Big Spring State Park

About Big Spring State Park

Big Spring State Park is located on the slopes of Conococheague Mountain and is a picturesque picnic and hiking area. The park takes its name from the nearby Big Spring, whose waters form a picturesque Shermans Creek. It also offers access to the Iron Horse Trail for day and overnight hikes, and a short loop leads from a partially completed railway tunnel to a tunnel with a historical interpretation at the top of the railway.

The narrow gauge railway has a terminus at the eastern end of the park, and loggers have cut down trees in the area and towed the stumps to the Perry Lumber Railroad mill.

The tannery at the source has been in operation since the beginning of the 19th century, in the 1860s. In 1871, an axe handle factory was founded near the old tanneries and trees were cut down for the supply.

The Newport-Sherman Valley Railroad laid tracks to connect with the Path Valley Railroad in Franklin County, but was unable to operate due to a lack of funding and high construction and maintenance costs.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the area was a picnic area accessible by rail, but the Commonwealth developed the current facility in the early 1950s as part of its expansion of Big Spring State Park.

There are many picnic tables and picnic pavilions in the park, but there is no unrestricted picnic pavilion. You can reserve a picnic pavilion for an 11-month advance payment or call 888 - PA - PARKS to make reservations. The first who come and are served are served first, the second and third come, and the fourth and fifth come first.

The park offers the Iron Horse Trail, which is a short circular route from the main entrance to the park to a railway crossing on the railway tracks. A short loop leads to the site of a partially completed railway tunnel, and at each level crossing historical interpretations offer historical interpretations.

The Hemlocks State Forest Natural Area is located 4 miles east of the park and the 90,968-acre forest is open for hunting, fishing and recreation. For more information about nearby attractions, contact the Big Spring State Park Visitor Center at (517) 684-5555 or contact your local park office.

The Hemlocks area was declared a National Natural Monument by the National Park Service in 1973 and the ancient trees are magnificent. Hemlock State Forest Natural Area and Big Spring State Park are located on the east side of the Great Lakes in Michigan, south of Grand Rapids.