the Medical and Physical Sciences in 1823. In the article, Church explained how he had traveled to the springs to conduct a set of ten experiments. Through his experiments, Church discovered that the water contained a wide variety of minerals, including carbonate of magnesia, which acts as a laxative. After finishing the experiments, experiencing the water, and interviewing many patrons of the springs who told stories of various cured ailments from arthritis to liver disease, Church concluded that the springs did indeed hold mysterious healing properties. According to Church, “Drinking the water, with the use of the cold shower bath, has been of great service to persons laboring under chronic rheumatism, gravel, dyspepsia, asthma caused by gastric irritation, general debility of the system, and to convalescents from bilious fever, and liver complaints.”
http://pabook2.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/FSprings.html