Millbrook Marsh to Spring Creek Park and back again

Join us this Saturday at 2 p.m. for an easy, flat, 2-mile hike (a mere stroll really!) starting at the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center and going to the covered pedestrian bridge in Houserville's Spring Creek Park and back again.

This is more of an urban nature walk than a typical woodsy hike on a rugged mountain trail. The surfaces are a mix of wooden boardwalk, asphalt sidewalk, and turf grass (and perhaps a bit of mud or wet surface in places).

But we may see or hear some local bird life reactivating as spring finally approaches tantalizingly after a stern and ruthless winter. And we will see two noteworthy local streams: Slab Cabin Run and Spring Creek, each just upstream of their confluence as they carry Centre County's gurgling waters to the Susquehanna River, Chesapeake Bay, and their final destination (in this go-around of the grand hydrologic cycle) in the Atlantic Ocean.

After our stroll, a coalition of the willing will retire to Voodoo or Happy Valley brewery for libations, merry-making, and debunking (or perpetuating) conspiracy theories.

According to Centre Region Parks & Recreation:

"Millbrook Marsh Nature Center is located in State College, Pennsylvania, less than two miles from Penn State University. The Centre Region Parks and Recreation Authority operates the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center and is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

"Our mission is to educate and inspire people about the natural world, and to instill a passion for the environment through science, history, culture and art.

"The Millbrook Marsh Nature Center is a 62-acre site consisting of a 12-acre farmstead area and an adjacent 50-acre wetland area. A Conservation Easement between Penn State and ClearWater Conservancy protects the wetland from future development. Formerly known as "Farm 12," the tract was leased on a long-term basis from Penn State University starting in 1997 for $1/year. The Nature Center has an Education Building (expanded in 2024), a restored bank barn, a picnic pavilion, a Pollinator Garden, two sun shelters, a boardwalk, and walking trails.

"The Nature Center hosts over 20,000 participants annually in organized programs, events, and rentals, not counting the recreational day users who enjoy bird watching, dog walking, hiking, picnicking, and more. The Nature Center offers educational programs for groups of all ages, community events, private rentals, and much more."