At Half Way Dam Today

We have a fresh air kid staying with us this week, so a trip to Half Way Dam was inevitable.  It's actually R.B. Winter State park now, but my gram grew up coming here to "Half Way Dam", and that's  what almost all the locals still call it.  

For directions, go here:

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/raymondbwinter/index.htm

 

This is a free, public access, beach, so even on a week day, it's crowded by afternoon.  

It does not matter how hot it is, or how long the temps have been high,this water is ice cold.  Always.  Often families will bring a watermelon and put it in the creek across from the lake, to chill it.

 The cold water never bothers the kids for long..  and I admit that I didn't have any trouble swimming here today either.

 This is also one of the few sand beaches in the area.

The kids caught a salamander  -

It's a gorgeous area, with local trails and fishing areas, and camping, and an educational center..It's a great place to spend a day.

Indian Park, Montoursville Pa

104 Park Rd, Montoursville, PA 17754

Quick Links:

• Facilities Map Of The Park
• To Rent A Pavillion
• Biking The Bike Trail
• To See the Concerts & Events Scheduled In The Park
• Indian Park On Facebook
• Indian Park Master Plan Map (2014)

If you are looking for a park that has it all, this one is hard to beat.  Baseball fields, basketball courts, two separate playgrounds, a nature trail around a pond, and a paved bike path - even a covered bridge and a gazebo, making it a great spot for family photos.   The Montoursville Recreation Board also does a fantastic job of scheduling concerts and movie nights here.

Montour Preserve

http://www.pplweb.com/montour+preserve/at+a+glance/general+information.htm

This is one of the best resources in our area.  A great place to kayak, fish, walk, run, picnic..  and homeschool.  In addition to the education center, and the educational programs held here, there are also areas like the fossil pit where kids can dig for fossils, the blind trail where kids can walk blindfolded and experience the woods without sight (complete with braille signs along the way) and the Laura Smith history trail, which tells you a little about the farming community and how it has changed in the last 200 years.

There are 4 geocaches at Montour Preserve too.  

fishing last summer - 

Kayaks and Canoes

Along the Laura Smith Historical Trail - 

This is a VERY short walk..  Probably less then half a mile? There is a booklet at the trail head with portions to read at each stop.

Inside the visitors center - 

 This photo does not do this room justice.  There are so many things here..  displays that talk, light up, interactive educational areas for the younger kids, a bird observation area..  Native Indian display, and more.  It's a really nice, educational, area.

We usually see deer when we walk the lake trail - but today we saw a bald eagle!

At Old Alvira, today Game Lands 252

January 2, 2011

We live fairly close to the game lands near Elimsport, where the bunkers remain from World War II.  This is a somewhat regular hike for us.  We spend so much time here that I sometimes forget that not everyone knows where all the trails are.    There are several lakes and ponds here, lots of bird houses and bird habitats..  in addition to a shooting range, trails for hiking, and several geocaches.

The first question most ask is where to see the bunkers.

Everywhere.  You can see the bunkers everywhere.  Each S on the above map is a bunker.

If you enter the game lands on Alvira Road, off Elimsport road, you can park right at one of the bunkers.  

 Read the history and see photos of the bunkers being built, here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-alvira-bunkers.html

Alvira Before The Bunkers	History Of Alvira & The Bunkers	The Stone Church
Shooting Range At The Game Lands	There are frequently sunflower fields in the Game Lands, great places to take photos!  Where exactly they are located changes from year to year.  This was where to find them in 2020.	Here Lies A Confederate Bullet

Watch A Trailer for the movie

The Matthew Brown  Memorial

This rocking chair is made, at least in part, from an explosives crate from the Ordnance Works

Alvira Cemetery Right along the south side of Alvira Road, past the maintainance sheds.

Pine Knot, or Messiah Church Cemetery  Hidden from the road, this older cemetery is just barely south east of the newer Alvira Cemetery

Washington Presbyterian Cemetery At the end of Alvira Road when you come to the prison gate, the cemetery is on the left [north]

On the 2024  Driving Tour

2018 Candelight Christmas At The Stone Church

Surrender shown at the Campus Theater 2019

2021 Walk In The  Bunkers

2019 Fire

Photos From The Prison Grounds

Daniel Shuey,  148th Pa Infantry, in the old Washington Presbyterian Church Cemetery. Daniel has this marker here, and also a larger monument at Boalsburg.  He died June 3rd 1874, from injuries sustained at Gettysburg.

The Government also took over a steel plant in Danville

 

 

For the past couple of years, the game commission has been gating the road, so it's a longer walk back to the cemeteries, but the gate is open in hunting season.

  The bunkers are the "item of interest" here.  During World War II, this was a TNT depo.

Some of the bunkers are empty

Some are full of trash.

There's SO much more to see here than the bunkers. Beautiful trails, with ponds, fields of flowers, and lots of wildlife.

And there are plenty of ruins too.  

One of many wide trails.

This pond is right along Alvira Road, just after you enter the Game Lands.  It's just one of many here  - but I often see egrets here.

Wildflowers

Lime Bluff Recreation Area - Disc Golf

Lime Bluff Recreation Area has  bocce ball courses, two small loops for walking and running, a play area for kids, pavilion and picnic tables, soccer and baseball fields, and a Disc Golf (Or Frisbee Golf) Course.  It's a great area!

Lime Bluff Park Is Located on Elm Drive in Hughesville.  
(The turn for Elm Drive is near the McDonalds in Hughesville, but on the opposite side of the street.  It's well marked with a sign for Lime Bluff)
Find it on Facebook here

Part of the walking path around the park
For Information on renting the pavilions, or renting the soccer or baseball field, click here.

Frisbee Golf

Disc golf (also called Frisbee golf or sometimes frolf) is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc (frisbee) at a target.  It's often played in 9 - 18 "holes" (which are baskets on poles) similar to golf.  The number of throws a player uses to reach the target is tallied, also similar to golf.

Quick Links:

• Wind Wizards Disc Golf Club, Hughesville  
• Review of Lime Bluff Course 
• Review of Bloomsburg Disc Golf Course
• Professional Disc Golf Association (includes official rules)
• Beginner Disc Set on Amazon 

 We didn't have the official discs, which have special weights and sizes..  we just used Frisbees from the Dollar Store.  We also did not read the official rules - we just kind of made our own - as we were just out for fun as a family.

A Map of The Disc Golf Course

Where To Find Disc Golf Courses:
Bloomsburg Town Park
Lime Bluff Park in Hughesville
Selinsgrove School District
Test Track Park in Berwick Pa
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