Huntingdon County: Lakes, Gorges and Canal History

Huntingdon County brings together Raystown Lake, gorges, hiking trails and visible traces of canal history. To plan your trip, start with a simple question: Should water, nature or history be the focus of your stay? The places featured here offer very different ideas—from the lake and its opportunities for activities to museums and historic sites.

Raystown Lake and Trails Through the Landscape

Raystown Lake is the largest man-made lake located entirely within Pennsylvania. Two public beaches on the lake operate seasonally. Seven Points Recreation Area is considered the main activity hub for Raystown Lake. If you want to center your stay around the water, you can plan around beach visits and activities in the recreation area as distinct options.

A striking landscape feature awaits at the 541-acre Trough Creek State Park. There, Great Trough Creek cuts through Terrace Mountain to form a gorge before flowing into Raystown Lake. Hiking trails lead to Balanced Rock and Rainbow Falls. In spring and summer, visitors can experience winterlike cold as they descend into the Ice Mine. The same park therefore offers several different nature experiences: trails to rock formations and a waterfall, as well as the unusual chill of the Ice Mine.

Trough Creek State Park has a hand-carry boat launch for non-motorized canoes and kayaks. It provides access to the calm waters of Raystown Lake. Hiking and paddling thus offer different ways to experience the landscape.

Lakes, Hiking Trails and a Historic District

Greenwood Furnace State Park offers a different focus. It covers 423 acres and includes a six-acre lake, a campground, hiking trails and a historic district. The National Park Service established the Greenwood Furnace Historic District in 1989. A short trail loops around Greenwood Lake to the historic dam and provides easy access to an accessible fishing pier.

When choosing between the parks, the specific attractions provide a helpful guide: Trough Creek State Park features the gorge, Balanced Rock, Rainbow Falls and Ice Mine; Greenwood Furnace combines a lake and hiking trails with the historic district and dam. You can choose your outings based on the experiences that interest you most.

Canal History and Places in Huntingdon

In downtown Huntingdon, the canal-themed murals celebrate the city’s heritage and culture. In Blair Park, the Stone Arch Bridge marks the site of a former canal aqueduct. The Hartslog Heritage Museum displays more than 4,000 artifacts, including canal-related items such as boat windows and a model of a lock. Together, the murals, bridge site and collection tell of different traces of canal history—in the cityscape and in the museum.

Portstown Park on Penn Street also offers several specific points of interest: a loop trail, a skate park and a fishing pier. The Huntingdon County Historical Society is housed in the William McMurtrie House. It features an active historical and genealogical research library as well as a Victorian House Museum. Check the opening hours before visiting, as they may change.

Another story leads near Mount Union to the Jacks Narrows area. In the 1950s, quarry workers built steps there and removed a large part of Jacks Mountain to extract ganister stone for manufacturing silica bricks. This episode adds a different story of labor to the traces of canal history: here, the focus is on quarrying and resource extraction.

Choose a Vacation Rental Based on Your Travel Interests

When looking for a vacation rental, it helps to first decide which experiences you want. Should your stay focus mainly on Raystown Lake and water activities, hiking in the parks, or canal and industrial history around Huntingdon? The places offer different themes to build into your travel plans. This way, the area’s landscapes, water activities and cultural attractions become a selection tailored to your own vacation plans.

Explore more destinations: Huntingdon, Clearfield, Bucks, Cumberland, Wayne, York, Mifflin, Union County.

Return to the main travel overview: Pennsylvania.