Spring Creek Canyon and State Gamelands 333

This approximately 4-mile moderate hike will meander across a portion of State Gamelands 333 and a segment of the Spring Creek Canyon. All in the approximate geographic center of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania!

The first segment of our hike is a relatively steep portion of trail which ascends about 350 ft, but the nearly panoramic view at the top -- of Bald Eagle Mtn, Mount Nittany, and Bellefonte -- is worth it.

Overall though, the footing is good although we may still encounter patches of snow and ice or mud (from melting snow and ice) in shady spots. Rocks are rare on this route, and except for the initial ascent and subsequent gradual descent, the hiking is nearly level along Spring Creek itself.

The trailhead is just about 10 minutes from Beaver Stadium. From I-99, exit at Shiloh Road and take a left turn at the end of the exit ramp. Follow Shiloh Road down into Spring Creek Canyon and cross over Spring Creek on a bridge near the entrance to Benner Spring State Fish Hatchery. Bear right and in several hundred yards you will come to the parking lot and trailhead. We will meet there at 2 p.m**.**

State College and Penn State are located in the watershed of Spring Creek. A watershed -- also called a hydrologic basin -- is an area of land in which rainwater, snowmelt, and runoff flow into a particular water body. Spring Creek is a tributary of Bald Eagle Creek, which in turn flows into the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, which ultimately discharges its waters into Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. It is one local manifestation of the Earth’s vast and dynamic, life-giving hydrologic (water) cycle.